SITA RAMA PRODUCTION 2016
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BHAKTILAND PRESENTS Book 1 of the deluxe Sita’s Fire Trilogy published by Mandala Earth, known for their high-quality work. The culmination of a ten-year collaboration by motherdaughter team Vrinda Sheth and Anna Johannsson. For more details: www.SitasFire.com 2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION This multi-city performance tour of sacred sound, dance, and theatre is a unique production based on “Shadows of the Sun Dynasty,” Book 1 of the Sita’s Fire Trilogy by Vrinda Sheth. Envisioned and created by an ensemble of Western artists steeped in Indian arts and culture, it explores the lives of the central characters of India’s ancient epic, the Ramayana. This high quality production is a multi-disciplinary work that creates a magical bridge into the timeless world of Sita and Rama.
ORIGINAL ARTWORK LIVE MUSIC SACRED SOUNDS CLASSICAL DANCE READINGS BY THE AUTHOR
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PRAISE FOR SHADOWS OF THE SUN DYNASTY “Brilliant full-color illustrations by Johansson, which render the fantasy world in all its fearsome beauty, accompany the text. Sheth places particular importance on the female characters in her account, imbuing them with strength and pathos… An impressive recounting of an ancient South Asian legend.” — KIRKUS REVIEWS “Vrinda Sheth is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller who with her moth¬er’s exquisite illustration is bringing the universal epic of the Ramayana alive for all ages. It illuminates the timeless human dilemmas, particular¬ly for women, to inspire us all to rise to our destiny.” — SHIVA REA, Global Yoga Teacher, Sacred Activist, author of “Tending the Heart Fire” “Vrinda Sheth’s brand new retelling of the Ramayana brings the great epic vividly to life. She weaves an insightful story around the original narrative, plunging us deeply into the drama filled lives of its many fascinating characters. A highly entertaining read that never loses sight of the profound spiritual themes that run through the revered classic. Moving and uplifting. I can hardly wait for the next two volumes.” — KRISHNA DHARMA, author of “The Ramayana: India’s Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love, and Wisdom.” “What especially stands out in this edition of the Ramayana is the celebration of the feminine voice: the female characters who would normally be overshadowed by their male counterparts are now invested with agency and power. The extraordinary positive contributions from such female personalities leaves the reader with a fresh view of this amazing tale.” — GRAHAM M. SCHWEIG, PHD, author of “Bhagavad Gītā: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song.” “Reader, be prepared for a treat. Vrinda Sheth’s Ramayana is far beyond routine story-telling. Her telling is full of the kind of personal detail and insight that comes from knowing her subjects at a heart level.” — RANCHOR PRIME, Author of “Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons.” “The intrigue and mystery starts with the opening line—never have I been pulled so quickly into a book through a few simple yet tantalizing words. The art and magic unfold page after page through story and image alike.” — BRAJA SORENSEN, Author of “Lost & Found in India.” “What an excellent retelling of the Ramayana! If sheer artistry, imagination, storytelling technique, and descriptive writing were not enough, Vrinda Sheth accurately conveys the emotion and underlying philosophical content of the story as well.” — STEVEN J. ROSEN, author of “The Hidden Glory of India,” and “Black Lotus: the Spiritual Journey of an Urban Mystic.”
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MEET THE ARTISTS
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VRINDA SHETH
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VRINDA SHETH Vrinda has a B.A. in English from University of Florida. The Sita’s Fire Trilogy will be her second published work. As a dancer, Vrinda is an alumni of the reputed Kalakshetra institute, holding a First Class Diploma in Bharata Natyam. She graduated in 2007 with the highest rank in Overall Performance. She also completed one year of advanced training in 2008. From 2009 to 2013, Vrinda traveled and performed with her husband Vish and The Mayapuris, experimenting with creating a dance repertoire to kirtan music. Her first dance film “Shedding-Skin” (2014) won more than ten awards at film-festivals throughout the U.S. Vrinda remains faithful to the traditional Bharata Natyam technique while exploring ways to bridge the gap between the modern and the ancient.
“Vrinda gave a highly mature presentation of the traditional margam...” — The Hindu, 2016 “...a superb dance by Bharat Natyam artist Vrinda Sheth.” — Voice of Asia, 2014 “Breathtaking… Visually mesmerizing…Enriching…” — The Times of India, 2012 “To see Vrinda dance is to see emotion in disciplined motion.” — Vasuddha Narayanan, professor of religion, University of Florida 7
VISVAMBHAR SHETH
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VISVAMBHAR “VISH” SHETH Vish is the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed group “The Mayapuris,” a headlining kirtan group that has rocked stages from India to Florida, Australia to South Africa. Starting at the age of 5, Vish has spent his life leading kirtans in the ISKCON (Vaisnava) tradition. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and a master of the Mridanga drum and performs in traditional as well as fusion styles. In addition to being a master percussionist, Vish sings, plays harmonium, bansuri flute, and guitar. Vish started performing in the yoga kirtan scene in 2009, and has since then performed at countless studios, yoga gatherings, and well known spiritual venues like BhaktiFest and Omega Institute. Vish is an in-demand sideman as well, and has toured with kirtan pioneers Jai Uttal and Krishna Das. Vish has not only mastered his art but has a rare capacity to invoke the ‘rasa’ of the essence or the transcendental energies that define the kirtan path. Vish and Vrinda have collaborated since 2009 to create unique performance pieces.
“With their drums and elevating vocals, The Mayapuris take their listeners on a wild and rhythmic ride that is sure to get the bhakti surging. Mridanga is excellent as an accompaniment for faster, flowing styles of asana, and essential for ecstatic dancing.” – Yoga Journal
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SHOW DETAILS •
Intimate venues, 150-200 seaters
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2 hours with a 15 min intermission.
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The program-brochure will describe each piece
and attribute credit to artists. (opportunity for
sponsor to receive mention)
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Tickets: $20-$35, depending on city and venue
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Optional Q&A with artist/author after show
PRODUCTION TEAM
Booking: Call & Response Foundation (www.callandresponsefoundation.org) Ticketing and Marketing: Bright Star Events (www.brightstarevents.net) Partial Sponsor Bhaktiland (www.bhaktiland.com) Contact info for booking: info@callandresponsefoundation.org
GOALS: •To invoke Sita & Rama’s presence, through a fully realized production •To utilizes and highlight the versatile talents of all the artists •To financially compensate all the members of the team 10
SITA RAMA PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
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