| TEESRI DUNIYA THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS
2007–2008 SEASON
Staging Peace in Times of War Montreal, August 29, 2007 — Teesri Duniya Theatre kicked off its 2007-2008 season with a dance-theatre performance, A Story and a Song, at the D. B. Clarke Theatre of Concordia University on August 25, 2007. A Story and A Song, choreographed and directed by Aparna Sindhoor, was performed by Anil Sukumara Pillai and Pratheesh Sivanandan, two of India’s most highly accomplished artists. Prior to the performance, Artistic Director Rahul Varma announced the company’s groundbreaking season, which includes the world premiers of a new dance theatre called A Leaf in the Whirlwind and a controversial Canadian play, My Name is Rachel Corrie. It also includes a series of play readings, various community-based activities, and publication of our theatre quarterly, alt.theatre: cultural diversity and the stage. Pointing out that every public activitycarried out today is—by default—carried out in a time of war, Rahul Varma suggests that “terrorism is a repugnant act whether it is carried out by fundamentalists, by a resistance movement, or—masked as a war of reprisal—a recognized government. The bombing of Afghanistan and occupation of Iraq are not acts of revenge for 9/11, but acts of terrorism by the most powerful country against the innocent people of the world. Those killed in the events of 9/11 are the same people as those killed or dying in Afghanistan and Iraq.” “Staging Peace in Times of War”—the company’s theme this season—represents Teesri’s creative response to ongoing war. Our 2007-2008 season represents a number of innovations: it is our first ever two-play season, it includes the Canadian premiere of a controversial play other companies don’t dare produce, and it introduces a new form of dance-theatre rarely seen in Canada. We collaborate cross-nationally with Vancouver’s neworldtheatre, and internationally with renowned artists. And our artistic leadership is founded, yet again, in the hands of women artists telling women’s stories—Aparna Sindhoor, Sarah Stanley, Adrienne Wong, Jody Esserey. We couldn’t be more proud. Season Description A Leaf in the Whirlwind (world premiere)
Dates and Venue: October 10 – 28, 2007, Preview October 9, 2007
A Leaf in the Whirlwind is based on stories of Lalithambika Antherjanambeen adapted by Montreal playwright Jody Essery. A Leaf in the Whirlwind is based on stories of Lalithambika Antherjanambeen adapted by Montreal playwright Jody Essery. In a refugee camp, a fugitive tells the story of her escape from an unidentified place while pregnant from a rape that occurred during wartime. It is a story of struggle for survival, justice, and hope. With A Leaf in the Whirlwind, Teesri Duniya embarks on the journey of popularizing dance-theatre (not to be confused with dance-drama), which combines classical Indian and other dance forms with theatre. “Choreographers often bring their passions and outrages to the stage. Aparna Sindhoor takes it a step further—she brings the stage to others ...” MS. Magazine June/July 2001 “What sets apart Aparna is her handpicking Kannada poetry and short stories from various parts of the world, setting them to dance and presenting them in a very innovative and bold fashion so as to make them come alive on stage. The impact they leave on the minds of the audience is deep.” Shruti April 2006 My Name is Rachel Corrie (co-production with neworldtheatre, Vancouver) Dates and Venue: MONTREAL PREMIERE
December 6 – 22, 2007 WEST COAST PREMIERE
January 25 – February 9, 2008, Preview January 24
Director: Sarah Stanley My Name is Rachel Corrie is based on writings of Rachel Corrie adapted to the stage by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner. My Name is Rachel Corrie premiered at London’s Royal Court theatre in the spring of 2005 to sell-out houses and rave reviews. Despite this success, theatres in New York and Toronto either cancelled productions or withdrew interest for political reasons. The play has been characterized as anti-Semitic, most often by people who admit they've never read or seen it. In March, 2003, 23-year-old Rachel Corrie of Olympia, Washington was crushed to death by an Israeli Defense Forces bulldozer in the Gaza strip. A volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, Corrie was protesting the destruction of Palestinian homes. With the permission of the Corrie family, actor Alan Rickman and Guardian journalist Katharine Viner accessed Rachel Corrie's diaries and emails and edited a huge volume of written material into a 70-minute one-woman show. My Name is Rachel Corrie reveals one extraordinary young woman’s singular experience. Rachel Corrie sought to discover for herself the human impact of her own country's foreign policies on people thousands of miles away. Ehab Lotayef read his poem in honour of Rachel Corrie and veteran Montreal activist Abby Lippman commended Teesri Duniya for taking up this worthy project. Lotayef and Lippman, both respected members of Montreal community, will jointly lead the various community-based activities surrounding the play. “Her words bear witness to the deracinating madness of war, a hysteria that infects not only those doing the fighting but also those ambitious to do the saving.” -.John Lahr, The New Yorker Staged Readings The 2007-2008 season will see three staged readings, including Truth and Treason written by Rahul Varma. This play was first presented at the Factory Theatre, Toronto this April as a part of Factory Theatre’s CrossCurrent program. The venue and dates for this as well as other plays will be announced soon.
Community Theatre and Bridges Project
As part of our new play/new form development program, our season includes the Stories for Peace Project, which tells original stories of peace based on personal experiences, eye-witness accounts, or fictionalized stories. Ken McDonough and Dipti Gupta curate the project. Teesri will collaborate with various community organizations from different cultures to host the story-telling performances. Some of these stories will become full-fledged plays at a later time. Alt.theatre:cultural diversity and the stage alt.theatre is a theatre quarterly providing a forum for news and views about intersections between politics, cultural plurality, social activism, and the stage. Our readership includes theatre practitioners, academics, and others interested in issues pertaining to arts and cultural plurality. About Teesri Duniya Theatre Artistic Director: Rahul Varma; Associate Artistic Director: Ted Little; General Manager: Louise Lapointe back to the press releases page |
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