Meet Director, Poet in 1984 hidden story Kultar’s Mime

| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 6 May 2016 | Asia Samachar |

“Kultar’s Mime” is a unique theatre play depicting the 1984 Delhi sectarian violence. The play blends painting, poetry, theater and music to tell the stories of Sikh children who survived the Delhi Massacre in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

The play have performed some 60 times in the US, England, Scotland, Canada, India and will head to Malaysia later this month with shows planned for Malacca, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

SEE ALSO: Kultar’s Mime: Play depicting hidden story 1984

The director and playwright for “Kultar’s Mime”, Jaskirat Kaur (J. Mehr Kaur),  is a senior at Smith College pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with an emphasis in directing. Recent projects she has undertaken include “Water by the Spoonful” by Quiara Alegria Hudes in Northampton’s 460-seat Theatre 14, and “SEVEN: A documentary play” presented as part of Hillary Clinton’s 2014 Women in Public Service Institute.

She has attended the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center where she had directed a thirty-eight member ensemble in a devised, multi-media musical, inspired by the #blacklivesmatter movement. Her interests as a director range from productions of revisited classics, the development of new work, and opera.

The play is adapted from the poem “Kultar’s Mime” by Sarbpreet Singh and incorporates text from “In The City Of Slaughter” by Haim Bialik, according to a statement from the team.

Sarbpreet Singh (“Kultar’s Mime” poet) is a playwright commentator and poet, who has been writing while pursuing a career in technology for several years. His commentary has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, The Boston Herald, The Providence Journal, The Milwaukee Journal and several other newspapers and magazines.

He writes a weekly column for the popular culture magazine, Sikhchic.com. He is the founder and director of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of traditional Sikh music and serves on the boards of various non-profits focused on service and social justice. He is very active in Boston Interfaith circles and was recognized for his interfaith work by the Boston Globe.

The Malaysia “Kultar’s Mime” tour is organised by the Malaysian Young Sikh Leaders Initiative (MYSLI), a wing of the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisations (CMSO).

“This is a story of four young Sikh children who witnessed their family members killed in sectarain violence. They then depicted their memories through paintings,” said CMSO secretary-general Autar Singh.

Asked why the show was brought to Malaysia, he tells Asia Samachar: “It depicts a part of our recent history which many of younger generation are unaware of. Also, they have been getting good reviews. This is something we have not seen before in Malaysia.”

Ticket prices are based on venues. Early bird discounts available till 15 May. For tickets go to www.kultarsmime.asia

In addition to the shows, the team will also be conducting Theatre Workshops for theatre enthusiasts at Penang on 28 May and at Kuala Lumpur on 29 May (9am to 12 noon).

Kultar’s Mime shows in Malaysia:

20/5 at 3pm Melaka
21/5 at 3pm Melaka
22/5 at 6pm JB
23/5 at 7pm Petaling Jaya
25/5 at 7pm Ipoh
27/5 at 7pm Penang
29/5 at 6pm KL

Book tickets here (http://www.kultarsmime.asia)

[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]

RELATED STORIES:

Former Singapore MP Inderjit ‘silently’ served nation, Sikh community  (Asia Samachar, 30 April 2016)

Singapore PM speech at Sikh community dinner (Asia Samachar, 19 Dec 2015)