Nagamandala (fwd)

[Richard Plant]

Hello everyone:

Here is an announcement of a forthcoming production in Enlgish of a superb
play written by Girish Karnad, being directed by Sally Jones. Since such
occurrences are not common, I thought you might be interested.

Richard Plant

******** NAGA-MANDALA: Play with a Cobra *******

Luther Hansraj & B-current Productions proudly presents the Canadian
premiere of "Naga-mandala: Play with a Cobra" written by
distinguished Indian playwright Girish Karnad.  The opening of this
Toronto production of "Naga-mandala" at Tarragon Theatre mainspace in
July '97 is timely, since it will co-incide with the celebration of
India's 50th Anniversary of Independence.

"Naga-mandala", written in 1988 while Girish Karnad was a Visiting
Professor and Fulbright Scholar in Residence at the University of
Chicago, is a bubbling blend of two East Indian folktales.

Tales told by lamp-light.  As the play opens a condemned man must
stay awake an entire night or lose his life. Flames rush in and a
Story (in the form of a woman) entertains him with the saga of Rani
and her controlling husband.  In what becomes a fantastical, but
touching and often poignant story, Rani and a magical King Cobra
become entwined, creating an unforgetable love triangle, with
irreversible circumstances.  What's left is a snake trail of love,
intrigue and deception.

The Guthrie Theatre, where "Naga-mandala" ran from July to September
1993, selected it as its first non-Western play.  Other international
productions have been in Berlin (Leipziger, Schauspiel, 1992),
Singapore (The Necessary Stage, February 1996), and Leicester, U.K.
(The Haymarket, October 1996).  It has been performed in nearly 20
different Indian languages.

Directed by Sally Jones, Choreography by Lata Pada.  Starring a
multi-talented cross-cultural cast, including: Alison Sealy-Smith,
Sean Tagore and Ellora Patnaik.

"Naga-mandala" previews at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace on July 23,
1997.  11 performances July 24-27 and July 30-Aug. 3 at 8:00pm.
(Sundays at 2pm & 7pm).  Ticket prices: Wednesdays $10, Thursday thru
Sunday $19; Seniors & Teens $12.  Box Office: (416)- 531-1827.
Mature theme.


GIRISH KARNAD

Girish Karnad is a Kannada playwright and film-maker.  He was
educated at the Karnatak University, Dharwar and at Oxford where he
was a Rhodes Scholar.  After working with the Oxford University Press
for seven years, he resigned to concentrate on writing and
film-making.  He has served as the Director of the Film and
Television Institute of India and as the Chairman of the Sangeet
Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts.  During
1987-88, he was at the University of Chicago as Visiting
Professor-cum-Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence.  His play, Hayavadana
(1971), won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award as well as the Ramaladevi
Chattopadhyaya Award.  Nagamandala was premiered in the U.S. by the
Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis as part of its Thirtieth Anniversary
Celebrations in 1993.

His first film Samskara, for which he wrote the script and played the
lead role, was initially banned by the Censors and when released,
went on to win the President's Gold Medal.  Subsequent films,
directed by him mainly in Kannada but also in Hindi, won several
national awards and have participated in international film
festivals.

He also acts and has appeared in the films of Shyam Benegal as well
as the television serials of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen.

He was awarded a Padma Shri in 1974 and a Padma Bhushan in 1992 by
the President of India.  The Karnataka University conferred a D.Litt
on him in 1994.

He lives in Bangalore with his wife and two children.
Sally Jones (sally.jones at artsci.utoronto.ca)
Department of History
University of Toronto
100 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3
(416)-978-5998