Le Mahabharata (1985 stage play)

This article is about Peter Brook's 1989 stage play. For the Indian epic, see Mahabharata.

Le Mahabharata is a 1985 stage play version of the longest Indian epic Mahābhārata directed by Peter Brook. It was first written in French and in 1987 translated in English with the title The Mahabharata. The theatre version is 9 hours long (11 hours including breaks),[1] and toured around the world for four years. For two years the show was performed both in French and in English. The show is divided into three parts: The Game of Dice, The Exile in the Forest and The War. In 1989, it was adapted for Television as a 6-hour mini series. Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours as a movie for theatrical and DVD release. The screenplay was the result of eight years' work by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne.

Première

The original stage play was performed at the 39th Avignon festival, on July 7, 1985, at Carrière de Boulbon. There were 9 representations in a cycle of three plays : "La Partie de dés" (Dice game) on 7, 10, 16, 19, 25, 28 July ; "L'Exil dans la forêt" (The Exil in the forest) on 8, 11, 17, 20, 26, 29 July ; "La Guerre" (The War) on 9, 12, 18, 21, 27, 30 July. And these were played together on Night of Mahabharata, on 13, 22 et 31 July.

Production

The French stage version was produced by:Centre international de recherche théâtrales-Bouffes du Nord - C.I.R.T and the 39th Festival of Avignon (directed by A. Crombecque) and got the support of the French Culture Ministry and the City of Paris.

Technical staff (costume and props designer, light designer)

The stage set and costumes by Chloé Obolenski ; stage management by Rémi Jullien ; lights by Jean Kalman.

The Cast

The cast included twenty-one performers from sixteen Countries: Joséphine Derenne (Kunti), Maurice Bénichou (Ganesha, Krishna), Pascaline Pointillart (Amba, Subhadra, servante of Gandhari), Mireille Maalouf (Ganga, Gandhari, Gudeshna), Tam Sir Niane (Madri, Hidimbi), Mallika Sarabhai (Satyavati, Draupadi), Ryszard Cieslak (Dhritarashtra), Clovis (Ekalavya, Uttara, Abhimanyu), Georges Corraface (Dushassana), Jean-Paul Denizon (Nakula, Aswhattaman), Mamadou Dioume (Bhima), Matthias Habich (Yudishthira), Andréas Katsulas (Jayadratha, Salva), Sotigui Kouyaté (Bhishma, Parashurama), Alain Maratrat (Vyasa), Clément Masdongar (Sisupala, Ghatotkatcha, eternal young man), Vittorio Mezzogiorno (Arjuna), Bruce Myers (Karna), Yoshi Oida (Drona, Kitchaka), Andrzej Seweryn (Duryodhana), Douta Seck (king of fishermen, Shakuni, Virata, Sandjaya), Tapa Sudana (Pandu, Shiva, Shalya), Ken Higelin (child), Lutfi Jakfar (child), Nicolas Sananikone (child), Samon Takahashi (child).

The Musicians

Djamchid Chemirani (percussions), Kudsi Erguner (ney), Kim Menzer (nagaswaram), Mahmoud Tabrizi-zadeh (kamantche), Toshi Tsuchitori (percussions).

Critical reception

In a long article in 1985, The New York Times noted "overwhelming critical acclaim", and that the play "did nothing less than attempt to transform Hindu myth into universalized art, accessible to any culture".[2]

References

  1. ↑ Croyden, Margaret (2009). Conversations with Peter Brook, 1970-2000. New York: Theatre Communications Group. p. 207. ISBN 9781559363501.
  2. ↑ Arts, Margaret Croyden; Margaret Croyden Is A. Frequent Contributor To The; Section, Leisure (1985-08-25). "PETER BROOK TRANSFORMS AN INDIAN EPIC FOR THE STAGE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-12-16.

External links

Gallery

Photographs of the stage play at Avignon by Daniel Cande, on 7 July 1985.

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