It brings to fore Kannada Rangabhoomi’s women performers back into our cultural history

Mysore/Mysuru: Acclaimed theatre writer, artiste and director, Sharanya Ramprakash, will present ‘Project Darling,’ a unique feminist play on Nov. 5 at 6.30 pm at Natana Rangashale in Ramakrishnanagar, Mysuru.

This innovative 100-minute Kannada play embarks on a captivating journey with a group of performers in search of their roots and ancestry, tracing the legacy of women performers who laid the foundation for their work.

The play is supported by India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) research grant, the reFrame Genderalities Fellowship and has been developed at Nirdigantha, an incubation centre for theatre, founded by multilingual actor Prakash Raj.

About the play

In their quest to unearth their artistic heritage, the performers encounter a remarkable figure known as Khanavali Chenni, who once commanded the stage with her uproarious double entendre dialogues and suggestive humour. As they strive to locate the actress who portrayed Chenni, they cross paths with other actresses, each with their own compelling narratives to share.

Will this ensemble of performers succeed in their quest to find Chenni? How will their search culminate and what secrets will they unearth along the way?

‘Project Darling’ delves into the realm of female sexuality, navigating the intricate intersection of censorship and culture.

Two-year research project

This play draws inspiration from a meticulous two-year research project conducted by its director, Sharanya Ramprakash. The play seamlessly blends research findings with fictional elements to bridge gaps in the historical record.

‘Project Darling’ weaves together video testimonials, photo-essays and immersive soundscapes derived from this research, combining them with song, dance, puppetry and clowning.

The performance’s overarching objective is to reintegrate the women performers of the Kannada Rangabhoomi back into our cultural history, on their terms.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Sharanya said that the play employs certain German post-dramatic and modern techniques. “It fiercely probes hypocrisy, the binary of good and bad when it comes to the female body and sexuality. We always want women to play the ideal housewife or daughter-in-law on stage, but off-stage she is a victim of discrimination, bigotry and violence. The play exposes these double standards,” she said.

The play explores how these women of bygone eras exuded strength and courage and became famous in a world of male dominance, where female voices were deliberately hushed.