Synopsis
In the country of “Matetssamachtawch”, plagued by a series of absurd events, Madame Cesscu Ciao, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Beyond Imagination”, assigns her team to cover the recent events. Their investigations explore the sense of injustice that links different characters, offering a psychosocial perspective on events based on scientific experiments. As the action unfolds, six actors take on alternating roles, combining dramatic performance and theatrical dance. The play is produced by Association Carmen pour la culture et les arts.
About the Director
Amenallah El Ghezal is an actor, playwright, and director. Trained in theatrical techniques under the guidance of renowned directors, he performed in the play "Démo," a performance that earned him the Best Actor award at the International Free Theatre Festival in Jordan. His passion for theatre and artistic vision led him to his first experience in directing and co-dramaturgy with the theatrical creation "ASCH." Simultaneously, he participated in the writing workshop for the play "2034 - A Modest Proposal," where he also performed as a video actor and served as assistant director. His immersion into the world of cinema was realized when he was selected to act in the short film "Stigmate."
Director's Note
Asch is a play that invites the audience to view societal issues through a psychosocial lens. It is a dramatic piece combining performance and theatrical dance, telling fictional stories against a backdrop of universal reality, based on well-known experiments in social psychology.
About the Group
Tafukt is a Tunisian theatre collective founded on the belief in the power of collective intelligence and creativity. Driven by a shared passion for theatre, its members have come together to explore humanist storytelling and innovative artistic expression. Through a collaborative creative process, the group has forged a strong artistic identity rooted in inclusivity, cultural heritage, and social engagement. The name Tafukt, meaning 'passion' in Amazigh, reflects the company’s dedication to theatre as a space for dialogue, reflection, and transformation.
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Synopsis:
Aboriginal Cry opens with the harmonious connection between the aborigine and their land—rivers, forests, paddy fields, lakes, and hills passed down by ancestors, expressed through sounds and movement. But this sacred inheritance is threatened by the arrival of powerful corporate forces, backed by the state. Tensions rise as the aborigines confront these forces in a clash of sound and fury. The aborigines fight to protect their land, culture, and values, while the brute forces respond with oppressive, discordant noise. Ultimately, the aborigines are displaced to barren land, stripped of their heritage, and overcome with helplessness. In the face of such loss, their anguished cry echoes—a cry of pain, yet of resilience, as they vow to fight for their roots. The play tries to depict the hardships of displaced people and communities affected by 6 mega dams in Manipur in India.
About the Director:
Thoudam Victor, a National School of Drama (NSD) graduate (2009–2012), has trained under Heisnam Kanhailal and Ema Sabitri at Kalakshetra Manipur. A Charles Wallace India Trust Scholar (2014–15), he studied ‘Advanced Theatre Practice’ in London. He holds a Junior Research Fellowship from India’s Ministry of Culture and an MA in Devised Theatre from Rose Bruford College. His plays have been staged at national and international festivals, earning him awards, including Best Actor at META 2023. He has taught at NSD (Delhi, Tripura, Sikkim), Manipur University of Culture, and Central University of Hyderabad.
Directors' Note:
The story of targeting the resources of indigenous people by giant corporation have become a common phenomenon in different parts of the world, and Manipur is no exception. The play ‘Aboriginal Cry’ is about such phenomena where the aboriginal or the indigenous people becomes the target for acquiring land, rivers, forest, hills and other resources by giant powerful corporation. We try to explore this phenomenon through sound and the body of the indigene. For the indigenous people body becomes a sacred entity of relations between land, rituals and cultures. Without the land, the body becomes barren and could not embody values passed down from their ancestors, leaving the indigenous body in a very unproductive situation. Therefore, the play tries to address such brutal impact from the construction of mega dams in Manipur through a poetic body.
About the Group:
Akhoka is a collective of artists from diverse disciplines dedicated to creating critical theatre and art through collaboration. Focused on addressing socio-economic and political issues, Akhoka explores community-engaged performances in spaces affected by conflict, urbanization, and displacement. The collective seeks alternative, sustainable environments for artistic practice and aims to push the boundaries of both their own work and the field. Committed to inclusive arts, Akhoka invites individuals from all backgrounds to join and contribute to fostering a better vision through theatre and related artistic activities.
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Kontha Khabam Chumbreithong, Near Central Academy, P.O - Mantripukhri, Imphal East, Manipur - 795002, India.
Synopsis:
In Ming Dynasty, young nobleman Xu Cheng falls in love with palace maid Mo Chou, whose beauty and intellect captivate him. When Xu learns her father was executed by a corrupt minister and she was sold into servitude, he defies his grandmother's arranged marriage to Prime Minister's daughter Cai Yun. Their elopement fails, leading to Mo's public humiliation. Consumed by grief, Xu becomes critically ill. Cai bribes doctors to use Mo's eyes as a cure, forcing her to gouge them out selflessly. Escaping captivity, Mo drowned herself in despair, followed by Xu in suicide. Transformed into twin lotuses, they eternalize their tragic love in mortal bonds. The play critiques feudal oppression and celebrates selfless devotion.
About the Director:
Li Jun, a renowned female stage director and national first-class artist, also serves as the Vice Director of Nanjing Dramatic Theatre’s Arts Committee. Recognized as a top talent in Nanjing, she has earned multiple awards, including Best Director at the Purple Gold Cultural Festival and Shandong International Small Theater Festival. Her notable works include Youth Olympic Torch Bearer, Searching for Zhang Ailing, and Swinging Swing. A member of key arts associations, she blends traditional and modern storytelling into her award-winning productions.
Directors' Note:
Mo Chou Mo Chou reimagines a haunting love story from ancient Jinling (present-day Nanjing), where a common woman's defiance against fate becomes a timeless ode to devotion and sacrifice. While rooted in Chinese lore, its core themes—unyielding love that transcends social constraints, the quiet heroism of marginalized voices, and the cost of spiritual emancipation—resonate profoundly with modern dialogues on gender equity and existential autonomy.
This production pioneers a transcultural theatrical language. We harness Western physical theatre’s avant-garde vocabulary to illuminate Eastern classical aesthetics, weaving martial arts precision, operatic gestures, shadow puppetry’s mystique, and contemporary dance’s fluidity into a singular narrative tapestry.
Here, bodies are not mere performers but storytellers. By dismantling verbal boundaries, we invite global audiences to viscerally experience the paradoxes of love—its fragility and resilience, its capacity to both chain and liberate.
About the Group:
Founded in 1960, Nanjing Dramatic Theatre is a premier Jiangsu provincial theater troupe celebrated for its classical Chinese dramas. It has garnered national acclaim with award-winning productions such as "Yuhuatai", "Qinhuai Family", "The Great River Flows", and "Maple Grove". Notable achievements include multiple wins at the China Art Festival, Wenhua Awards, and the Five One Project Award. Plays like "Ordinary People" and "The Fall" have been recognized for excellence, while "Yuhuatai" received recent honors under the 14th Five One Project. The theater has engaged in international cultural exchanges in the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Russia.
Team Manager: Wang Li, China Theatre Association
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Mr. Yuan Yang
Mr. Wang Ling
Synopsis:
Two timeless tales intertwine in this theatrical performance, bringing together the Buddhist parable of Kandata’s torment in hell and the revered Mahabharata story of Shakuntala. Though their fates will never cross, they are bound by a shared struggle—each resisting the destiny imposed upon them. Rooted in the indigenous spiritual beliefs of Asia, this performance invites audiences to reflect on humanity’s coexistence with the divine and nature in a chaotic world. The play is a joint production of artists from Japan and Nepal and is based on stories written by Kalidasa and Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
About the Director:
Erina Saji began her career as an actress in productions directed by the world-renowned Yukio Ninagawa. In 2011, she founded Utervision Company Japan, an artistic collective dedicated to innovative storytelling. Her work has been showcased both nationally and internationally, earning acclaim for its depth and originality. By integrating figure theatre into her artistic practice, Erina has developed a distinctive performance style that seamlessly blends physical theatre and puppetry, creating visually arresting and emotionally resonant narratives.
Director's Note:
Relying on the imagination of the performers and the audience, to set up a fictional world on an empty stage. That the physicality of the Nepalese and the Japanese creates a more complex personality for the puppets. Through these two challenges, I hope to reflect on faith, human, and God.
About the Group:
Utervision is a collective of international artists of diverse genres. The company established its unique performing style by combining figure theatre, puppetry, and physical theatre. In 2015, the company embarked on international collaborative projects with an aspiration to create unparalleled performance works and to share them with the local audience across the globe.
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