The Play
After the assassination of Rao Viram, his wife takes shelter in Aalha Charan’s house, in Kalau village, to save her son, Chunda’s life. Aalha brings up her son. He protects and educates him. When Chunda gets the throne of Mandore, he expresses his gratitude to his patroniser, and presents him a manor (state) and calls it ‘Sansan’, which meant such a state from where the king would not collect any tax. The tradition of presenting ‘Sansan’ to the Charan broke at the time of coronation of Maldev’s son. Maldev declared his youngest son, Chandrasen, the king of Jodhpur. After Maldev’s death his two elder sons Ram and Udai Singh began to fight with Rao Chandrasen. Rao Chandrasen defeats them but later they dethrone him with the help of Mughal King Akbar. Rao Chandrasen fights for the freedom of his country against Emperor Akbar. In this struggle he gets full support of Charan poets.
After the death of Rao Chandrasen, his elder brother Udai Singh, after gratifying Akbar with his services, becomes the ruler of Jodhpur. To please the emperor he tries to obliterate Chandrasen’s name from history. The Charan poets oppose this act of his and justify the freedom fight by Chandrasen. Infuriated king Udai Singh confiscates their Sansan. When Charans protest, he issues forth an order to remove them from Marwar. When Charan poets start leaving Marwar, the Aauwa Thakur, Gopaldas Champawat stops them and provides place in his village to demonstrate against the king. When king Udai Singh comes to know this, he gets infuriated, due to which Gopaldas returns the lease of Pali and returns to Aauwa. Eventually 185 Charan Poets sacrifice their lives against the
king’s injustice by beheading themselves with their own Kataar. This occurrence is registered in history in 1643.

Director’s Note
In this era of post-modernism, it has been realised that we should review our past. Satyagrah is based on a historical incident that occurred in 1643. This incident stirred the then political environment. acrifices by the Charan Poets against the throne will remain a source of inspiration for generations to come. In history, such unprecedented occurrence is viewed again in the freedom struggle for India, during Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Satyagrah’. It is considered that Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by the demonstration of the Charans.

The Director & Playwright
Arjun Deo Charan is an established Rajasthani poet, playwright and critic. He has written nineteen plays and has participated in many seminars at the national level. Arjun Deo Charan has been awarded by Sahitya Academy, New Delhi; Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi; Rajasthani Bhasha Sahitya and Sanskriti Academy; Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy; and Bihari Puruskar of K.K.Birla foundation. Presently he is the officiating Chairman of National School of Drama Society, and Convener of Rajasthani Sahitya Academy Delhi.

The Group
Rammat was founded three decades ago. It has been a movement that provides buoyancy toRajasthani Theatre. It has had the privilege to be a part of festivals of repute like National Theatre Festival (1992) by Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi; Multi-Language Theatre Festival (1992), Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal; National Theatre Festival (2000) by Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the 6th and 17th Bharat Rang Mahotsav (2004), NSD, New Delhi.

Cast & Credits
Aalha & Udai Singh Deepak Bhatnagar
Rao Chunda Rajesh Vyas
Gopaldas Champawat Ashish Charan

Govind Bogsa Mahesh Mathur
Chaandan Khidhiya & Akha Barath Magh Singh
Rao Chandersen & Charan Poet Bhana Rajesh Vyas
Pardhan Ravindra Singh
Viram’s wife Madhu Kumari
Rao Jodha Ashish Cgaran
Charan Poet Kesa Rahul Bora
Bind Krishna Tak
Charwaha Krishna Tak, Mohit
Sainik/Sewak/Adivasi Magh Singh
Raj Kapil
Krishna Tak
Love Chaudhary
Saurabh Tanwar
Ashish Gautam
Mahendra Rawal
Mohit Baniya
Mahendra Singh
Dheeraj

Vocals Prof. Rajendra Vaishnav
Lights Mohammad Shafi
Set Magh Singh, Saurabh Tanwar
Playwright & Director Dr. Arjun Deo Charan

The Play
Chekhov ki Duniya is a collection of six short stories by Chekhov. Cheenk: The story is filled with irony. It includes “The Sneezer” who cannot apologize enough to a blustering general for splattering a sneeze on his head at the opera. Surgery: The story of a man with a toothache faced with what looks like medieval instruments of
torture and an inexperienced dental assistant. Shikari shows a man-about-town using a husband as the conduit for his attempted seduction ofthe man’s wife, Irena. Besahara Aurat: It features a wild woman with a nervous disorder who tries to extort money from a banker. Dooba Hua Aadmi: It is the story of a man who earns by ‘drowning’.
The Gift: A tale of a very concerned and dedicated father who thrusts his shy, 19-year old son into manhood.

Director’s Note
This collection of stories from Chekhov touches every major human emotion. I wanted this width in emotional panorama for this production. I wanted this play to be an emotional journey for the audience. So while I have used music and lighting to make the emotional experience come alive I ave kept the stage bereft of any major set that may distract. The characterization is so strong that  as a Director my job really was to make the actor understand the character, the circumstances and the emotional state rather than tell them what to do. This gives tremendous freedom to the actor and an immense satisfaction to me to see the play unravel. The actor and I begin to think on the same wavelength as the play progresses. This allows for experimentation, discussion and innovation, making the entire process and the final product truly delightful to the actors, me and hopefully for the audience.

The Director & Adaptor

Ranjit Kapoor joined the National school of Drama, where he specialized in Direction, winning the Best Director Award when he qualified for his diploma in 1976. Ranjit Kapoor is well known also as a translator and adaptor of plays, and an actor and a writer of screenplays. He has directed a number of television serials, written dialogues for popular films such as Jane Bhi Do Yaron, Mohan Joshi Haazir Hon, Woh Saat Din, and Bandit Queen, as well as screenplays for Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, Khamosh, Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, Halla Bol and other films. He has written songs and composed music for several films and directed feature films viz.
Chintu ji starring Rishi Kapoor, and Jai Ho Democracy. He is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman of Delhi, Shikhar Samman, the Sansui Award, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

The Group
The first production of The Entertainers, New Delhi was Lomar Vesh directed by Shailendra Goel. Ek Ghoda Chhey Sawaar, Court Martial, Kaua Chala Hans Ki Chaal, Mera Dost Bhootnath, Ek Sansadiya Samiti Ki Utthak Baithak, Afvaah and Chekhov ki Duniya are some of its major productions. The group has performed extensively for the Sangeet Natak Akademi, NSD Annual festivals and World Performing Arts Festival in Lahore. In the year 2007, its play Chekhov Ki Duniya was nominated for five awards at the prestigious Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards.

Cast & Credits
Chheenk
Clerk Ashwin Chadha
Clerk’s Wife Mukta Singh
General Amitabh Srivastava
General’s Wife Tabbasum
Surgery
Padri Shailendra Jain
Dr.’s Assistant Brij Bhushan Shukla
Shikari
Peter Ashwin Chadha
Husband Amitabh Srivastava
Wife Mukta Singh
Besahara Aurat
Bank Manager Amitabh Srivastava
Assistant Wamiq Abbasi
Besahara Aurat Poonam Girdhani
Dooba Hua Aadmi
Writer Sunil Upadhyay
Aadmi Wamiq Abbasi
Sipahi Shailendra Jain
The Gift
Father Amitabh Srivastava
Son Sunil Upadhyay
Prostitute Mukta Singh
Chekhov (in all stories) Sunil Upadhyay
Lights Raghav Prakash
Costume Anila Singh
Music Operator Daniyaal Abbasi
Music Design Ranjit Kapoor
Playwright Neil Simon
Adaption & Direction Ranjit Kapoor

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

The Play

The play is an autobiography of Gauharjan, who was a famous classical singer of India. She was born in 1873 in Ajamgarh. Her mother Malkajan too was a renowned classical singer. In 1883 Malka came to Calcutta to perform and settled there permanently. During her stay in Calcutta with her mother,Gauharjan developed a keen interest in singing and dancing. Gradually she became a famous classical  singer.

Director’s Note

The inherent blessings of God introduced Gauharjan to the country and the world. Her reations & presentations in Hindustani Classical Music brought about the recognition of Gauharjan  world-wide. But to achieve mental peace & happiness Gauharjan stopped performing, and decided to embrace love and lead a social life. But the pious desire of Gauharjan ended in smoke. Except for Amrit Keshab Nayak (the famous playwright, director and hero of Gujarati & Hindi Theatre) who died soon after they met, she could not find any man whom she could truly love. She was deceived on the pretext of love by other men. The play deals with the miseries of her later life.

Director
Priyanku Sekhar Das achieved success early in life as an actor by performances in various plays. As an Assistant Director he has successfully assisted in the direction of plays like Bharat Puran, Desodrohi, Dak Ghar. As a director he has directed Sesh Adhyaya, Jagaran Pala and My name is Gauharjan.

The Playwright

Sumitro Banerjee is the founder director of Sanyogsutra, a theatre group. He has done his masters in Buddhist studies and Mass Communication from Calcutta and Rabindra Bharati University. His early play Jhara Somoyer Kabyo (Based on the life and times of Mirza Ghalib) received the prestigious Sundaram award. Some of his major plays are Birpurus, Muche Jaoa Din Guli, and My Name Is Gauharjan. Sumitro has participated in national and international workshops and seminars organized by NSD, Delhi and other institutions.

Translator

Sri Sandip Bagchi has been writing, translating and producing plays since his youth. He trans created Macbeth in Bengali as Mobarak. He has written almost a dozen plays. Some of his popular productions are Raja Krishnanath, Bhor, The Car of Time and Siraj.

The Group

Prantik is a registered theatre group of Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal. Since 1968 Prantik is organizing workshops and producing plays regularly. It has bagged many awards and certificates of excellence for various productions. Prantik is known for its milestone production Nana Hey in 1978. The popularity of Prantik has reached its zenith by staging the play My name is Gauharjan.

Cast & Credits

Gauhar (Child) : Oshiaan Das Bhattacharya
Gauhar (Teen) : Oishi Bhattacharya
Gauhar (Young) : Ranita Lahiri/Piyali Roychowdhury
Gauhar (Senior) & Malkajan : Jhulan Bhattacharjee
Salma : Ritwika Bhattacharjee / Ananya Rajbanshi
Ashia : Swasti Bhattacharya
Rehena : Ishani Bhattacharya
Bhaglu : Ardhendu Majumder
Ganesh Chandra Chandra/Moulana Sowkat Ali : Tapan Jyoti Das
Goswami : Priyanku Sekhar Das
Bose : Goutam Majumder
Roy Sahab/Ganpat Rou : Goutam Bhattacharya
Mitra : Bidyut Baran Mahajan
Representatives : Sadhan Roy, Sidhartha Mahajan
Chagon : Anwar Hossain
Abbas : Somnath Bhattacharya
Tabla Assit. :  Amit Moitra
Maid : Moumita Saha
Set & Light : Shyamaprasahad Bandhyopadhy
Set & Assistant : Rahul Das, Srabon Saha
Set Drawing : Soumen Mondal
Music : Subhamoy Bandhyopadhy
Make-up : Kanai Routh, Praloy Routh

Music Execution : Kajal Mondal
Costume : Jhulan Bhattacharya
Dresser : Abanish Chandra Sinha, Moumita Saha
Technical Assistant : Nilanjan Pandey
Still Photography : Tamoghnajyoti Das
Team Manager : Sabir Zaman

Playwright : Sumitro Banerjee
Editing, Design & Direction : Priyanku Sekhar Das

The Play & Director’s Note
The journey for Ashok Ki Chinta started when I was thinking about my new Hindi play for 2017. Iasked Dr. Vinaye to write something for me. He showed me the script of Ashok ki Chinta. The play is  the journey of Samrat Ashok, the great emperor, conveying the contemporary issues like war, oppression and misuse of power. Ashok has been portrayed as not only the one who rules the state but also, as one who tries his best to keep the power in his hands. Three specific situations, that are contemporary to Mauritius, have been retained in this play – war and terrorism, conquering world- market through money and power, and marginalization of the Diego Garcia people by uprooting them to Mauritius. Having won various wars, Ashok starts realizing his ultimate goal towards life – his love for simplicity and Nature. Ultimately, after winning the Kalinga war, Ashok’s heart is truly transformed by grief and love and he becomes the proponent of humanity by adopting the path of Buddhism.

The Director
Rajeshwar Seetohul won his first award as Best Junior Actor in 2010 at the age of 14. He became the youngest actor ever who won the Best actor award at National level in Bhojpuri language at the age of 17, and Hindi language at the age of 18. He became the youngest Director in Mauritius. After that he won many awards for his performances. After winning three Best Actor awards at the National Level, he was offered his first play in Hindi for direction in 2015. That was his initiation into direction. He directed the play Shakuntala, authored by the greatest poet and dramatist Kālidāsa, and won the second-best director award. He is also a cinematographer and has made several short movies for social awareness and competitions organized by Mauritius film Development Corporation.

The Playwright
Dr Kumarduth Goodary (Vinaye) is presently Senior Lecturer at the School of Indian Studies withabout 17 years of experience in teaching and research at tertiary level. His interests vary from creative writing, leadership skills and motivational pedagogies to multi-disciplinary research. He is the presenter of Srijan-Your Rendez-vous with Culture, a talk show programme aired on MBC 1 TV weekly, since 2015 with some 60 interviews with scholars in Hindi. He has also acted in local serials and short films in Hindi, Creole, Bhojpuri, French and English. He has directed a short film Reperkision based on domestic violence. He wrote a film on mother's day named Merci which was
projected at Jaipur International Film Festival in which he played the lead role. He has been scriptwriting for numerous films and serials. Having authored Ashok ki Chinta, a contemporary play, he won the best local writer and best actor awards for the national drama competition. He has been awarded at several occasions for his contribution to Hindi in Mauritius.

The Group
The Vacoas Rang Bhoomi Kala Mandir (VRBKM) was founded in 1977 by Late Shri Gawkurrun Seetohul. VRBKM presents plays and films in English, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Urdu and Mauritian Creole (Local Language). In the Past 40 years, VRBKM has presented more than 150 one-act plays and 200 Radio Bhojpuri Jokes on the National Radio. Lately, VRBKM has been producing short films to create awareness on social issues.

Cast & Credits
Ashok : Goodary Kumarduth
Radhagupt : Seetohul Rajeshwar
Sushim/ Soldier : Mohundin Mounesh
Dancer/ Keem Loo/ Villager : Gunesh Girisha

Dancer/ Bankarm/ Chanda : Sooroop Sonam
Dancer/ Widow : Ghurbhurrun Joshita Devi
Village Child : Reetam Keshav
Buddha/Senapati : Seetohul Rajiv
Soldier/Buddha’s Disciple : Gooljar Shakshi
Light Designer : Dabydoyal Leenisha
Music / Sound Effect : Konnjah Yashveer
Stage Manager : Ramdeny Krishnanand Singh
Technical : Seerkissoon Rakesh, Sovida Sunkur
Head of Delegation : Rashid Neerooa

Playwright : Dr. Vinaye Goodary
Director : Rajeshwar Seetohul

The Play
A man and a woman meet in a waiting room of a deserted railway station. Is it real?

Director’s note
The relationships between human beings always push me to explore them. They excite me to go beyond what we see at the surface level. Human minds are fascinating and at the same time complicated too. The way we act sometimes, probably not just by a single command of mind but a rather nascent desire of our mind. What we see and what we perceive are different. What we carry and hat we want are different too. In reality, our minds are bounded by a web of socio-cultural norms which sometimes create incompleteness inside us. How to come out from it? Fantasising is a very common phenomenon to fulfil our incompleteness.
How does it feel to fantasise someone with whom we live 24 X 7, in a different way?

The Director
Born in Kolkata, Souti Chakraborty started theatre in 1984. He was associated with the Grips theatre in Kolkata for 6 years. He graduated from National School of Drama in the year 2001 with specialization in Design and Direction. He has worked in National School of Drama Repertory Company for 7 years as a Designer, Director and Actor. He has worked with almost all the renowned theatre directors of India. As a director, he has done Chanakya Vishnugupta for
NSD’s Repertory Company, and Look Back in Anger. As an actor, he has done almost 1000 performances across India. As a light designer he has designed more than 70 productions. He represented India in Young Theatre-Workers’ Workshop in Berlin, Germany. For the last 5 years, along with other theatre activities, he is also teaching at NSD, various universities and theatre institutes across India.

Cast & Credits
On Stage : Teekam Joshi, Sonia Mahajan
Music : Rajesh Singh
Video Creation : Sourav Poddar
Concept, Design & Direction : Souti Chakraborty

The Play
Three men wake up in the morning and slowly head in one direction – towards the kettle – the magic key for the new day. They press the button and wait, cups in their hands. But the world is unpredictable, and nothing can be taken for granted. Just when the tea is about to be poured, all phones and gadgets start to ring at once. Then a huge cockroach jumps out of the kettle. Then it turns out that there was no water in the kettle to start with, and a trip from the bathroom can be quite complicated if one follows the GPS… Once the water’s in the kettle, men start to boil instead of the kettle; pipes burst, flat fills up with smoke, mosquitos attack… And the kettle seems to be dead. But these gentlemen want to have tea, and they will have it! In the pursuit of their modest desire, the heroes of the play gradually destroy their apartment, and finally discover that the kettle was unplugged!
Happy end follows and everybody is welcome to the tea party.

DAVAI’s Note
The show was written and directed through the collective work of DAVAI group. Our genre is physical theatre, or non-verbal comedy. In our shows, it is important for us to tell a simple story -like this one.Three lonely men, each one with his bizarre character, wake up in the morning and want to have a cup of tea, and they have to go through an entire odyssey to get it. Using such a minimal plot helps our concentration during the show’s creation, and provides a steady base for the flight of our imagination. The atmosphere of the show is reminiscence of our Soviet childhood.Three of us were born in the former USSR and moved to Israel when we were teenagers. Throughout these years, we have preserved a sense  of belonging to another culture, and we still feel "aliens" in our country of residence. In this show we invite the audience to join our "alien" capsule, get carried away in our daydreams and laugh together with us at the absurdity of our life.

DAVAI
As a group, we have written and directed Under Construction, That Round Thing (a show for the entire family), and Mama (an outdoor show). As individuals, we have directed shows for adults: The Benefit For Don Vitorio, Baby Faust, One Thing Show; shows for children: Red Riding Hood, Apchee, Smartphone Bros., Old Hag With A Bag; street shows: The Lost Wheels Of Time, Everything Show; as well as 4 family shows with live orchestral music.

The Group
DAVAI was formed in Tel-Aviv (Israel) in 2013 by Fyodor Makarov, Alexey (Losha) Gavrielov and VitalyAzarin. Our common interest is physical theatre. Background training includes drama, clown, voice, photography, philosophy, cinematography, circus and music. The company is based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. DAVAI is an independent theatre group, supported by the Israeli Ministry of Culture (in regard to new productions) and by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs (in regard to international travels).

Cast & Credits
Set Design : Losha Gavrielov
Costumes : Yasmin Wollek
Sound Design : Losha Gavrielov
Original music : Daniel Sinaisky
Technical Director : Iliya Gerchikov

Producer : Alina Feldman
Written, Directed and Performed by DAVAI i.e. Vitaly Azarin, Losha Gavrielov, Fyodor Makarov

The Play
It’s me, Edith Piaf is a monodrama performance in German or Russian (both are possible) with songs of Edith Piaf’s repertoire in original language. When alive, she was called ‘The Soul of the French Nation’. After she died she became an icon of French music. The songs of her repertoire are still popular in the whole world. The legendary singer, who began her career on the Parisian pavements, answered the question about the meaning of her life with “Love. What else?” This production on the play written by Nina Mazur has been created by the alumnae of St. Petersburg Theatre Academy.

The Director
Evgenia Boginskaya, theatre director and actress, born in 1984, lives in St. Petersburg. She graduated as an actress from the Theatre Academy of Vadivostok. While being an actress she felt that the boundaries of her activity could be wider. She moved to St. Petersburg, where she studied at the Academy of Theatre Arts under the Russian legendary theatre teacher, V. Filshtinsky. In 2016 she graduated and got the diploma for being a theatre director. She has been working as a theatre director and a teacher of acting, with professional actors since 2008. Her directorial works include A Wife written by A. Chekhov, Antony and Cleopatra by W. Shakespeare, A holiday long sleep by N.
Ostrovsky, The choir is dying by A. Volodin, Three Stories based on A. Skivko-Korovkina’s play Bugs, It’s me, Edith Piaf by N. Mazur, and Rainbows over Hiroshima by Inoue Hisasi. Evgenia has worked as an acting teacher at Teatr Nowy im. T. Łomnickiego, Poznan, Poland; Teatr Zagłębia, Sosnowiec, Poland; and Teatr Współczesny im. Edmunda Wiercińskiego, Wroclaw, Poland.

The Playwright
Nina Mazur (Germany, Hanover) was born in Bishkek, Kirgizstan. She graduated from Moscow State Theatre Academy (GITIS), Faculty of History and Theory of Theatre, and post-graduated at St. Petersburg Academy of Theatre, Music and Cinema. Before leaving for Hanover, she worked at the theatre department of Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Arts (Kiev), and was a professor of History of Art in the University. Nina Mazur is the creator, coordinator and consultant of many international theatre festivals all around the world. Her activity in ITI, UNESCO is well-known. She is the Vice- President of Monodrama Forum, International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, and a member of German Centre of ITI. Nina Mazur is also a member of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) and a member of the International Dance Council by UNESCO. She is a theatre critic and author of
many articles on theatre in professional magazines. She is also the author of the book The Stage Interpretations of the Ballets of Ukrainian Composers. Nina Mazur is a member of literature society Die Faehre (Hanover, Germany) and a member of literature association APIA (London, UK). She is a playwright and her plays have been translated into many languages and staged in many countries.

The Group
Internationales Berliner Drama Theater (International Berlin Theatre of Drama) was founded in 2014 by the German actress, Anastasia Weinmar and her stage partner and an honorary actor of Russia, A. Ivanov, as an international company of professional theatre artists. It aims to exchange scenic experiences between West and East European theatre traditions and to promote the culture of each other. In three years of its existence, the IBDT has created 3 plays. The 4 th production is being rehearsed. The last production of the company, a monodrama after Nina Mazur’s play, It’s me, Edith Piaf has been performed all-over Europe and was/is invited to numerous monodrama festivals, such as Saint Muse in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Impulse in Bishkek (Kirgizstan), Maria in Kiev (Ukraine),
Small Theatre Festival in Lublin (Poland), and Albamono in Albania.

Cast & Credits
Edith Piaf : Anastasia Weinmar
Set & Costume : Ilshat Vildanov
Musical Arrangement : Natalia Smotritskaya
Playwright : Nina Mazur
Direction : E. Boginskaya

The Form
It is said that the word Lavani is derived from the wordlavanya which means beauty. Lavani is a genre of
music popular inMaharashtra. It is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is performed on
the beats ofDholki, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm. This traditional
form has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre. In Maharashtra, Southern
Madhya Pradesh and North Karnataka, it is performed by female performers wearing nine-yard longsaris.
The songs are sung in a quick tempo.

The Performance
The presentations in this performance will be as following:
Mujra, Gan – Natrang Ubha
Gavalan – Kheltana Rangbai Holicha
Baithakichi Lavani – Bharal Abhal Pausali Pavan Ga Bai Shravanacha Un Mala Zhepena
Phadachi Lavani: Rajasa Dhya Va Govind Vida
Chhakkad: Bai Ga Bai Ga Kasala Naura Hawa Ga Tuzhla Saang Mala

The Director & Danseuse
Vaishali Jadhav is a popular dancer and actor known for her work in the Marathi film industry. From a
very young age Vaishali has been participating in dance competitions and has been a winner for three
years consecutively. She has travelled to the USA to participate in a cultural programme. For the first
time she appeared in an ‘Item Song’ in the film Jau Tithe Khaad directed by Abhay Kirti in 2007.Vaishali
has also performed a Lavani song in Malak, a film produced in 2015. Her film Ghuma, directed by
Abhishek Datar was released in 2017.

Cast & Credits
On Stage : Vaishali Jadhav, Rupali Jadhav
Dholki : Ram Gondhali
Tabla : Vikas Dawale
Harmonium : Vinayak Aundhkar
Co-artists : Sandeep Gaadhe, Hanmant Mandwale, Sonali Jadhav, Shubhangi Jadhav, Puja Jadhav, Rani Musle, Ragini Kale, Maya Andhare, Lata Shinde, Tejaswini Shinde, Shama Sheikh

Choreography : Sarla Bai Nandorekar, Yogesh Deshmukh
Make-up & Hair : Yogesh Deshmukh, Vijay Gaekwad
Group Leaders : Asha Bai Jadhav, Anika Jadhav
Proprietor : Kishan Appa Jadhav
Director : Vaishali Jadhav

The Play
Syaah Hashiyon ki Roshni revolves around three people who are caught in an isolated place situated near the merging borders of two regions which may have a common ethnic background. The dialects spoken by the characters differ from each other, aggravating the conflict further to the level of violence.
The whole world, including India, stands at a juncture where internal boundaries are being created due to political reasons. Marxists, Jihadis, Hindu fundamentalists and other such groups have emerged in the last decade or so due to political dissatisfaction and nonchalance of the government’s attitude towards civil liberty and human rights. This play is an attempt to touch the depths of the human psyche by permeating through the layers of culture, religion,
ethnicity and language.

Director’s Note
Many opinions are made and many are changed when the characters of this play start questioning each other. The situation may have been caused due to war. But a much more sinister battle is happening within the confines of one’s soul. These characters meet at a point where no ideological jargon can support their voices. It is a situation where no pretensions or false notions find a place.

The Director
Rajesh Singh was born in West Champaran district of Bihar in 1979. He completed his graduation from Bihar University and studied theatre at Shri Ram Centre for performing arts. After completing the course he worked with the Sahitya kala Parishad repertory and Shri Ram Centre repertory. Then, he studied at National School of Drama, New Delhi with specialization in Theatre Techniques and Design. He also took training in music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi. In 2008 he was awarded with INLAKS Scholarship and went to London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, UK for a course in Theatre Design, Direction and Stage Management. After completing his NSD & LAMDA training he engaged creatively with many theatre groups as designer, director and music designer and also actively participated in various theatre workshops organized by National School of Drama, Extension
Department as a resource person. He was awarded the Mahindra Award for Excellence in Theatre Arts for Sound design of the play Laila Majnu. Currently, he is working as the artistic show director for the musical theatrical production in Kingdom of Dream Company, Gurgaon. He is also running a theatre company Flying Feathers Art Association.

The Playwright
Kaj Himmelstrup is a retired teacher, musician and playwright from Denmark. He was the member of the Board of the Danish Dramatists' Association for 8 years in the 1970s and the federal representative of the Danish Art Council. He has written many screenplays for television and is the recipient of numerous awards. Some of his famous plays are Clatta, The Mansion, The Dear Little Ones, Black Laces Green Olives, Richard’s Guest and The
Spoilsport amongst others.

Cast & Credits
Man : Teekam Joshi

Girl : Nidhi Mishra
Soldier : Shaurya Shanker
Light Design : Govind Singh Yadav
Scenic Painting : Aruna Malik
Sound Design : Sandy
Poster & Brochure : Vishala R Mahale
Backstage : Mazibur Rehman, Souti Chakraborty
Original Playwright : Kaj Himmelstrup
Hindi Translation : Nalini R Joshi
Scenic Design & Direction : Rajesh Singh