In my blog post at the end of July about staging The Story of Gitanjali in Brussels during the charity gala premiere of Chitrangada, I had mentioned my idea to have each poem presented in a different language. I am very pleased that, thanks to a very talented and international group of performers, this idea…
Category: Theatre
About theatre: performances I’ve directed, performances I’ve seen, performances I’ve heard about …
Tagore’s European legacy
The process of finding actors to perform each of the 13 poems in The Story of Gitanjali in a different language has been a fascinating journey. The actors who have come forward have also been rediscovering the Tagore connection in their respective home countries.
Tagore’s relevance
While researching the different translations of Tagore’s English Gitanjali for our performance of The Story of Gitanjali on 23 September, I came across this talk by Deepak Chopra about Tagore’s relevance for the future of spirituality and humanity. He gave the talk at the Tagore Festival last year at Dartington College of Arts, Devon – the UK college founded by Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst according to Tagore’s educational philosophy.
A day (or two) of excitement
Yesterday morning, I heard that Chitrangada has been translated into Chinese by Professor Mao Shichang of Lanzhou University. In March 2012, at his initiative, students at Lanzhou University staged a Chinese language production of Chitrangada for the first time.
Introducing Sayan
Kaberi and I began yesterday by exploring Sayan’s page on ReverbNation. We ended up listening to all 12 of his songs published there, which included 8 from his solo performance at the Rabindra-Okakura Bhavan in Kolkata on 10 September 2011. If you are one of the many millions of fans of Rabindrasangeet (Tagore songs) around the world, you will be impressed.
Gathering the team for ‘The Story of Gitanjali’
The Story of Gitanjali may not be as elaborate as the opening ceremony of the Olympics. However, it does need careful preparation and planning. Apart from the audience in the Gold Hall of the Square Brussels, where we will be on stage, we also need to keep in mind those who will be watching it on screens elsewhere.
Six weeks to ‘The Story of Gitanjali’ and the global premiere of ‘Chitrangada’
This is my delight, thus to wait and watch at the wayside where shadow chases light and the rain comes in the wake of the summer. Messengers, with tidings from unknown skies, greet me and speed along the road. My heart is glad within, and the breath of the passing breeze is sweet. From dawn…
Staging ‘The Story of Gitanjali’ in Brussels
We will be restaging The Story of Gitanjali especially for the charity gala premiere of Chitrangada in September, both as an introduction to Tagore and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his completion of the English Gitanjali.
Look ahead with alacrity
A couple of weeks ago, Kaberi and I invited a select audience to watch a private preview of Chitrangada, the third film in our Tagore dance film trilogy, at the place where we stay during the Cannes Film Festival. Even though we showed a work-in-progress version of Chitrangada, the very positive feedback we received was reassuring.
Look back in wonder
A couple of weeks ago, Kaberi and I were celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary. Nine years ago, a lot of things did not exist which we and hundreds of millions of people around the world take for granted today, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype. Combined with the falling cost of taking, editing and storing digital photos and videos, these sharing platforms have transformed the world we live in.