The other thing I can't attend this week is the South Asian-American Theater Festival at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, but it looks amazing:
SAATh-Fest's performances include stories that extend beyond India to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and explore an array of issues and experiences through the lens of religion, gender, and caste. Though some plays will be performed in English, the festival incorporates a variety of South Asian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, and Kannada, with supertitles in English. Some of the plays have been performed at other venues, but many will make their debut at the festival.
"Some are retellings of old stories, some are really modern stories, and then the final performance is actually a very traditional [theater piece] from Karnataka [in South India]," Bhowmick said. "It's a beautiful mix."
"Unveiled" by Rohina Malik, to be performed in English, highlights issues Pakistani-American women face while navigating a post-9/11 world as practicing Muslims. Sarbpreet Singh's "Kultar's Mime," which will also be performed in English, explores how the collective trauma that Sikh residents of Delhi endured during the 1984 Sikh Massacre connects them to the Jewish community.
Though many plays highlight modern struggles that South Asian immigrants face, a few reinterpret traditional fables and stories in a more modern context. "The Misadventures of Lotus Brothers," written and directed by Pampi Das, follows the journey of a transgender character from the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. "Shikhandi" by Sudipta Bhawmik also explores gender identity and dysphoria through traditional Hindu folklore.
"We have a strong emphasis and support for the LGBTQ community," Bhowmick said. "The new generation, they're looking at these fables in a completely different light."
The festival will also feature a panel discussion, moderated by author and Rhode Island School of Design professor Avishek Ganguly, about South Asian theater and the conflicts that can arise within different aspects of the diaspora's many cultures.
"One of the challenges we always run into is we don't tend to agree with each other all the time," Bhowmick said. "But rather than getting isolated, we really want everybody to come share the platform, put out their stories, put out their play, and then really develop meaningful conversations out of it."
I don't see that they are doing any of it streaming, but anyone who hears otherwise, please let me know. I miss being able just to show up to things.
SAATh-Fest's performances include stories that extend beyond India to Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and explore an array of issues and experiences through the lens of religion, gender, and caste. Though some plays will be performed in English, the festival incorporates a variety of South Asian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, and Kannada, with supertitles in English. Some of the plays have been performed at other venues, but many will make their debut at the festival.
"Some are retellings of old stories, some are really modern stories, and then the final performance is actually a very traditional [theater piece] from Karnataka [in South India]," Bhowmick said. "It's a beautiful mix."
"Unveiled" by Rohina Malik, to be performed in English, highlights issues Pakistani-American women face while navigating a post-9/11 world as practicing Muslims. Sarbpreet Singh's "Kultar's Mime," which will also be performed in English, explores how the collective trauma that Sikh residents of Delhi endured during the 1984 Sikh Massacre connects them to the Jewish community.
Though many plays highlight modern struggles that South Asian immigrants face, a few reinterpret traditional fables and stories in a more modern context. "The Misadventures of Lotus Brothers," written and directed by Pampi Das, follows the journey of a transgender character from the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. "Shikhandi" by Sudipta Bhawmik also explores gender identity and dysphoria through traditional Hindu folklore.
"We have a strong emphasis and support for the LGBTQ community," Bhowmick said. "The new generation, they're looking at these fables in a completely different light."
The festival will also feature a panel discussion, moderated by author and Rhode Island School of Design professor Avishek Ganguly, about South Asian theater and the conflicts that can arise within different aspects of the diaspora's many cultures.
"One of the challenges we always run into is we don't tend to agree with each other all the time," Bhowmick said. "But rather than getting isolated, we really want everybody to come share the platform, put out their stories, put out their play, and then really develop meaningful conversations out of it."
I don't see that they are doing any of it streaming, but anyone who hears otherwise, please let me know. I miss being able just to show up to things.
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