Throughout ages mankind has yearned for peace. The play denotes the idea of creating a bridge of understanding and implants the concept of freedom and equality, beauty and truth, love and harmony and purifies our soul with art and aesthetics. Across centuries seven Nymphs, representing time and space, fly around the world. They witness the changes of development in nature, environment, and human condition. The Nymphs can transform in many shapes whenever needed. The 21st century, an era of globalization, of worldwide mobility, is passing through a very painful crisis and many nations are witnessing war and violence affecting our existence. It is peremptory to have a collective effort by thinkers of this world to restore harmony and humanity. Our culture derives from food gathering, varieties of magical fertility rites, connectivity with ancestors, the five elements, and creatures. It also relates to the protection of our own community as the indigenous myths and legends are our source for verbal and non-verbal vehicle of expression and interpretation. But man is gradually surrendering to a mechanical life. The play tries to decipher many challenges faced by our rituals, traditions, identity, and our culture inherited from our ancestors. The play serves as a confluence of modernity – the past, present and future – where pressing issues, complex aesthetics and philosophical challenges are negotiated. Harmony of sky, earth, water, trees…Peace for man…The Nymphs fly towards the 22nd century…
Director
Ratan Thiyam was an illustrious alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi. Born in a family of artistes, he evolved as a multi-faceted designer, music composer, choreographer, light and costume designer, architect, playwright, painter, and a poet. In 1976, he started Chorus Repertory Theatre Company at Imphal, which pioneered the Indian theatre scenario with experimental productions, scenography, and evolved a novel performative language. He was felicitated with several national and international awards and accolades like the Sangeet Natak Akademi award (1987), Padmashri (1989), La Grande Medaille (1997, France), International Man of the Year in the field of Theatre and Humanism (1998-99), B.V. Karanth Smriti Puraskar (2004), Kalidas Samman (2006), SIU-KA-PHA National Award (2006), John D. Rockefeller III Award (2007, Asian Cultural Council, New York), and Alkazi Foundation Award (2008). Mr. Thiyam received the Fellowships & Special invitations from Ford Foundation (USA), Manipur State Kala Akademi (Imphal), Japan Foundation (Japan), and Korean Foundation (Seoul).
Director’s Note
My theatre, my piece of work and expression is a response to my existence in everyday life. It contains my tradition, inspiration of myth and legend and even the lovely and tastiest cuisine that I consume. Eagerness of entering unknown area, new and untried methods, and unfamiliar devices helps me in my experimentation. In each new piece of work – I feel that I am wrestling with techniques to find out the exact vehicle of expression for the thematic content. I am a dreamer and my dream takes me forward in my journey. It is like coming back from a pilgrimage after each production I complete. A good theatre carries the ability to leave behind an imprint on the intellect and senses of the spectators, a vehicle of expression for sharing thoughts across intellectual, cultural, or linguistic boundaries. I am just trying . .
Group
The Chorus Repertory Theatre, established in a valley of Manipur in 1976 by late shri Ratan Thiyam, accommodates a self-sufficient way of life with housing and working quarters for the company. On its 25th anniversary, the company established its permanent theatre, “The Shrine”, a 200-seat auditorium conceived and designed by Ratan Thiyam. Few of the acclaimed productions of the group are Chakravyuha, Uttar-Priyadarshi, Urubhangam, Andha Yug, Hey Nungshibi Prithivi, Chinglon Mapan Tampak Ama, Ashibagee Eshei (adaptation of Ibsen’s ‘When We Dead Awaken’) and Macbeth. The group’s productions garnered several awards like the Indo-Greek Friendship Award, 1984 (Greece); felicitated in Festival of India, 1987 (USSR); Fringe First Edinburgh International Theatre Festival Award, 1987; felicitation in Diploma of Cervantino International Theatre Festival, 1990 (Mexico) and several others. The group’s productions have been staged in several national as well as international theatre festivals. The group has performed in many regions, cities, and countries like London, Delphi, Kalamata, Thessalonica, Kavala, Athens, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Yaroslov, Minsk, Borisova, Southampton, Omagh, Amsterdam, Gainsborough, Bradford, Queretaro, Guanajuato, Cruz-A-Zul, Guayaquil, Quito, Havana, Manizales, Lima, Bogota, Thimphu, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Wellington, Zurich, Kathmandu, Tokyo, Shizuoka, Taipei, Yilan, Bonn, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Sydney, Melbourne, Dublin, Oslo, Rome, Mumbai, Dublin, Cardiff, Glasgow, New York, Washington DC, New Delhi; in France, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea; and in 7th Theatre Olympics – 2014 Beijing, 8th Theatre Olympics – 2018 India, and 9th Theatre Olympics – 2019 Toga, Japan.