.png)
The Absent Lover
A Fantastical Contemporary Journey into 5th Century India
The Absent Lover, Thresh’s first full length production, is a fantastical story inspired by a 5th century play from India and speaks of the search for true love in an enchanted forest. A French-Indo commission, The Absent Lover was nominated for 7 awards, winning 3 critical awards at India’s major theater festival META, subsequently touring Europe and India.
Thresh aims to celebrate its 20th anniversary year through the North American premiere of The Absent Lover bringing audiences into the magical world of mythology, literature, and relationships through fantastical scenic design, original musical composition (recorded and live) and ground-breaking choreography performed by 4 award-winning artists.
The Story
The Absent Lover is a contemporary interpretation based on Act IV of a drama by the 5th century Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. The main character of the play is King Pururuvas whose wife, the heavenly nymph Urvashi, has fled in a fit of jealous rage into a cursed forest grove, where she is transformed into a creeper.
Pururuvas, mad with guilt and longing, seeks her in the jungle, beseeching the animals and birds he sees to give him news of his lost love. As a counterpoint to the archetype of the warrior king, a wandering storyteller (a character out of Indian street theatre) challenges and provokes the audience as he gradually reveals the story.
Credits
Choreography & Direction (in collaboration with performers):
Preeti Vasudevan
Music:
Ben Foskett
Lighting:
Les Dickert
Costumes & Set Design:
Delphine Ciavaldini
Digital Illustration:
Havoc Media Design
Script: Original Translation by Dr. David Gitomer (with permission from Columbia University Press)
New Script in collaboration with Bruno Kavanagh
World Premiere:
2008 - Chennai, India
2009 - New Delhi, India - META Theatre Festival
2010 - UK, Birmingham International Dance Festival
Commissioned By:
Prakriti Foundation, India, Alliance Française India, Centre National de la Danse, Paris
Artistic Forms:
Classical Indian and Contemporary Dance, Street‑Theater, Folk & Contemporary Music