Feb 26 2022 to Feb 26 2022 11:30 a.m.

EVENT HAS ENDED

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Desdemona Roopakam is a concert theatre piece that examines feminist narratives within Shakespeare’s Othello and traditional Indian mythologies.

Performed by acclaimed musicians MD Pallavi and Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, the play is composed of Hindustani, Carnatic and folk music. The sound design of the play is by one of India’s foremost live sound artists, Nikhil Nagaraj.

The performance text is a combination of musical score, spoken word poetry and dramatic scene. It has been co-written by MD Pallavi, Bindhu Malini, Veena Appiah, Abhishek Majumdar, Irawati Karnik and also comprises of the original text of Shakespeare’s Othello. The play also comprises of poetry by Tishani Doshi. The performance uses multiple forms such as Yakshagana, Harikatha, YellamanaaTa and contemporary idioms to tell the story.

Desdemona Roopakam questions the absence of female voices that could have provided a deeper insight into the life of Desdemona and thereby challenging the erasure of any resistance from Desdemona as she is killed by Othello.

The play in it’s elaboration of traditional Indian myth examines the differences of register and agency that women have had in important narratives about them.

Cast & Credits:

Direction and Scenography : Abhishek Majumdar

Devised and written  by: Irawati Karnik, Abhishek Majumdar, MD Pallavi, Veena Appiah, Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy , Nikhil Nagaraj

Original Texts : William Shakespeare’s Othello and Tishani Doshi’s  ‘ Girls are Coming Out of the Woods

Translations by : MD Pallavi, Bindhumalini and Aparna Chandar

Performed by: Pallavi MD, Bindhumalini , Nikhil Nagaraj

Sound Design: Nikhil Nagaraj

Light Design: Niranjan Gokhale

Make up: Ramakrishna NK

Producer : Veena Appiah

Production assistant: Sanjay Bharadwaj and Prajwal S

Set execution: Sridhar Murthy

Asst Scenography: Surabhi Vasisht

Costume execution – Vidya Masand

Dramaturgy: Irawati Karnik

Costume design:  Arundhati Nag, Abhishek Majumdar

Supported by Ranga Shankara’s ‘Play the Play’ programme

Additional music : Praveen Rao

Photo and video: Virginia Rodrigues

Special thanks to Sharanya Ramprasad, Shilpa Mudbi, Poornima Kumar

Produced by Nalanda Arts Studio

Nalanda Arts Studio is a Bangalore based Arts organisation focussed on research, scholarship,  training  and practice of performing and fine Arts with a focus on collaborations between Asian, African and Middle Eastern artists and communities.

This play is supported by Ranga Shankara’s ‘Play the Play’ programme