Strings Theory

For the opening show of the annual Ishara International Puppet Festival,Dadi Pudumjee,director and organiser,thought it apt to begin with a story that has resonance in the contemporary world. Accordingly,Dre (meaning three in Pashtu),a collaboration with the Oslo-based Damini House of Culture,retells the story of the Mahabharata,this time from the perspective of Gandhari,Krishna and those who have died in the war. “In a world prone to war and shifting power dynamics,Dre explores the view points of those who are gone,the living and the manipulators,” he says. The production is choreographed by Kathak dancer Aditi Mangaldas.

The premiere of Dre apart,the festival,which began on January 27,has several other productions on board. While the first phase of the festival saw three Indian productions — Dre,Katkatha’s Bollywood Bandwagon and Puran Bhatt’s Swagat — being staged over two days,the second phase of the festival,from February 11 to 18,will see puppetry houses from Iran,Israel,Brazil,Italy and Switzerland participating. While India is the sole country from the subcontinent,there are two troupes from Brazil,and three groups from Iran,well known for its rich tradition of puppetry. There is also a much-anticipated three-day workshop to be conducted by Swedish puppeteer Michael Meschke this month.

Israel-based Train Theatre marks the 200th birth anniversary of Louis Braille with their production A Touch of Light,a solo show directed by Patricia O’Donovan. “It was performed for the first time outside Israel,in Berlin in April 1998. There have been 1,600 performances since then. This will be our first time in India,” says Debby Farber of Train Theatre.

Switzerland’s Katia Larvego’s production Krunk tells the tale of an Emperor Penguin who is confused about his identity. The production is filled with animals who help Krunk towards his journey of self-discovery. “We liked it for its diversity of characters and the situations that can be explored. Since all the characters are animals,it allows us to express all sorts of emotions and situations with the necessary aloofness,” says Larvego,for whom this is also a first visit to the country.

There are two venues — the India Habitat Centre (IHC) on Lodhi Road and the Epicentre in Gurgaon.

Tickets are pegged at Rs 100 and Rs 200 for the shows at IHC and Rs 250 at Epicentre. For details,log on to http://www.isharapuppet.com