Location: Theatre Hall

Time: 1 hr 30 min

Synopsis:

The principal source of the play kleśāḥ is the story of the Ramayana. kleśāḥ attempts to reinterpret sage Valmiki's magnum opus through a purely contextualized theatrical composition, and as a form of a deconstructed literary work without any religious connotations attached. By doing so, this play aims to generate a new perspective to look at the story of the Ramayana.

Elements of kleśāḥ, meaning five poisons (ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear) in Hindu philosophy, lie at the philosophical ground of this play. The prominent characters of the Ramayana are re-characterized and contextualized in rural Nepali society during the socio-cultural milieu of panchayat system.

Description:

kleśāḥ is my expression of courage to learn by doing. After six years of theatre practice, I got triggered by the concept when it was shared with me for the first time during a casual conversation. Despite the fact that the original concept was to deconstruct the Ramayana, it eventually evolved into a structure of repeating a narrative from the Treta Yuga.

After four years from the time of the first staging of the play, I now have gradually begun to recognize the sources of my sorrow. I have taken this journey as the awakening and transformative impact of theatre on my being.

Start Date: February 12, 2024

End Date: February 13, 2024