Stages Repertory Theatre's 2007 Surround Events
Date 2007/3/10 20:30:00 | Topic: Local News
|  Stages Surround Events Celebrate the Art & Culture of India & Pakistan
Stages Repertory Theatre’s 2007 Surround – a series of community outreach events designed to create a larger context for a particular play or theatre artist’s work – explores how culture defines us, and what happens when cultures merge or clash, through a series of theatre, film and visual art events focusing on Stages’ U.S. Premiere production of Bapsi Sidhwa’s An American Brat. Along with An American Brat, the Surround includes three additional theatrical presentations, two film screenings, and an exhibit of original artwork...
“The 2007 Surround gives Stages a bounty of opportunity to bring new patrons to the theatre, to develop exciting new work and to create new and lasting partnerships with the South Asian community in Houston,†Producing Artistic Director Kenn McLaughlin said.
“This Surround encompasses the history, literature, art, film, religion and entertainment of a rich, diverse culture that has become a vital part of the Houston community,†Stages Education Director Amy Willerson agreed.
The 2007 Surround Events Include:
THEATRE
Naga Mandala (Play with a Cobra)
By Girish Karnad Presented by Shunya Theatre in cooperation with Stages Repertory Theatre February 9 - 25 at Stages Tickets $20; Stages subscribers and students $10
Combining two traditional Indian oral tales, Naga Mandala features a story-within-a-story. A cursed playwright must stay awake all night in the temple, and as he attempts to do so he meets the spirit of a Story who slipped out of a old woman’s mouth as she snored. The Story is that of a young bride who is neglected by her indifferent husband and attempts to win his affection with a love potion; instead, she enchants a King Cobra who begins to visit her every night while her husband is away.
Shunya, a Houston-based non-profit theatre troupe, is dedicated to providing a voice to the South Asian American experience through the visual and performing arts.
Cowboys & Indians By Bob Livingston
March 20 – 23 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts For school groups only; call 713.527.0220 x214 for more information
Presented by Stages Repertory Theatre as part of the Hobby Center’s educational Discovery Series, this musical exploration of two cultural traditions is a unique combination of Eastern and Western music and lore. Featuring a mix of rhythms, instruments, and insights, this cultural exchange brings East and West to life with guitars and sitars, incense and cactus, boots and bare feet!
Indian Cowboy
By Zaraawar Mistry March 30 – April 1 at Stages Tickets $25; Stages subscribers and students $15
Zaraawar Mistry returns to Stages with this chronicle of a young man found under a banyan tree in India and raised by three Parsi brothers. His often humorous misadventures lead him from India to America and back, and to a new awakening. Created by Mistry in collaboration with Kathleen Sullivan, Indian Cowboy features Mistry in a compelling candlelight performance, accompanied by a dynamic soundscape.
Indian Cowboy is presented in partnership with Asia Society Texas.
FILM:
Film screenings are at 7:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
Mistress of Spices Film Screening and Discussion
March 12 at Stages
Based on the novel by Chitra Divakaruni and directed by Paul Berges (Bend it Like Beckham), this film follows the magical story of Tilo, who runs a grocery store and uses her spices to aid her fellow Indian emigrant customers to cure homesickness, alienation and whatever else ails them. Tilo herself is overcome when she falls in love with a non-Indian, forcing her to choose between her heritage and her happiness. Post-film discussion panelists include Chitra Divakaruni, Rathna Kumar, and Bapsi Sidwha.
Earth Film Screening and Discussion
March 19 at Stages
Based on the book Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa, this story reveals the clash of Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths during the partition of India into two countries – India and Pakistan. Historic events unfold in 1947 Lahore as a group of young men of different faiths try to maintain their friendship amidst the chaos and their amorous pursuit of the beautiful Shanta, a nanny to Lenny an 8 year Parsee girl. Religion, loyalty, and love intersect in this compelling and heartbreaking film. Post-film discussion panelists include Chitra Divakaruni, Rathna Kumar, and Bapsi Sidwha.
VISUAL ARTS
Exhibit of Original Artwork by Bobby Bridger, Asha Satish and Neha Gupta
February 9 - April 1 in the Stages Lobby
Free and open to the public during building hours
The lobby art exhibit reflects the interplay of culture and identity through the eyes of visual artists. The world of India is expressed by Neha Gupta and Asha Satish as reflected by their Indian heritage in the use of traditional colors and themes juxtaposed against their American lives. Bobby Bridger, an American West storyteller, explores the art of the Aboriginal peoples and Pitjantjara communities through his expressions of dreamtime paintings also known as Papunya Tula.
Stages Repertory Theatre Info:
3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 101
Houston, Texas 77019
Tel 713.527.0220
Click Here to Visit Stages Repertory Theatre's Site!
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