Ratan Thiyam's Chorus Repertory Theatre debut tour Fall 2000

Coming from one of India's most isolated areas, Ratan Thiyam's Chorus Repertory Theatre, renowned in Europe, South America and Asia, will make their North American debut in a Fall 2000 performance tour organized by the Asia Society and co-presented with Lisa Booth Management in eight cities across the U.S. The 35-member group will perform an original work entitled Uttar-Priyadarshi (The Final Beatitude), an 80-minute dance theatre work about war and peace that has been described as "an epic of the soul."

Now celebrating their 25th anniversary, Chorus Repertory Theater has performed to acclaim throughout India and around the world in such festivals as Edinburgh (Fringe First Award 1987), Glasgow, Dublin, Avignon, Perth, Adelaide, Rome, Cervantino, Mitsui, and Toga, and in Greece, the former USSR, England, France, Holland, Cuba, South America, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Thailand. Their intensive six-week U.S. debut tour will include appearances at the Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Walker Art Center, UCLA, University of California at Berkeley, University of
Massachusetts, and University of Arizona.

Combining traditional styles of performance and contemporary theater to create a powerful and dramatic experience, Ratan Thiyam takes his influences from a number of sources, including the artistic traditions of Manipur. He brings together diverse styles and concepts in his performances-techniques from traditional art, formats used in contemporary theater, his personal history, and social and political issues. His unique vision does not involve merely adding contemporary touches to the traditional performing arts techniques; he strives to create a new form that has nuances of both innovation and tradition. His work is not one or the other, but rather a poetic and dynamic blend. Epic in scope, Thiyam's performances-the result of a fully integrated aesthetic of movement, sound, light, poetry, and color-reflect both regional and intra-national concerns and practices. His message is at once local and universal.

Thiyam is heavily influenced by the history and culture of his home state of Manipur in northeastern India. Manipur has been part of India only since 1949 and a kingdom of the Meiteis (Vaishnavite Hindus) for 2,000 years. It is a small, remote area on the Burmese border. Because of the violence and tragedy this state has endured for fifty years, Thiyam's performances explore the impact of war and the ultimate goal of peace.

Uttar-Priyadarshi: Synopsis

Uttar-Priyadarshi is about war and peace, the theme of several of Ratan Thiyam's productions. Its protagonist is Ashoka, the 2nd century (BC) emperor who, known later in life as Priyadarshi, goes on to spread Buddhism throughout India.

Prologue

Uttar-Priyadarshi opens with the chanting of a prayer by the Samvadeks (the narrators) bearing staffs, and eight members of the chorus bearing symbols of the eight-fold path of Lord Buddha.They all pray to Lord Buddha and praise his benevolent personality. They mention the previous birth of Priyadarshi.

Flashback

The child Ashok, who becomes well-known as Priyadarshi in the future, is seen playing with the dust of the earth in the courtyard. He stops suddenly as the wandering Sakyamuni (Lord Buddha) stands before him smiling, asking for alms. Ashok offers a handful of dust to Lord Buddha who takes it and sprinkles the dust on the surface of the earth, sanctifying it for the next birth of Ashok (when he would eventually become Rajachakravarti).

Time Wheel

The narrators, in formation of the time wheel, extol the attributes of the Lord who looks at all with eyes of compassion. In the background, prayers are being chanted.

Scene One

Riding an elephant at the head of the vic-torious army procession, Priyadarshi, having vanquished Kalinga, returns to Magadha. The narrators describe the might of the great conqueror of the vast continent.

Scene Two

Priyadarshi commands his Bhat-charans (royal musicians) to sing Nandi, glorifying his victory and fame. But the emperor is mocked by the narrators calling him a lonely king. On hearing this he throws away his blood-stained sword. He laments for his unfulfilled dream of an empire where peo-ple can live a contented life free from fear. Once again he orders the royal musicians to sing Nandi but ends up hearing the ago-nizing cries of the grieving widows of war. He is engulfed in sorrow and grief. He also feels the spirits of his fallen foes advancing and surrounding him. He wants to drive them away and punish them by throwing them into Hell. He asks his minister to find someone who is both ferocious and evil. The minister chooses Ghor the wanton de-stroyer and Priyadarshi, against the will of the people, appoints him as Lord of Hell.

Scene Three

Ghor declares himself to be Mahakal, the day of total destruction. He performs the dance of death and destruction with his female attendants. His male attendants enter and he commands them to liquidate anyone entering Hell's domain, even Priyadarshi.

Scene Four

The traveling narrators enter Hell, crossing hills, valleys and streams. They are lured by the female attendants of Ghor, disguised as pretty girls. They are trapped and tortured but finally escape from Hell.

Scene Five

Victims in Hell are tortured and killed. Human organs are chopped, fried and cooked in the large cauldron and consumed.

Scene Six

A Bhikshu enters with a message of hope for liberating all humanity from suffering. He prays for the promised light that washes away ignorance and gives enlightenment. The Bhikshu, tortured by Ghor and his at-tendants, invokes strength to endure and to be free from fear. The flames of Hell dwindle and the place turns calm and serene. The Bhikshu is seen sitting alone on a lotus. Ghor calls his attendants to show their evil power but to no avail.

Scene Seven

Priyadarshi enters Hell, finding it calm and serene. Ghor tortures him, ignoring Priyadarshi's reminder that he himself made him the Lord of Hell. Priyadarshi notices that the Bhikshu is calm and undisturbed by the flames of Hell. He asks the Bhikshu how he can escape from Hell. The Bhikshu reas-sures Priyadarshi that with the affection of the divine light, one is liberated from all human bondage. Priyadarshi, experienc-ing this, feels Ghor departing from within him.

The piece is performed in 80 minuites without intermission in Manipuri with English surtitles. Music, design and direction are by Ratan Thiyam. It is from a verse poem by Ajneya as translated by Krishanomohn Sharma. Uttar-Priyadarshi premiered in Thailand in 1996.

About Manipur

Manipur, located in the hills of northeast India, is a rich and unique culture. A part of India only since 1949, it has a long tradition as an artistic center, with dance, music, theater, literature, films, and pop culture. Its long history goes back some two thousand years as a kingdom of the Meitei people. Starting with references to it in Ptolemy's Geography from 140 A.D., the kingdom, known variously over the centuries as Kathe, Cassay, Meckley, Meitrabak, or Kangleipak, has been on ancient Chinese and Indian caravan and trade routes. It is at a crossroads between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and reflects the cultural riches from both.

In the 20th century, Manipur and the surrounding areas came briefly to international attention during Vinegar Joe's construction of the five hundred mile Stilwell Road into Burma, and culminating in the Battle of Imphal, the biggest land defeat of the Japanese in World War II.

Today Manipur is a state of India on the Burmese border, nestled in the Arakan Mountain Range-an arm of the Himalayas that run down from Eastern Tibet to the Bay of Bengal, dividing the South Asian subcontinent from the countries in Southeast Asia. It is about the size of Israel, though the Manipuris (Meiteis) live mostly in the central valley about the size of Rhode Island, half-a-mile above sea level. Naga and Kuki-Chin tribes who inhabit the mountain ranges that ring the valley and rise to about 10,000 feet inhabit the rest of the state. The two million people of Manipur are all predominantly Tibeto-Burman in origin, with some Thai, Mon Khmer, and Aryan elements.

About the Asia Society

The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Manila and Shanghai. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. (212) 288-6400. (www.asiasociety.org). Note: While the Asia Society headquarters building is undergoing renovations (to be completed Fall 2001), visit us at our interim location, Asia Society at Midtown, 502 Park Avenue (at 59th Street),
New York City.

Acknowledgements

The North American debut tour of Chorus Repertory Theatre is made possible in part with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, Arts International, Amita Chaterjee, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and the Richard & Jane Pearl Philanthropic Fund. (List in formation.)

Ratan Thiyam's Chorus Repertory Theater Fall 2000 USA Debut Tour
Co-Produced by Asia Society and Lisa Booth Management

Performance Schedule

Washington, DC
The Kennedy Center
Eisenhower Theater
Info & Tix Tel (800) 444-1324
www.kennedy-center.org

Friday-Saturday, September 22-23 at 7:30pm

Amherst, MA
Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
University of Massachusetts
Info & Tix Tel (800) 999-UMAS
www.umass.edu/fac

Thursday, September 28 at 7:30pm

St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Main Hall
Info & Tix Tel (651) 224-4222
www.ordway.org
co-presented with the Walker Art Center
www.walkerart.org

Monday, October 2 at 7pm

Berkeley, CA
Cal Performances
Zellerbach Hall
Info & Tix Tel (510) 642-9988
www.calperfs.berkeley.edu

Saturday, October 7 at 8pm
Sunday, October 8 at 3pm

Los Angeles, CA
UCLA Performing Arts
Royce Hall
Info & Tix Tel (310) 825-2101
www.performingarts.ucla.edu

Thursday-Saturday, October 12-13 at 8pm

Tucson, AZ
UA Presents
Centennial Hall
University of Arizona
Info & Tix (520) 621-3341
http://uapresents.arizona.edu

Tuesday, October 17 at 7:30pm

Durham, NC
Institute of the Arts at Duke University
Page Auditorium
Info & Tix Tel (919) 684-4444
www.duke.edu/web/dia

Saturday, October 21 at 7:30pm
Sunday, October 22 at 7:30pm

New York, NY
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Opera House
Info & Tix 718 636-4100
www.bam.org
co-presented with Asia Society
www.asiasoc.org

Wednesday, October 25 at 7:30pm
Friday-Saturday, October 27-28 at 7:30pm

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