JOIN USPoetry, music, dance come together to narrate an epic
The Artists Collective is performing ‘The Mahabharata Project’ at Shoonya Centre for Art and Somatic Practices, on January 21 and 22, from 5 to 6.30 pm and 7.30 to 9 pm.
The play will offer “a fresh look at the legend portraying the inner voices of characters during major events”, says the play’s director Rajesh P I. He adds, “Exploring the inner voices of the characters allowed me a greater compassion for them. I saw how this could be a learning tool for the audience to reflect on their own lives.”
The play utilises elements of poetry, music, dance and movement to engage the audience. Rajesh explains that “the conventional storyline has been left unadulterated to remain faithful to the epic”. “Post-pandemic, emotional health has been tremendously affected and this play provides a subtle opportunity to pause and reflect on oneself with an epic we all know,” says Rajesh. While prior knowledge of the ‘Mahabharata’ will help one understand the themes better, he claims “the play is a good introduction to the tale”.
It leans towards the body theatre style, where stress is not on the set or costumes, but on the portrayal of the scenes by the actors. The team has worked with Thiruvananthapuram-based Kalaripayattu group VKM Kalari to include the martial art in the play’s battle scenes. They will make use of recorded music instead of performing to live music as they had in previous shows. This run will be lengthier — it will include new scenes and a more elaborate performance of Kalaripayattu, Rajesh tells Metrolife.
*Tickets are available online