Feminist Manifesto is a play based on the ideas of Nigerian novelist and feminist thinker Chi Manda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘Dear Ijeawale, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions’. It is a fictional journey of a girl with her mother to a museum of Memories which is inscribed with the stories of women’s struggles in search of answers to some innocent but deeply political questions. If we know Phoolan Devi, or, Muchilot Bhagwati; if we have read about Desdemona (in Othello), or, Nora (in Doll’s House), history, geography, legend, myth, contemporary drama, all the arts and schools remind us of the hellish life of women. Feminism should not be just a talk in modern times. Knowledge is everything. We will be able to complete all the tasks. We will win. Now we are the protagonists. Memories and knowledge will empower us.
Director:
Abhimanyu Vinayakumar, is a young dedicated theatre practitioner. He received the Junior Research Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India in 2023 for his research on Malayalam Theatre’s performance language, and the Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission in 2014. He has published a book of short stories at the age of six, and has trained in Kathakali from Kerala Kalamandalam. He has done his M.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Hyderabad. His has directed many plays which have been featured in prestigious festivals like the Bharat Rang Mahotsav and the International Theatre Festival of Kerala, as well as Festivals in Abu Dhabi and Bodoland. He has launched the Janabheri National Theatre Festival, exclusively for young theatre makers under 40.
Director’s Note
The annals of history, geography, mythology, arts, and schools serve as poignant reminders of their arduous lives. The indelible tales of women’s struggles refuse to be erased, even as we pretend that the darkness of night is illuminated. An immersive journey to the Museum of Memories, “Feminist Manifesto.”
Group:
Janabheri is a cultural organization established in 2004 promotes traditional forms such as Kathakali and Mohiniyattam alongside contemporary theatre practices. In 2013, Janabheri launched the Janabheri National Theatre Festival (JNTF), creating a vibrant platform for young theatre practitioners from across India, including states like Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, and Bihar, encouraging artistic dialogue and exchange. The organization has produced several acclaimed plays such as Marimankanni, Yamadoothu, Maroon, Yami, Kurathi, Rasa, Thaaram, Badaayi, etc. Janabheri also conducts year-long activities including children’s theatre workshops, martial arts training, and lecture demonstrations by international artists.