ROMANCE, MURDER AND POLITICAL SKULDUGGERY: ANCIENT INDIAN SANSKRIT PLAY FINDS NEW VOICE
Prayas Theatre presents
The Clay Cart (or Mricchakatika*)
Written by Sūdraka. Adapted by Shekinah Jacob.
Directed by Amit Ohdedar and Sananda Chatterjee.
Aotearoa’s largest South-Asian theatre company Prayas Theatre takes on their most ambitious and exciting project to date, a contemporary staging of the masterpiece that is The Clay Cart (or Mricchakatika*). Adapted by Auckland-based playwright Shekinah Jacob from the original 5th Century CE script, The Clay Cart will have its Auckland premiere on 30 November – 8 December at TAPAC.
Set in ancient Ujjain, central India, The Clay Cart, with its ten thrilling scenes, is a masterclass in storytelling from playwright Sūdraka. Filled with romance, comedy, intrigue, and hope, this is a love story between Charudutta – a poor honourable man, and Vasantsena, a rich courtesan. They join a cast of seventeen gamblers, thieves, monks, and courtesans; everyday citizens of a timeless and cosmopolitan world. The political satire of this rich script unfolds, as a shepherd attempts to overthrow the city’s despotic ruler.
Mricchakatika remains one of India’s most enduring works, with a mastery of the craft that was far ahead of its time. It is also one of the most celebrated plays performed in the West. “Nowhere else in the hundreds of Sanskrit dramas do we find such variety, and such drawing of character, as in The Clay Cart; and nowhere else, in the drama at least, is there such humour” says Arthur Ryder whose translation of this play for Harvard University was published in 1905.
The Clay Cart displays a Shakespearian breadth as it moves from farce to tragedy, and from satire to pathos and is notable for its focus on a fictional scenario rather than on a classical tale or legend. Prayas President Amit Ohdedar who is co-directing with Sananda Chatterjee says, “We are in awe of the sheer sophistication of Sūdraka’s storytelling, which was in existence eleven centuries before Shakespeare.”
In keeping with this spirit of invention, Shekinah Jacob (who trained with the Royal Court Theatre in London) offers up a modern adaptation sizzling with plot twists, social commentary, and humour, giving audiences the chance to explore the themes in a fresh and entertaining way.
Prayas aims to showcase the highly evolved and erudite style of ancient playwrights by adapting these works to be relevant to and entertain modern audiences.
The cast is a talented ensemble who will bring this Indian classic to life, led by Rishabh Kapoor as Charudatta (A Fine Balance and Bollywood blockbuster PK) and Ruchika Tandon as Vasantsena, making her Prayas debut. They’ll be supported by a stellar line-up of Namrata Mankame-Shanbhag, Jehangir Homavazir, Sahil Goyal, Ashley Shillong, Socrates Fernandes, Subhamoy Ganguly, Kamal Bansal, Vishant Kumar, Agustya Chandra, Nikita Varma, Sangeeta Hariharan, Tushar Kandari, Arpit Joshi, andNabeelah Khan, all adding to the rich tapestry of The Clay Cart.
Earlier works from Prayas Theatre, who have been making work in Auckland for almost 20 years include the much-acclaimed A Fine Balance, Dhaba on Devon Avenue, Dara and First World Problems.
Playwright’s Bio:
Shekinah Jacob is an Auckland-based Indian playwright who trained with the Royal Court Theatre, London. Her plays include the internationally acclaimed Ali.J, The Long Way Home produced by evam Entertainment, the musical production Queen of Hearts that toured India and the Middle East in October 2017, and a monologue titled We are Water aired on BBC radio. Ali.J, which opened at the Fringe festival in Edinburgh received a four-star review from The Scotsman, the Fringe Review called it ‘a highly recommended show’, and The British Theatre Guide termed it ‘a unique rarity’. Shekinah holds a Masters in Writing for Performance from the University of London as a Charles Wallace scholar and a PhD in Theatre from the University of Victoria, Wellington.
Playwright’s note on the adaptation of The Clay Cart:
The protagonist and hero of The Clay Cart is Charudutta, a human being with a rare unadulterated goodness that remains unsullied by the betrayals of both friend and foe. As a playwright trained in the current norms of stagecraft, I initially worried that as the protagonist he lacked agency, but on studying his character further, I realised that unconditional love does have agency- it has the moral power to tear down silos and break through the bigoted societal barriers of class and caste. Such love initiates a chain reaction of kindness that is continued by the heroine Vasantasena who helps the shampooer-turned-gambler who then becomes a monk, who in turn saves both their lives; it also inspires a reciprocal kindness in the other characters in the play as they work together to overthrow the king during the political upheaval in Ujjayini.
*Mricchakatika is pronounced Mrich – uh -cut - ikaah
The Clay Cart (or Mricchakatika) plays
30 November – 8 December
7.30PM, Sunday 4PM
TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs
Tickets on sale soon at: www.tapac.org.nz