Tag Archives: All Shades Theater

Taylor Greatbatch and Katie Eichler. Photo by Prabir Das.

Shakespeare’s greatest plays are full of huge, powerful stories such as the intrigue of succession after a king dies (“Hamlet” and others), great love which transcends death (“Romeo and Juliet”), or love which erupts out of the passion of hate and hurt (“The Taming of the Shrew”). He also writes of beings with supernatural powers (The Tempest and others). So it is with the classic Indian epic of “Mahabarata”—love, valor, jealousy, hate, politics and war are all presented in the clash of amazing and memorable characters.

Prabir Das, Mason resident, playwright, actor, and director, has taken these 3000 year old characters and fleshed them out in his play DURYODHANA THE UNCONQUERABLE which will have its world premiere at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival June 1-11, 2016.

His 60-minute play shows Prince Duryodhana, the proud son of an abdicated king, who fought not only for his rightful realm after his king and uncle, dies, but he fights for the love of a beautiful foreign princess he abducted many years before.

Das envisions the wife, Bhanumati, as one of the initial feminists with a zeal for freedom of rights for herself as well as for all other women. Though it was not uncommon during that era to abduct women to marry, Bhanumati finds this practice unloving and demeaning. However, she kept Duryodhana captivated, as she internally struggled to find the strength to voice her true feelings.

“The passion in the story is universal” says Das, who grew up listening to these epics and reports all people from India know these stories. “I want Americans to meet these characters who are proud and powerful, and amazingly interesting, like Antony and Cleopatra, or Kate and Petrucchio.”

Das has written the script and is also one of the founders of All Shades Theatre. This non-profit is dedicated to bridging the theatrical gap between East and West. “Indian stories can be told with actors of any background, they do not have to be just the stories of India, but of all humanity,” shares Das. “All people are interested in valor and virtue, in love and honor, politics and power.”

Das has collected a team of local artists, all with a connection to Northern Kentucky University. Professor Darryl Harris is directing, and alumni Taylor Greatbatch and Katie Eichler are performing. Tyler Gabbard, NKU SOTA Publicity Manager  is scenic designer, alum Bryce Liebert is lighting designer, and current NKU student Amanda Miller is Stage Manager.

More information about the background of the play is available on the ALL SHADES THEATRE Facebook page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duryodhana.

DURYODHANA THE UNCONQUERABLE will be performed at the Art Academy, June 1 and 11 at 7:25 pm, and June 2 and 8 at 8:25 pm and June 4 at 4:00 pm. Single tickets and day passes to the Fringe Festival can be purchased at www.cincyfringe.com.

All Shades Theater ● P.O. Box 1224 Mason, OH. 45040 ● (513) 913-5153 ● info@satfcincy.org

Cincinnati’s All Shades Theater Performs its latest play in Three Fringe Festivals

Cincinnati, OH. May 16, 2016: All Shades Theater of Cincinnati brings on stage its most recent production, DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE during the forthcoming Cincy Fringe Festival organized and hosted by Know Theatres. During the ten day long festival, DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE is scheduled to be staged five times beginning on June 1, 2016.

DURYODHANA is one of the most prominent characters from the great epic of Mahabharata. He is the main antagonist in this epic.

The literal translation of the word ‘Duryodhana’ is unconquerable. Thus the title emphatically expresses. But is there truly anyone who can be unconquerable? What happens to a person who feels invincible? And when he is defeated what comes after he falls? How does he view the world around him? And how does he impact the lives around him? What does life mean to him? How does he weigh values?

The play thematically explores the possible answers to those questions. Events in Mahabharata are believed to have taken place around 3139 BC and believed to be written between 540 BC and 300 BC. Regardless of the unverifiable authenticity of this timeline, a story that depicts human struggle of survival through the subtle paths of virtue, value and vision from thousands of years ago is still valid in today’s life. Jealousy, wrath, revenge as well as the conflicts of love, morality and austerity still prevail in contemporary societal structures and its constitutions.

Through the words of Duryodhana and his wife Bhanumoti, this play attempts to portray the nature of the rulers through the ages of history and the similarities as well as the universality of all rulers and ruling powers. Power thus becomes the central focus of the story while evolving around the struggle within it. From the emperors to the kings, to the provincial heads, to the landlords, to the commoners how the periphery of power, though get narrower, circulate with same intensity.

Mahabharata is not just an epic from the eastern world – the universality of it is explicitly observable throughout the world. It is not a story of gods and goddesses – it is rather a profound philosophy of the entire human race – full of flesh and blood. It has no boundary and no sectarian limitations, nor does the character of Duryodhana.

Do we see a glimpse of the modern day politics played by the politicians of our time? Do we see that nothing really has changed when it comes to ruling over people? Do we see, kings and prime ministers and presidents and chancellors occupying the same chair everywhere with exact same hidden agendas? Do we see Duryodhana or do we see all the leaders from our present time? In the disguise of Duryodhana, the character eventually transports the audience inside their home and inside their hearts. Do they see
themselves in the mirror called Duryodhana? Isn’t each of our life is an epic? Are we not another Duryodhana? Are we not another one of Duryodhana’s subject who while remaining silent, aspires to become him?

Thus a character and its corruption engulf our souls, our minds, our hearts and our psych. Thus a story that is otherwise foreign becomes identifiable with people from all parts of geography and of all backgrounds. Thus a play loses its regional appearance and becomes universal. Thus a theater becomes life. Borderless and free of boundary.

From its inception, All Shades Theater has been engaged to create a bridge between the theater of the east and theater of the west. All shades truly incorporate all the shades of life and all the shades of creation. And thus it remains color blind or colorless. DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE is a production towards the same objective where All Shades Theater attempts to take another bold step towards introducing a story from the east and to assimilate with the west. The style of the western theater and its grammar are being embraced yet the essence of eastern theory of theater remains uncorrupted.

Following the performances at the Cincy Fringe Festival, All Shades Theater is scheduled to take this play on to the road. DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE will be performed at the Chicago Fringe Festival between August 31 and September 11, 2016 and thereafter at the San Francisco Fringe Festival between September 11 and September 26, 2016.

DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE is an original play written by Prabir Das of All Shades Theater and directed by Daryl Harris. Cast include Katie Eichler as Bhanumati and Taylor Greatbatch as Duryodhana. Scenic design by Tyler Gabbard. Sound and light design is being done by Bryce Liebert. Stage manager is Amanda Miller.

All Shades Theater is expected to take this play for an international tour to India in 2017.

Performance Schedule
DURYODHANA – THE UNCONQUERABLE
Art Academy of Cincinnati Auditorium
1212 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH. 45202

June 1, 2016: 7:25PM
June 2, 2016: 8:25PM
June 4, 2016: 4:00PM
June 8, 2016: 8:25PM
June 11, 2016: 7:25PM