Coming Up

It has been a long time. Almost six months since we did a show. Never happened to us since we started performing Dastans, almost four years ago. We had offers of shows in this period but we are all, Danish, myself and Anusha, stuck in Barwai village in Madhya Pradesh where we were working on Anusha's first feature film, The Falling.

But we are back now, hopefully with a redoubled purpose. We travel to New York, to perform at the Muslim Arts and Voices Festival with Naseeruddin Shah, in the second week of June. For details go to, www.MuslimVoicesFestival.org

In July we perform at the Motley Festival in Bombay. And in early August we have been asked to perform at the National School of Drama's orientatin program. There are plans also to conduct a workshop with the second and third year students of the National School of Drama in the coming calendar year. Thus Dastangoi, cast out for a century from the canon of modern performing Arts in India, marks a comeback to the fold. Of sorts.

In September, October, workshops are planned for new initiates. Until more people join us all we have is a show, a successful one alright, but no pretence at a movement. But before that we will bring out easy to read and understand versions of the stories we perform from, in Urdu and in Hindi. Along with audio CDs of our performance. This should help new entrants access the texts and modes of rendition more easily. Some of these initiatives are being supported by the India Foundation for the Arts and we are grateful for their uncomplaining and silent support.

Join us then...
MAFA