Exploring Exciting Texts

About the Program

This is a series of twelve rehearsed readings of dramatic and other texts curated by Indian Ensemble Studio in an attempt to provide a space for people to discuss with themes drawn from exciting dramatic and non-dramatic texts – classics as well as contemporary.

The post-reading discussion is an attempt to broaden the understanding of the forces and questions that drive any work of art- which range from personal, social, political, philosophical and sometimes just an experience. The idea is to be able to create a space where thoughts, experiences, and ideas are shared in order to gather different perspectives, while we agree to disagree.

The texts that have been explored so far:

2018

Begum Barve (Satish Alekar) – January

Love and Information(Caryl Churchill) – February

Threshold (A musical conversation between MD Pallavi & Bindhumalini) – March

A dramatic reading of letters – from personal and public domain (directed by Anuja Ghosalkar) – April

A reading from compilation of texts by Chinu Modi, Carl Jung and others – May

Bayen by Mahashweta Devi & The Playwright is Dead by Deepika Arwind – June

Sections from the book ‘The Lesbian Pillow Book’ edited by Allison Henegan & A short piece from the performance ‘Shiva’, directed by Daya Sakarepatna – July
Sections from Devanur Mahadeva’s Eddega Bidda Akshara & B.R.Ambedkar’s Riddles in Hinduism – August

A talk on the book ‘Mulamadhyamkakarika’ by Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna was given by Sundar Sarrukai – September

2017

Striptease(Slawomir Mrozek) – August

Eyes of the Heart(Catherine Filloux) – September

In Spitting Distance(Taher Najib) – October

Government Brahmana (Arvind Malagatti’s Autobiography) – November

The Skeleton Woman (Kalki Koechlin and Prashant Prakash) – December

We would also like to thank the directors and moderators who have participated in this program :

Directors: Karen D’mello, Pallavi Arun, Akhshay Gandhi, Aruna Ganesh Ram, Anuja Ghosalkar, Chanakya Vyas, Spatica Ramanujan, Daya Sakarepatna, Sathwik NN

Moderators & Guest Speakers: Prof. Sundar Sarrukai, Prof. Asim Siddiqui, Smitha Premchander.

We would like to thank Space Untitled and British Council for their support and collaboration.

And our audiences who have engaged with us and embraced the program !