Mahabharata

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. "Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes’s contemporary take on the Mahabharata is one of the most beautiful emotional journeys I have had the privilege to witness. It is inspiring, mind broadening, and speaks to all the senses. It even brings you back to the origins of theatre itself, when people would gather in the quarries around a bonfire to tell stories. With their tasteful use of technology, dance, and opera, the 4,000-year-old Sanskrit poem comes to life and feels more universal than ever. A captivating theatre experience, from the first flame to the last pixel." – Robert Lepage "In their stunning rendition of the great Indian epic Mahabharata, Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes brilliantly reverse the whole concept of what Bertolt Brecht famously advised theatre directors: to make the familiar, unfamiliar. Jain and Fernandes have turned the unfamiliar into the familiar. The 4,000-year-old saga most Indians grew up with is made accessible to a contemporary audience the world over. No mean feat. ‘The play, true to its source, crosses all boundaries of culture, class, and geography. Its timeless storytelling and evocative stage design is transformed into a saga for the world, with its fundamental emotions of human nature – power, hate, jealousy, greed, and lust. To be gob-smacked by this innovation would be an understatement. Immerse yourself in this take on the Mahabharata and travel with it in time into the past, present, and future of humanity." – Deepa Mehta