Mixed Blood Theatre to Stage World Premiere of Aditi Brennan Kapil's DISPLACED HINDU GODS Trilogy, 10/5-27

Mixed Blood Theatre's 2013-14 Season kicks off with Aditi Brennan Kapil's DISPLACED HINDU GODS, an epic festival of three world premieres based on the trinity of Hindu deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva reconjured as contemporary inhabitants of the Western world. While each play stands alone and takes on a different genre - stand-up comedy routine, girl-gang thriller, post-colonial fantasy - they coexist in a common universe where dislocation, identity, immigration and puberty are explored through the lenses of creation, survival and destruction. Seven actors, five designers, three directors and one playwright comprise the creative team of this ambitious extravaganza!

All three open on Saturday, October 5 as a theatrical marathon in a totally new, re-imagined Alan Page Auditorium. Each Saturday and Sunday, the marathon picks up again and Saturdays will feature a special late-night edition of Brahman/i. Throughout the run, The Chronicles of Kalki will be performed Wednesdays, Shiv on Thursdays, and Brahman/i on Fridays.

BRAHMAN/I: A One-Hijra Stand-Up Comedy Show
Directed by Jeremy Cohen
This outrageous play performed as a stand-up comedy routine takes on history, mythology, gender roles and high school through the inimitable comic lens of Brahman/i, an intersex person tethered by neither gender nor culture, and wildly curious and inventive in his/her examination of both. Brahman/i features Debargo Sanyal and Peter Christian Hansen. Brahman/i was part of the 2012 Ruth Easton Series at the Playwrights' Center, 2012 Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the 2013 DNA Series at the LaJolla Playhouse.

THE CHRONICLES OF KALKI
Directed by Bruce A. Young
This comic book-infused girl-gang thriller chronicles the adventures of Kalki, a young woman who may or may not be the final Avatar of Vishnu, come to rid the world of demons and evil. The Chronicles of Kalki features Lipica Shah, Cat Brindisi, Andrew Guilarte and Joetta Wright.

SHIV
Directed by Risa Brainin
Exploring the psychological residue of post-colonialism, Shiv is a fantastical journey to liberation from one's past, from one's present, and of the destruction that makes rebirth possible. Shiv features Nat Fuller, Lipica Shah, Andrew Guilarte and Peter Christian Hansen.

Playwright Kapil said, "I feel like every artist creates through the lens of their experience, and Hindu mythology is a large part of mine. Our cultural discourse in this country tends to center around western traditions and theology. I hope these plays contribute to expanding our artistic dialogue, de-westernizing it, through their ideas, but also by way of epic entertainment."

Displaced Hindu Gods marks the fourth time that Mixed Blood Theatre has produced Aditi Brennan Kapil's world premieres, preceded by Love Person, Agnes Under the Big Top and The Deaf Duckling.
The creative team includes Kathy Kohl (costumes), Karin Olson (lighting), Katharine Horowitz (sound), Nayna Ramey (scenic) and Lois Rhomberg (properties).

"Aditi and I both believe that live theatre must be an event if our field is to be vital in a time when anyone can see whatever they want whenever they want for free on their cell phone or laptop or tablet. To offer 10 performances per week of these three plays by one author with three directors and the talent of an ensemble of seven actors and five designers while realizing Mixed Blood's ambition of welcoming the global village onto its stage and in its seats is, for us, a fantastic conspiracy of purpose, politics, and artistry," said Jack Reuler, Mixed Blood's Artistic Director.

Previews will be held Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m. for The Chronicles of Kalki; Thursday, October 3 at 7:30pm for Shiv; and Friday, October 4 for Brahman/i; the shows open on Saturday, October 5 and continue through Sunday, October 27.

There are two ways to attend Displaced Hindu Gods performances: 1) No-cost admission: To access these free seats, audience members register in the lobby in exchange for admission (Box Office opens two hours prior to the show). 2) Guaranteed admission: Audience members can guarantee entry for an individual performance by paying a $20 fee online at www.mixedblood.com or by calling the box office at (612) 338-6131. Anyone self-identifying as a person with a disability may call the box office to arrange free round-trip cab rides to Mixed Blood performances. General admission seating begins 30 minutes before show time and is first-come, first-served. All performances are in the Alan Page Auditorium at Mixed Blood's historic firehouse theatre at 1501 S. 4th St., Minneapolis.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rich Ryan

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