Kiss the Fish—Indian Ink Theatre Company: Performance Program by Lied Center of Kansas

Tue & Wed

JAN 27& 28 7:30 pm

Indian Ink Theatre Company

Kiss the Fish

This event is sponsored, in part, by the Lied Performance Fund

Please be mindful of the following in the auditorium: • Please silence cellular phones and electronic devices • No food or drink • No cameras or recording devices

January 27 & 28, 2015

Kiss the Fish A play by Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan

We aim to make theatre that is beautiful, funny, sad and true. We go to the theatre to be transported by a great story and to enjoy characters who live large in our imaginations. We want the experience to leave an indelible imprint on our hearts. That’s why we’re called Indian Ink! Drawn together by a love of mask and story, Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis have pursued their idea of the ‘Serious Laugh’— opening mouths with laughter in order to slip something serious in — for almost two decades. The philiosophy has drawn together a talented bunch of collaborators over the years. Together they have created an extraordinary series of award-winning plays that have delighted audiences throughout New Zealand and around the world. As one of New Zealand’s most successful touring theatre companies, Indian Ink has performed in every major New Zealand theatre and city since 1997. Indian Ink has toured internationally to great success and has won numerous awards including two Fringe First Awards from its two trips to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The company’s first three plays (Krishnan’s Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King) have been collected in The Indian Ink Trilogy book published by Victoria University Press. The works are taught in secondary school and university drama departments. The company has also been acclaimed for its business practices, being frequently cited as a benchmark for excellence, innovation, flexibility and sustainability.

There will be a 20-minute intermission.

Kiss The Fish: Indian Ink Theatre A note from Jacob Rajan, writer and performer

A note from Justin Lewis, writer and director

True story — my cousin, Lohan, went to school with Freddie Mercury. Freddie’s real name was Farrokh Bulsara but, according to my cousin, everyone called him Ronnie. Ronnie only lasted one semester at St. John’s College in Bangalore before he was drawn back to the bright lights of Mumbai, but while at St. John’s he played piano, sang and shared his love of American and British music with everyone he came in contact with.

There is a point in the writing of a new play when the characters and the situation take over and any intent I have about the story becomes irrelevant. It’s at this point that I know we have something interesting because it’s more than what I could have thought of on my own.

Lohan went on to be an anesthetist in Cleveland. Ronnie went on to become one of the greatest rock icons ever. Life is strange. It hurls people, events, monumental opportunities, devastating disasters and vast stretches of tedium at us in unequal measure. Often it is hard to make head or tail of it. Our response is to make a play out of it. The delight, for me, in Kiss the Fish is the host of characters we’ve had to draw on from the Balinese comic mask tradition of Topeng. The faces are unique to Bali but we know you’ll recognize them. A bunch of misfits, dreamers, evangelists, hypochondriacs and monkeys — this eclectic village is our world and, hopefully, it’s not a huge stretch to see your world reflected in this village. The mask makers of Bali understand that faces are asymmetrical and unique. It’s the flaws that give them character. We had duplicates of the masks we use in the play made, but none are identical. That’s the nature of hand-crafted objects and the nature of theatre. No two performances are alike. Freddie Mercury understood that and we hope we can do him, you and my cousin, Lohan, proud tonight. Thanks for coming. I hope you enjoy the show. —Jacob Rajan

Working on this play leaves me with an enormous feeling of gratitude. I have a lot of people to thank: Murray Edmond, without whom this play would not have found its form; Wayan Tanguuh, who made the masks; the wonderfully willing performers who have brought Kiss the Fish to life; our management team and the funders who enable everything; and the generous people in Bali, Malaysia and India who provided the hospitality and insights which underpin the world of this story. While Researching Kiss the Fish I got a strong understanding of my own privilege and how complex the issues of development are. I saw a lot of people making a better life and a lot of people left behind. There are a number of true stories underpinning this play: a resort in Malaysia, an island in Kerala, a Raja who talked to me about balancing boats, but the authenticity we have sought is one that is true to the masks. I’ve thought of my children a lot as I’ve worked on this piece, about how hard it is to let them go and how much I worry about their futures. I think the best endings to our plays are those where (after a lot of hard work from the authors) the characters find their own conclusion and I am taken by surprise. Maybe it is the same with children. I find no easy answers to the problems our world faces but I am struck by the power of the imagination and the power of people working together. It’s what I love about the theatre and my hope for the future. This play is dedicated to my daughters, Maisie and Polly. —Justin Lewis

January 27 & 28, 2015

Company Biographies Julia Croft Kochima, Jasmine, Puppeteer of Grace Croft is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Canterbury University, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre. Croft has also trained at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris. Cathy Knowsley Lighting Designer / Technical Manager Knowsley first joined the Indian Ink team in 1998. When not on tour with Indian Ink, she specializes in event site design and infrastructure management with her company HiViz Event Management. Justin Lewis Writer / Song Lyrics Lewis is a founding partner of Indian Ink and he is the deputy chair of Q Theatre. He received a Kaupapa Oranga Award for his services to theatre and is a graduate of the John Bolton Theatre School and the University of Auckland. Nisha Madhan Daisy and Lakshmi Madhan is a graduate of Unitec’s School of Performing and Screen Arts and is the founder of Phundmi Productions. She trained at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris and won the Q Theatre, Auckland, Best Newcomer Theatre-Maker award for her direction of Cowboy Mouth.

Jacob Rajan Writer / Song Lyrics, Fisherman, Kingsley, Bapa, Father John and Govind Rajan is an Arts Foundation Laureate and a founding partner of Indian Ink. In 2013, Rajan was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the New Year’s Honors List. James Roque Sidu A graduate of Unitec’s School of Performing and Screen Arts, Roque is also a co-founder of Pretty Asian Theatre. Outside of theatre, Roque is one of New Zealand’s youngest professional stand-up comedians. David Ward Musician, Composer and Musical Director A jazz graduate from the Wellington Conservatorium of Music, Ward won the “Most Outstanding Composer” award at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for his work on Guru of Chai.

Brasil Guitar Duo A seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works

Tue FEB 10 7:30 Tickets: $20–$30 Adult $11–$16 Student/Youth

KODO One Earth Tour:

Mystery

Tue FEB 24 7:30 Tickets: $25–$40 Adult $14–$21 Student/Youth Sponsored by

ETHEL with guest artist

Robert Mirabal

A cross-cultural contemporary music event

Thu FEB 26 7:30 Tickets: $20–$30 Adult $11–$16 Student/Youth

See complete season online

lied.ku.edu 785-864-2787

Tuesday

MAR 24 7:30 pm

OF KANSAS

Bernadette Peters in Concert

Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Tickets: $40–$55 Adult $21–$29 Student/Youth