Devendra Sharma Archives

25 Oct, 2010

Birth of A New Mission Suhani

2010-10-25T20:47:48-07:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Folk musical theater, India, Nautanki, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma|

After the first Work-in-Progress show, I worked with my Nautanki troupe on the suggestions given to us by the audience members and our friends at CounterPULSE, incorporating them into our second Work-in-Progress show. The changes have definitely made our piece more effective, and it now flows more smoothly. In addition, as a result of the integration of the feedback, the piece itself is more accessible to American audiences. The feedback session after our second Work-in-Progress show was once again a

1 Oct, 2010

Come and Watch the New Extended Mission Suhani Performances!!

2010-10-01T15:06:00-07:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Devendra, Folk forms of India, Nautanki|

One of the major challenges I had in preparing for Mission Suhani this year was finding new actors, as many of the previous actors from last year were not available. This situation is expected when you try to involve community members as actors in a participatory effort like Mission Suhani. Most of these community members are not actors by profession. Instead, they have another job in which they are busy. They are extremely interested in the effort, but they are

8 Sep, 2010

Performing Nautanki in Paris, reconnecting to roots in India, and enhancing Mission Suhani

2010-09-08T23:40:16-07:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Devendra Sharma, Indian folk performance, Nautanki, Performance for Communication, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma|

I spent the last three months in Europe and India, traveling and performing Nautanki to diverse audiences. I also worked with my father on Nautanki Mission Suhani to expand the script and add new scenes for our performance at CounterPULSE this October. I first traveled to Paris, where I stayed at the Théâtre du Soleil (http://www.theatre-du-soleil.fr), a theater founded by the famous French director Ariane Mnouchkine. I watched their latest production, Les Naufragés du Fol Espoirs, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

6 Nov, 2009

Devendra Sharma for Performing Diaspora: Helpful Feedback from a Sympathetic Audience – An Artist’s Wish Come True!

2009-11-06T19:29:53-08:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Devendra Sharma, Indian folk theater and music, Nautanki, Performance for Social Change, Swami-Khera School of Nautanki Swang and Raasleela|

Devendra Sharma is a Performing Diaspora Resident Artist at CountePULSE. See him at weekend 3 of Performing Diaspora, November 19-22. Buy tickets now! After coming back from India in late August, I have been working hard with my group on the rehearsals of “Mission Suhani.” As soon as I landed in America, I had to prepare for the Work-in-Progress (WIP) showing at Counter Pulse, so even though I was totally jetlagged, I got my group together and started

31 Aug, 2009

Devendra Sharma for Performing Diaspora: “Mission Suhani”- Reflections from India!

2009-08-31T23:34:58-07:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Devendra Sharma, dowry, forced marriages, immigration, Indian folk music, Indian folk opera, Indian women's rights, Nautanki, Performance for Communication, Performing Diaspora, politics of immigration, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma|

Hi friends! I spent last three months living in India, co-writing the new Nautanki performance script for the “Performing Diaspora” with my father-- the renowned Nautanki artist, Pundit Ram Dayal Sharma, I loved my time in India. It was so much fun, and a learning experience, working with my father on this script that focuses on the issue of Indian men living in the U.S., who go back to India to get married to young Indian women and receive huge

2 Jun, 2009

Devendra Sharma for Performing Diaspora: Let us reclaim the respect for the indigenous folk artist

2009-06-02T05:23:01-07:00By Devendra|Categories: CounterPULSE, Devendra Sharma, Performing Diaspora|Tags: Devendra Sharma, Indian diaspora, Indian folk music, Indian folk opera, Indian Musical theater, Indian rural music, Indigenous music from India, Nautanki, Ordinary Culture, Social and Cultural problems related to immigration from India|

Colonialism does strange things to a culture. Ignoring one’s own indigenous “ordinary” culture, and blindly imitating others’ “legitimate” culture is one of them. It takes years and a lot of efforts before a culture realizes its self-worth during the post-colonial journey. At present, urban culture in India and Indian diaspora around the world is undergoing this journey. Let me share some of my life and thoughts with you as a rural folk artist from India who, first, migrated to a

Birth of A New Mission Suhani

Come and Watch the New Extended Mission Suhani Performances!!

Performing Nautanki in Paris, reconnecting to roots in India, and enhancing Mission Suhani

Devendra Sharma for Performing Diaspora: “Mission Suhani”- Reflections from India!

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