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| SHOW LISTING: MAN OF THE HEART |
Category: Musical
By: Sudipto Chatterjee
Directed by Suman Mukherjee
Produced by East Coast Artists
Running Time: 2 hours with intermission
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SYNOPSIS: \"Man of the Heart,\" which presents the life and key works of Lalon Phokir, the 19th century mystic minstrel from Bengal who is equally admired by Hindus and Muslims today. The New York production is preparatory to various engagements in India and Bangladesh, where it is hoped that the show can be a unifying influence during troubled times.
The play is a one-person music-theater piece in a multi-media format. With materials retrieved from legends and written records, it is a close look at the history surrounding the 19th century Bengali Saint-Composer\'s life. Live musical accompaniment is provided by three Bengali musicians.
Lalon Phokir is regarded as the Baul of Bauls. Bauls are a group of mystic minstrels from the Bengal region, now divided into Bangladesh and West Bengal. Lalon was probably born in 1774 in the part of Nadia district now in Kushtia, Bangladesh, and died in 1890. During his long, productive, devout life, he gathered disciples and composed hundreds of songs. Legend has it that Lalon was born a Hindu and became a Muslim under unusual circumstances. Bengali literati who controlled high culture in Bengal in the 19th and 20th centuries traditionally viewed his music and poetry as \"folk art\". They have always taken what they most needed from Lalon and used it in their own agendas, whether to fold him up in the discourse of a \"feel-good\" secularism or use him as an icon for a new nation. But Lalon, the true philosopher and artist, has existed on his own and in his own right. This performance piece goes beyond the urban reading of Lalon, crossing the dubious lines of class and creed. Lalon left a deep message of harmony and peace that cannot be downplayed, least of all in a world that is suffering from the dire lack of it, and more painfully than ever before
CAST and CREW: Sudipto Chatterjee and musicians: Soumya Chakravarti (strings), Bodhisattva Das (drums) and Mahmood Dulu (harmonium).
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Theater: Kraine Theater
Opens April 27, 2006
Closes May 7, 2006
Schedule: Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 pm.
Tickets: $25.00
Discounts: $15 students
No Box Office NumberOnline Ticketing: Smarttix
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