A contemporary dramatic take on a 4,000-year-old Sanskrit epic that is foundational to Indian culture.
The Mahabharata is a pivotal text in Indian culture, and there is no shortage of English translations. But dramatic renderings have been few and incomplete. Toronto's Why Not Theatre is remedying this with a once-in-a-generation contemporary translation and dramatization; seven hours long, with a traditional Indian meal (Khana) in the middle, the premiere performance features an all-South Asian cast.
With warring clans and devious revenge, the Mahabharata tells the story of an ancient family feud with philosophical and spiritual themes that are no less urgent today: In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? Can we build a new world?
Contains the full text of the play alongside interviews with the creators, historical context for the epic, a glossary, and a genealogy.
About the Author: Miriam Fernandes is a Toronto-based artist who has worked as an actor, director, and theatre-maker around the world. Recent directing and creation credits include Hayavadana (Soulpepper Theatre), Nesen, (MiniMidiMaxi Festival, Norway), and The First Time I Saw the Sea (YVA Company, Norway). She is currently developing a Deaf/hearing production of Lady Macbeth (in partnership with 1S1 Collective), and is the co-writer of What You Won't Do for Love with Drs. David Suzuki and Tara Cullis. Miriam is the recipient of the JBC Watkins Award and was nominated for the inaugural Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. She is also the co-artistic director of Why Not Theatre and has trained with Anne Bogart's SITI Company, and is a graduate of École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris.
Toronto-based stage director Ravi Jain is a multi-award-winning artist known for making politically bold and accessible theatrical experiences in both small indie productions and large theatres. He is the founding artistic director of Why Not Theatre. Ravi was twice shortlisted for the 2016 and 2019 Siminovitch Prize and won the 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award for Emerging Director and the 2016 Canada Council John Hirsch Prize for direction. He is a graduate of the two-year program at École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He was selected to be on the roster of clowns for Cirque du Soleil. Sea Sick, which he co-directed, was staged at the National Theatre in London, and What You Won't Do For Love, which he co-wrote, premiered in 2021.
