Mahabharata: Dharma - Part 2
The Life We Choose
“Mahabharata is of a quality that certainly deserves a global showcase.” Globe and Mail
- In-person event
- English
- ≈ 2 hours and 15 minutes · With intermission
A Why Not Theatre Production
Originally commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival Theatre
In association with Barbican, London
Following its critically acclaimed runs at the Shaw Festival and London’s prestigious Barbican Theatre, Mahabharata arrives at NAC English Theatre as a once-in-a-generation experience of unparalleled ambition and scale.
Listen to Sharada K Eswar doing a reading of the Mahabharata title (pronounced “Ma-ha-BAR-ah-tha”).
Mahabharata is a contemporary adaptation of the four-thousand-year-old Sanskrit epic, a foundational text of South Asian culture. Written and adapted by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, with poetic contributions from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling, this gripping saga delves into the rivalry between the Pandava and Kaurava clans and the devastating war that ensues. Mahabharata is a profound exploration of enduring philosophical and spiritual ideas set against an entrenched conflict that remains tragically relevant today.
Presented in two parts, Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata features a stellar all-South Asian diaspora cast. Seamlessly merging East and West, the traditional and the contemporary, the visually stunning storytelling ranges from the most ancient of forms, with listeners gathered around a fire, to spectacular technologically-driven spectacle. This breathtaking journey guides audiences through the distant past to create an exhilarating new future.
Part Two: Dharma
The Life We Choose
Mahabharata: Dharma (Part 2) introduces us to a dizzying array of storytelling techniques including immersive projections, dynamic digital soundscapes, and sweeping scenic design, as King Janamejaya learns of the epic war fought by his ancestors. Alongside the King, we experience the legendary battle of Kurukshetra, its catastrophic impact on the planet, and the resilient survivors entrusted with the task of rebuilding. The retelling is crowned with a soaring adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita, the most renowned chapter of the Mahabharata saga, as a Sanskrit opera.
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.
Audio Described Performance
For more information and to reserve tickets to the Audio Described Performances, please contact Aimee Bouchard, Learning Coordinator for English Theatre at aimee.bouchard@nac-cna.ca
Content Advisory: Contains discussions and non-graphic depictions of violence, war and sexual activity.
- Created and written by Miriam Fernandes & Ravi Jain
- Using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s "Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling"
- Original concept developed with Jenny Koons
- Directed by Ravi Jain
- Associate Director Miriam Fernandes
- Set design Lorenzo Savoini
- Costume design Gillian Gallow
- Lighting design Kevin Lamotte
- Associate Lighting Designer Mikael Kangas
- Projections Designer Hana S. Kim
- Associate Projections Designer Ann Slote
- Sound design John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran
- Original music John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran (with contributions from Dylan Bell, Gurtej Singh Hunjan, Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed and Hasheel Lodhia)
- Traditional music consultant Hasheel Lodhia
- Choreographer Brandy Leary (with contributions from Jay Emmanuel and Ellora Patnaik)
- Khana & Kahani Storyteller and Creative Associate Sharada K Eswar
- Production Manager Crystal Lee
- Technical Director Daniel Bennett
- Why Not Theatre Executive Director Karen Tisch
- Lead Producer Kevin Matthew Wong
