Hayavadana by Girish Karnad.
Directed by Miriam Fernandes.
Assistant Directed by Ravi Jain.
Artistic Collaboration with Sharada Eswar.
Sound Design by Debashis Sinha.
Audio Engineering by Matt Rideout.
Audio Producing by Gregory J. Sinclair.
Performed by Nadine Bhabha, Sehar Bhojani, Sharada Eswar, Sarena Parmar, Ellora Patnaik, Nadeem Philip, Anand Rajaram, Navtej Sandhu, Ravi Jain.
Hayavadana
by Girish Karnad. Directed by Miriam Fernandes.Love is imperfect, identity can be deceiving, and perfection is dangerous. Padmini is in love with two friends, Devadatta, a poet, and Kapila, a blacksmith, but the familiar love triangle is turned upside down when the men’s bodies are mysteriously switched. One of India’s most popular plays of the 20th Century, Hayavadana reinvents an iconic myth into a powerful search for wholeness.
This project is part of Why Not’s MAKE stream of activities. MAKE projects are created and/or produced by us, often touring across the country and the world.
Hayavadana premiered on May 19, 2021, and ticket holders may enjoy unlimited access to this audio drama until June 30, 2021. Click here to purchase tickets.
Produced by Soulpepper Theatre, presented in association with Why Not Theatre.
Theatre has the power to transport us. While we are at home, Soulpepper is inviting audiences on a guided tour of the rich theatrical practices of the world. Around the World in 80 Plays will present eight audio dramas celebrating the global ‘canon’, with works from Russia, India, Argentina, Jamaica, Iran, Nigeria, Italy, and Canada. Don’t miss some of the world’s greatest stories, performed by Canada’s leading theatre artists, and produced by award-winning audio producer Gregory Sinclair (CBC Radio, Audible).
Click here to learn more about Around the World in 80 Plays.
Click here to purchase single-destination tickets for Hayavadana.
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Choose, and audiences enjoy unlimited access to the audio drama from the premiere date until June 30, 2021. You will receive an email on May 19 with a link to log into your account and listen to an embedded audio file through your computer or device.
To purchase a Passport Subscription and enjoy all eight productions from Soulpepper’s Around the World in 80 Plays, click here.
Soulpepper provides complimentary access for Front Line Workers and members of their Free 25 and Under program sponsored by Sun Life.
To compliment your stay, Soulpepper Theatre and their partners have curated a list of exciting ways to expand on your experience with Hayavadana. Offerings include a CBC Ideas in-depth podcast episode, a film suggestion from the Toronto International Film Festival, restaurant recommendations from Toronto Life, additional plays to discover, and more.
THE SIT DOWN – INTERVIEW WITH MIRIAM FERNANDES
Director of Hayavadana, Miriam Fernandes, sits down with Soulpepper Theatre’s Executive Director, Emma Stenning, to discuss how this fantastical play is a meeting of Ancient and Contemporary and the East and West as it weaves together ancient Indian theatre traditions, all while remaining so relevant to audiences right now.
CBC IDEAS – INDIA IN-DEPTH PODCAST
CBC IDEAS is a deep-dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. Using Hayavadana as a launching-off point, host Nahlah Ayed sits down with artists Miriam Fernandes and Sharada Eswar to discuss the cultural context to understand this Indian drama, and what it might have to say to our contemporary Canadian context.
“During this “great intermission” from live theatre, I find myself constantly coming back to mythology. I have always loved the big, universal questions that myths ask of us and the magic they invite into our lives, so the chance to work on Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana has been such a joy. Inspired by an 11th century myth, Hayavadana takes all the ingredients of a great story; love, friendship, jealousy, the gods, comedy, tragedy, and weaves them into an irreverent and poetic reflection on the theme of identity. What a gift to be able to share this story with an audience right now,”