Production
Less & Lesser (the fourth instalment of the PANCHA series), sheds light on the lives of seniors as they ascertain their place in our society.
Delving into the space of seniors and drawing inspiration from their personal experiences, Less & Lesser spotlights the experiences of seniors with strong aspirations, wisdom, a young heart and a healthier one to boot! Ageing is not always about being frail, lonely and forgotten, but how we can grow gracefully from our experiences. Share the space where the young meet the seniors; real stories meet poetry and fiction; and life meets art.
“The space between us and the seniors opened up as we shared our stories, challenges and aspirations. The coming together to support one another also became paramount especially during this pandemic period. Some times, we all found it extremely challenged to rehearse with masks on and especially the 2 seniors in the work. But their resilience and tenacity to pursue gave us confidence to dream; and the generosity of the collaborators, their urge to connect again to make art, and most importantly to connect with another. This feeling that we are all in this together gives us hope, and we pursue by carving yet a new path forward.” shares Kavitha Krishnan, artistic director of Maya Dance Theatre.
Season for Life (Double bill)
PANCHA (‘five’ in Sanskrit, referring to the five elements of nature) invites audience members to share space and time with two seniors.
What does it mean to share space and time?
Do the young need the old? Do the old want the young?
Are they truly all that different?
Do seniors have space in our society today?
Less and Lesser – Season for Life (Double bill) probes into these questions through the provocative personification of Ether, she who is the unfathomable distance between two atoms or the fast-shrinking distance within the universe. Ether as Space and Time expounds the distance between human beings even as it expands and contracts, disappears to become no more, only to remain forevermore.
Chapter 01- Dying Flower
A woman in her seventies (Lavender) meets a young girl who is perhaps her younger self, or perhaps the enigmatic but ubiquitous Ether.
Featuring: Eva Tey (Dance Artist) , Shaul Hamid Shabirah(Senior Performer), Raghavendran Rajasekaran (Composer/Musician)
“It was such a beautiful show!”
Chapter 02- D72
If life is a journey, every age is a particular pitstop – each a destination in its own right.
Featuring: Subastian Tan (Dance Artist) , Dexter Tai (Senior Performer), Kailin Yong (Composer/Musicia
“A beautifully shared performance that got us thinking and tearing.”
Reason of Death
Chapter 03- Death Of An Artist
An elderly poet grapples with the loss of his hearing and all it entails. A young dancer is tortured by an affliction that affects his visage. They are separated by time, age and their own shunning of society, who, in the form of Ether, watches them. The only bridge between them is the elderly artist’s poetry and the young artist’s memories of his own grandfather.
Will the words of the elderly poet travel across the void and reanimate the spirit of the dancer?
Featuring; Sharda Harrison (Co-director/ Performer), Shahrin Johry (Dance Artist), Hemang Yadav (Playwright/ Performer) and Lalit Kumar (Sound Designer)
“A dynamic contemplative piece, reminding us of the vulnerability of life, balanced with encouragement to live well.
Credits:
Artistic Director – Kavitha Krishnan
Co-Director (Death of an artist) – Sharda Harrison
Playwright (Death of an artist) – Hemang Yadav
Producer – Imran Manaff
Lighting Designer – Alberta Wileo
Cast:
Dance Artists – Subastian Tan, Eva Tey, Shahrin Johry
Theatre Artists – Hemang Yadav, Sharda Harrison
Senior Performers – Shabirah Shaul Hamid, Dexter Tai
Music Composers – Kailin Yong, Raghavendran Rajasekaran,
