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| SETU Presents Shah Jahan |
Press Release
08/26/2013
The Mughal dynasty ruled most of India for over three hundred years, beginning in the early sixteenth century. Shah Jahan, the 5th Mughal emperor after Babur, the 10th direct male descendant of Timur, and the 18th descendant of the female line of Genghis Khan, was crowned in 1628 and subsequently ruled India for over three decades.
Emperor Shah Jahan had fourteen children with his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal but seven of them died at birth or at a very young age. Mumtaz died while giving birth to their youngest daughter, Gauhara Begum. The Emperor was devastated by her death. He mourned deeply, and decided to build the monument to love and in her memory which we know today as the Taj Mahal.
The Emperor’s eldest son Dara was a loving husband and devoted son, and was avowedly secular and philosophical with much respect for all religions, mastering both the Quran and the Upanishads equally. The second son Suja was considered to be Emperor-quality and was deeply in love with his wife Piara. Aurangzeb, the third son, was a devout Muslim and quite politically shrewd. Murad, the impetuous youngest son, was the “black sheep†of the family and loved women and alcohol. Jahanara, the eldest of all siblings, took the place of Mumtaz as the first lady of the empire as per the wish of her dying mother. The girls of the dynasty could not marry, as was decreed by the law of Emperor Akbar, the paternal grandfather of Shah Jahan.
The Emperor sent Suja to rule the land of Bengal, Aurangzeb to rule the south, and Murad to rule the land of Gurjar. Dara stayed with his father in Agra as next in line to be Emperor. The brothers do not want to accept this situation, and become rebellious.
The frail emperor, gradually losing control over his empire, sends forces to various parts of Hindustan under Dara’s command. The emperor struggles with the opposing forces of his love for his sons and his duty as the Emperor to crush the rebels. Will he succeed in his attempts?
For more details: www.setu.us. Our media partner: The Foundations TV.
Three Shows: Fri, Sep 27 (7-10pm); Sat, Sep 28 (7-10pm); Sun, Sep 29 (4-7pm). at the Belmont Town Hall Theater in Belmont, MA
A talented cast of thirty-five actors and dancers.
Original play: D.L.Roy, Translation with added scenes and direction: Subrata Das
Purchase tickets at www.eventedge.biz/sh
Please watch interviews with actors in Shah Jahan.
https://www.facebook.com/events/218346744956728/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-MsPV4NPLA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6MTkRXfZXo&feature=youtu.be
ABOUT SETU:
I am Jayanti Bandyopadhyay, co-founder of SETU with Subrata Das. We are very happy to stage our next play Shah Jahan. To make it easier for you, I thought that I would summarize some information about SETU. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I hope that you find the information useful.
A few theater enthusiasts founded SETU (Stage Ensemble Theater Unit) in 2003 as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with the main purpose of staging Indian-origin plays in English. SETU means 'bridge' in Hindi symbolizing its mission in bridging the cultural gap between the eastern and the western world. The co-founders' dream was to encourage originality, creativity and providing opportunities for people with a passion for the performing arts. We are proud to have successfully completed SETU's tenth year in accomplishing its mission (see below). We do not require individuals to have expertise in the theater, just a passion and willingness to learn. We have performed plays written by renowned playwrights such as Vijay Tendulkar (Kamala), Girish Karnad (Hayavadana), Peter Brooks (Mahabharata), along with published and home grown plays written by Subrata Das (Rape, Regrets, and Retribution), and translated scripts by Jayanti Bandyopadhyay from original short stories (The Masquerade and The Back Door). The upcoming play Shah Jahan is an original play by D.L. Roy which was translated in English by Subrata Das. We are getting Mughal costumes made from India to keep the authenticity of the period. Our plays always portray a social message and provide ample opportunities for directors and actors to do research analyzing their roles. Many prefer behind the stage work opportunities such as lighting, sound, music, stage decoration and management, costume and props as well. We have performed at local universities such as Harvard University. We have had actors of non-Indian origin and everyone involved have successful careers such as professors, dentists, IT professionals, consultants, entrepreneurs.
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