Ek Safar Parvaton Ke Aage by Gabriel Cousin

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The Play
Journey to the Mountain Beyond is based on a Japanese folklore, dramatized by Gabriel Cousin and opened in Paris in 1965. The play talks about the idiosyncrasies of the living conditions, as they still exist, in the so called under-developed countries, and the theme of hunger is introduced as a disparity to the a la mode scenario confronting mankind. This play was reckoned rather as a kind of a dramatic narrative. The self-destruction of O Rin in the play is shown as an exemplary idealism; refusing to accept degradation, but retaining control of her fate, and dying by a deliberate act of will.

Director’s Note
Like always, the whole process started with four-month long classes with the first year students. In the beginning it never seemed feasible to come up to this point. The faith and the mutual co-operation is always the uniting cause for us. I found the shades of sensibility that my students have, and how deply they are connected with the cause and in a singularity. The play deals with a grave issue and is a universal appeal making the whole understanding process very challenging and way too imaginative. Pallav Singh, 2 nd year acting student, translated the English text as the rehearsals went on. Rather than a director’s creation it is a collaborative output of the students. It is very overwhelming for me to think about their emotional attachment and efforts towards the play. I would like to express
my gratitude to Prof. Waman Kendre, Director NSD, for always prioritizing the effort of the students, and including this production in the 8 th Theatre Olympics.

The Director
Dinesh Khanna graduated from the National School of Drama in 1986 and is currently an Associate Professor of Acting in NSD, Delhi. He is more of an artist than a director. He lives for his art and considers actors as a prominent tool of his creation. His passion for acting and its deeper understanding helps him to get the best out of them. The habit of voracious reading helps him to find untouched and divine topics to deal with. Staying far away from limelight, Dinesh has mastered various methodologies of acting, which eventually help his actors to flourish aesthetically. His
production on Jim Morrison was highly acclaimed. Most of his creations have travelled across the continents.

The Playwright
Gabriel Cousin, born onJuly7,1918atDroué in theLoir-et-Cher, and died on February 19th,2010inGrenoble, was a Frenchpoet andplaywright.He is the author of some 35 books including about fifteenplays and twenty books of poetry.

The Group
National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world, and the only one of its kind in India. Training in the School is highly intensive and is based on a thorough, comprehensive, carefully planned syllabus which covers every aspect of theatre, and in which theory is related to practice. As a part of their training, students are required to produce plays which are then performed before the public.

Cast & Credits
Sutradhar Puneet, Anirban, Utsav
O Rin Devika, Smriti, Ketaki, Rita, Sugandh Madhu
Tappei Saquib, Saurabh, Aamir, Vikash, Navdeep, Bobo

Shino Nikita
Kisakichi Meenu, Masood, Paalin
Fumiko Shilpa, Bhakti
Tamyan Silpi, Ipsita
Children Payal, Silpi
Ikomo Tribhuvan
Ikomos’ Son Meenu
Gramin Bhuneshwar, Tribhuvan, Payal, Silpi, Meenu, Bhakti
Set & Costume Design Rajesh Bahl
Light Guidance Govind Yadav
Light Design Anirban & Nikita
Sound Design Masood & Paalin
Make-up Smriti & Sugandh
Brochure/Poster Tribhuvan, Nikita, Menu, Anirban & Bhakti
Costumes Assistance Saurabh, Ketaki & Sugandh
Set Assistance Navdeep, Bhuneshwar, Bobo, Ipsita, Madhu Meenu, Payal, Utsav
Floor Manager Vikash, Nikita
Stage Manager Saquib
Song Puneet, Rita, Devika, Utsav & Silpi
Playwright Gabriel Cousin
English Translation Gretchen R. Besser
Hindi Translation Pallav Singh
Direction Dinesh Khanna

Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

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