2007
The issues portrayed in Golden Child are incredibly important to modern society. As borders begin to fade and globalization becomes more commonplace, it is important to examine the consequences of these events to the cultures they affect.
Read MoreThe 2007 After Dark Award for Overall Technical Achievement for David Henry Hwang's "Golden Child" directed by Stuart Carden. Awarded to Rebecca A. Barrett, lighting design; Carol J. Blanchard, costume design; Lee Keenan, scenic design; D. Christopher Krause, technical director; Daniel Pellant, props design; and Robert Steel, sound design and original music.
Read MoreThe 2007 After Dark Award for Outstanding Original Music awarded to Robert Steel for Richard Vetere's "Caravaggio" directed by Dale Heinen.
Read MoreThe 2007 After Dark Award for Outstanding Lighting Design by Lee Keenan for Richard Vetere's "Caravaggio" directed by Dale Heinen.
Read MoreAn inventive fusion of Chekhov’s Three Sisters and Tagore’s The Home and the World, Sankalpan evokes a time of revolution that draws sharp parallels to the geopolitics of today. A story about self-determination—both in the psyches of individuals hungry for change and in the psyche of an evolving national identity—Sankalpan is set against the volatile backdrop of 1907 Bengal. Personal struggles play out on a national stage, which is rapidly changing as the demands of independence refigure relationships between British Imperialists and Indian Nationalists, rich landowners and poor peasants, and, most explosively, in new possibilities in the relationships between men and women.
Read MoreIf you really like the work of a particular Chicago theater company, you've probably bought a subscription ticket. Good for you. You save some bucks and get to be a part of that theater’s family of supporters. But if you prefer to spread your theater-going around, you probably rely on single tickets. They’re more expensive—but you don’t get locked into the ups and downs of one group.
Read MoreOnce again, Silk Road fearlessly tackles misconceptions and misrepresentations as only the arts can. Merchant on Venice is not only exceptionally ingenious in its reinterpretation of this classic tale of brutal bigotry and revenge but serves the purpose of illuminating the overlooked and thereby emancipating the general perceptions of our all too homogenized body-politic.
Read MorePlaywright Shishir Kurup’s bracing, ingenious pop-cult revamp of Shakespeare’s Merchant proves that the Bard’s themes and style still resonate.
Read MoreThat we, too, recognize the justice and logic of his arguments is predominantly due to the intelligent, intensely-wrought performance of Anish Jethmalani, cast against type as the embittered Sharuk, with Kamal Hans' Devendra proving an able sparring partner.
Read MoreI found this Merchant 10 times as funny, smart and intellectually stimulating as The Bomb-itty of Errors, which it slightly resembles. And that has been a hit across the country. For sure, this piece is a must-see for anyone who follows progressive approaches to Shakespeare.
Read More[It's] Kurup's wit and wordplay ("Will The Circle Be Unbroken" lyrics become a pun on the Hindu word for brother) and the pop culture references (everything from GlaxoSmithKline, The Clash and the Rat Pack to Fred Segal and Paris Hilton) peppering the play that make it so palatable to a 21st century audience.
Read MoreThe irony of Shylock being a Muslim in this case, rather than a Jew, is an added layer in Kurup's rich, rhymed text that's clever and funny and pointed and heartfelt and filled with wonderful multicultural references appropriate to their Southern California melting pot.
Read MoreShishir Kurup doesn't merely update the Elizabethan vernacular (he keeps the iambs) in his bold, smart, sardonic reinvention of one of Shakespeare's most troubling plays. He also skillfully weaves in post-9/11 paranoia about "the other" as well as the prejudices of competing immigrant groups on LA's Venice Boulevard.
Read MoreMerchant on Venice is funny, articulate and poignant as the cross-cultural conflicts are dramatically presented amongst the background of Venice, California’s obsession with pop cultures. This show is energetic, well paced and engaging.
Read MoreMerchant on Venice retains the dark currents of the original while deliriously colliding headlong into the Indian equivalent of a Busby Berkeley spectacular.
Read MoreNote to New York's Public Theater, producer of Shakespeare in Central Park: Send a scout to see the Silk Road Theatre Project's hip, funny, ingeniously reconfigured world premiere of Merchant on Venice, Shishir Kurup's reinvention of Shakespeare's most controversial play.
Read More"Bollywood" has come to Chicago! Silk Road Theatre Project has opened its new season with a world premiere of Shishir Kurup's Merchant on Venice, a comic look at what would happen if The Bard met Bollywood... If you have ever seen one of these films, you will know what to expect. If not, you will find yourself "loving it!"
Read MoreThe Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts honors the legacy of Hope Abelson, an arts icon who is sorely-missed, particularly in the Chicago theatre community.
Read MoreThis award was presented to Silk Road Rising for having "demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial skills, innovation, willingness to take risks, leadership and management."
Read MoreThe global Bollywood explosion is only the most superficial indicator of the way India has become one of the two great global powerhouses (alongside China) for economic, cultural and social change during the last decade.
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