Māyā
2021 Festival
Director
Arpita Mukherjee
Music Director
Nate Hopkins
Cast
Meetu Chilana, Jamen Nanthakumar, Daniel Plimpton, Ben Roseberry, Vishal Vaidya, Sonya Venugopal and Kuhoo Verma
Number of Acts: 2
Number of Principals (Male): 4
Number of Principals (Female): 3
Total Cast Size: 7
Orchestra Breakdown:
Piano, Keys 2, Guitar/Sitar, Woodwind, Violin, Cello, Bass, Drums, Percussion/Tabla, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn
Genre & Style:
Drama
Synopsis
India, 1930. When Gandhi’s non-violent independence movement arrives on Maya Mehta’s doorstep, our heroine’s life of poetry and privilege is turned on its head. With a score that fuses Western pop and Indian classical music, Māyā tells the story of how one person can make a lasting mark on a movement.
Development History
Cheeyang & Eric started collaborating during their time at NYU and are interested in stories where the East meets the West. The impulse to write a show about India’s independence movement started from existential questions: Can anyone make a difference in the world? What is the artist’s role and how does art intersect with activism? Their journey led them through some incredible opportunities, including a retreat with Live & In Color, a developmental lab with Pace University and headlining Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. All this would not be possible without their close friend and collaborator, Arpita Mukherjee.