Toronto's Why Not Theatre brings the world's oldest surviving poem, the Mahabharata, to life in a five-hour stage adaptation exploring themes of vengeance, family, and the choices we make. Featuring a diverse cast of 17 performers and six musicians, the production blends ancient and contemporary narrative forms, from street theatre to a 15-minute opera version of the Bhagavad Gita.
Meher Pavri as the Opera Singer with Neil D'Souza as Krishna and Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu as Arjuna in Why Not Theatre ’s Mahabharata in 2023.Meher Pavri as the Opera Singer with Neil D'Souza as Krishna and Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu as Arjuna in Why Not Theatre ’s Mahabharata in 2023.The world’s oldest surviving poem is a ‘tragically relevant’ tale of vengeance to rival Game of Thrones, with a stage adaptation heading to Perth.
In Why Not Theatre’s hands, it’s also about the dreadful power of the stories and histories we tell about ourselves. In one of the play’s most striking moments, a young prince asks why, when different plants can coexist in harmony, he and his siblings are unable to live side by side with their cousins. “When the truth cannot be agreed upon, war is inevitable,” his grandfather replies.“Tragically, it has become more relevant.
The tale is brought to vivid life via a cast of 17 performers and six musicians, who progress from ancient to contemporary narrative forms: starting with a lone character – “the Storyteller” – and a fire, we move through street theatre, classical Indian dance forms, and western-style drama with elaborate sets and giant screens with live video. At the spectacular climax is a 15-minute opera version of the Bhagavad Gita, sung in Sanskrit.
For Indians, the Mahabharata is not just a story but an encapsulation of Hindu scriptures; it’s comparable to the Bible, and ancient Greek myths such as the Odyssey and the Iliad – though vastly different in content and form.“In a western context, we’re always looking for answers. We want to be told right or wrong; this guy’s the good guy and that guy’s a bad guy. We want a lesson and a moral at the end, like the Bible gives us,” says Fernandes. “And Mahabharata is not that.
MAHABHARATA OPERA THEATRE VENGENCE INDIAN CULTURE
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