These are the questions that will propel and shape this three-week intensive. Theater Mitu will bring together a group of international participants, American teaching artists and Indian masters to rigorously engage with these core questions.
In the West, the artist’s personal mythology is often overlooked in an attempt to focus on technique, achievement and success. But the question remains, what propels the artist? What is their belief system? What stories have formed who they are and the work they create? We believe the answers to these questions can only be discovered when the artist is asked to forget everything they think they know and in so doing, explore themselves outside of a context that is familiar; artistically, philosophically, aesthetically, and geographically. It is this belief that began the extensive and ongoing conversation with some of South India’s most accomplished masters and artists.
The program will ask participants to place themselves at the center of this conversation. The intensive will rigorously engage participants in this dialogue at every possible level.
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Physically: by way of classes and training with Indian masters in diverse classical Indian arts as well as advanced classes in Theater Mitu’s training methodology of Whole Theater.
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Philosophically: by way of challenging dialogues with Hindu, Jain, Muslim and Sikh thinkers and philosophers as well as members of the myriad different communities within South India.
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Socially: as students are forced to engage with and participate actively in a thriving South Indian community as well as allowing themselves to be challenged and pushed by their fellow participants.
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Culturally: as they interface with India itself, one of the most diverse and impressive cultural landscapes in the world.
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Artistically: by way of various performance, creation and immersion opportunities the program offers.