Running September 27-29, 2024, at Cornish Playhouse, Seattle.
This fall, Mohini Dance School will present Woman With No Wings, a new play portraying one of history's most iconic figures - Queen Cleopatra. Running from September 27-29, 2024, this bold reinterpretation of Cleopatra showcases her not just as the famed ruler of ancient Egypt, but as a figure of profound resilience grappling with deep-rooted personal and societal challenges. Written and directed by Mohini Dance School Artistic Director Smitha Krishnan (Nirvana, Ghanashyam), Woman With No Wings is a powerful narrative infused with Indian Classical Dance, shedding light on mental health, a growing societal crisis in the post-COVID era.
Smitha Krishnan said, "Mental health touches everyone's lives because we or someone we know lives with a mental health disorder. Yet, mental health issues are the least talked about conditions, especially in the South Asian community. My lived experience was my inspiration to write the script."
Featuring a talented cast of over 50 Seattle area actors and dancers, the production blends English drama with dynamic choreography, including Indian Classical Dance forms such as Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Bharatanatyam, and Kuchipudi, and Contemporary dance. The dance elements are underscored by originally composed music in five languages, including the show stopping original song Today You Lose, now available on all streaming platforms.
Audiences are invited to explore beyond the crown and into the heart of Cleopatra's struggles - she is also an ordinary woman grappling with her inner demons. With stunningly designed costumes and sets that transform the stage into the historical and cultural court of ancient Egypt. Woman With No Wings transcends time, revealing the unseen facets of a woman leader's enduring legacy, breathing life into the human struggles that unite us all.
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