Mahabharata – Part 1 & 2 (2025)
Produced by
Presented by
Why Not Theatre and Canadian Stage
Creator: Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain
Playwrights: Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain
Director: Ravi Jain
Written with the help of poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling
Venue
Run
April 8th, 2025 – April 26th, 2025
Synopsis
Mahabharata is a contemporary take on a Sanskrit epic that is more than four thousand years old and foundational to South Asian culture. This gripping story of a family feud is an exploration of profound philosophical and spiritual ideas. A visually stunning spectacle presented in two parts, Mahabharata takes audiences on a journey through the past in order to write a thrilling new future.
Exploring themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata’s epic journey that asks, “How can one end the spiral of revenge when everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong?”
King Janamejaya is holding a ritual sacrifice in which he will kill all the snakes in the world to avenge his father’s death. In hopes of ending this cycle of revenge, a storyteller is summoned to tell King Janamejaya the tale of The Mahabharata. The storyteller tells of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans, and the choices that lead to their infamous Game of Dice. Through playful narration, classical Indian dance, and a live band, the ensemble tells the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy, and rage. (canadianstage.com)
Cast
| Shawn Ahmed | Yudhishthira |
| Neil D’Souza | Krishna |
| Jay Emmanuel | Shiva / Amba / Eklavya / Drupada |
| Miriam Fernandes | Storyteller |
| Ravin J. Ganatra | Dhritarashtra |
| Darren Kuppan | Duryodhana |
| Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu | Arjuna |
| Goldy Notay | Draupadi / Gandhari |
| Ellora Patnaik | Kunti / Drona |
| Meher Pavri | Voice of Krishna |
| Sakuntala Ramanee | Shakuni / Sanjaya |
| Ronica Sajnani | Standby - Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, Drona / Kunti |
| Ishan Sandhu | Standby - Shakuni/Sanjaya, Krishna, Arjuna and Khana &Kahani Performer |
| Navtej Sandhu | Karna / Satyavati |
| Munish Sharma | Bhima |
| Arun Varma | Standby -Karna, Bhima, Yudhishthira, Duryodhana |
| Sukania Venugopal | Bhishma |
Creative Team
| Miriam Fernandes | Creator |
| Ravi Jain | Creator |
| Miriam Fernandes | Playwright |
| Ravi Jain | Playwright |
| Ravi Jain | Director |
| Miriam Fernandes | Associate Director |
| Lorenzo Savoini | Set Designer |
| Gillian Gallow | Costume Designer |
| Kevin Lamotte | Lighting Designer |
| Mikael Kangas | Associate Lighting Designer |
| Hana S. Kim | Projection Designer |
| Ann Slote | Associate Projection Designer |
| John Gzowski | Original Music |
| Suba Sankaran | Original Music |
| Dylan Bell | Music Contributions |
| Gurtej Singh Hunjan | Music Contributions |
| Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed | Music Contributions |
| Hasheel Lodhia | Music Contributions |
| John Gzowski | Sound Designer |
| Suba Sankaran | Sound Designer |
| Brandy Leary | Choreographer |
| Jay Emmanuel | Choreographic Contributions |
| Ellora Patnaik | Choreographic Contributions |
| Jenny Koons | Original Concept |
| Sharada Eswar | Creative Associate |
Music
| John Gzowski | Conductor |
| John Gzowski | Guitar |
| Suba Sankaran | Band Leader / Voice |
| Dylan Bell | Bass / Keyboards |
| Gurtej Singh Hunjan | Percussion |
| Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed | Tabla |
| Hasheel Lodhia | Bansuri / Voice |
Production
| Neha Ross | Stage Manager |
| Victoria Wang | Assistant Stage Manager |
| Jenny Kim | Assistant Stage Manager |
| Daniel Bennett | Technical Director |
| Crystal Lee | Lead Production Manager |
| Maya Royer | Production Manager |
| Jadi Darawi | Assistant Production Manager |
| Jadi Darawi | Production Stage Manager (Khana & Kahani) |
| Matthew Mellinger | Head of Video |
| Matthew Mellinger | Video Operator |
| Brandon Wells | Head of Sound |
| Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed | Music Coordinator |
| Chanti Zoelene Laliberte | Head of Wardrobe |
| Kevin Matthew Wong | Lead Producer |
| Naomi Campbell | Producer |
| Rebecca Desmarais | Consulting Producer |
| Nika Jalali | Assistant Producer |
| Nika Jalali | Company Manager |
| Sarah Newkirk | Production Finance |
| Mary Anderson | Production Marketing |
Staff
| Jay Blencowe | Head Carp |
| Justin Tucci | 1st Flyperson |
| Nathan Denys | 2nd Flyperson |
| Wes Allen | Head Props |
| Gove Flawn | Prop Crew |
| Seán Baker | Prop Crew |
| Giulia d’Amanzo | Head Electrician |
| Julia Davis | Assistant Electrician |
| Ayden Bredin | Followspot Operator |
| Nadine Carpenter | Followspot Operator |
| Keijo Makela | Head of Audio |
| Gene Hughes | Audio Assistant |
| Peder Pederson | AV Operator |
| Susan Batchelor | Head of Wardrobe |
| Michelle Murdy | Wardrobe Dresser |
| Eldar Grosman | Wardrobe Maintenance |
| Sarah Atchison | Hair & Wigs |
| Daniel Bennett | Director of Production |
| Brayden Crawford | Technical Director |
| Meg Woods | Production Manager |
| Marshall Kidd | Associate Technical Director |
| Kendalin Bishop | Assistant Technical Director |
| Ian Kowalski | Production Coordinator |
