-Courtesy of Perpetual Motion PR
In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, EgoPo Classic Theater will be presenting two major collaborative productions with artists and arts organizations from South Africa and Indonesia. The season, titled Crossing Oceans, will feature the regional premiere of Les Blancs (Oct 25 – Nov 3, 2023) by Lorraine Hansberry, and a world-premiere adaptation of the Hindu epic, Ramayana (June 12-16, 2024), along with an Indonesian Gala and two Artist Socials that invite audience members to meet and see the work of our international partners.
EgoPo transforms timeless works of literature into innovative and immersive theatrical events. They re-envision the classic canon by reintroducing diverse works and rebodying existing canonical works to ensure a wide range of voices, bodies, and stories are shared on their stages. Over the past 30 years, EgoPo has staged over 60 productions regionally, nationally, and internationally, hosted over 50,000 audience members, and hired more than 1,500 arts workers.
“In many ways, this season is the culmination of EgoPo’s thirty-year artistic journey,” says EgoPo Artistic Director, Lane Savadove. “The Ramayana project began when we were a young company in 1996, and now, 28 years later, this artistic dream is finally reaching its fruition. Classics have always been a way for EgoPo to gather diverse communities around a common ‘dinner table’ and the sharing of Les Blancs and Ramayana is another step in creating bridges across profound cultural differences. For there to be peace and respect in this world, we must consistently and stubbornly build empathy and a respect for, and love of, our differences.”
Crossing Oceans is a season devoted to examining the quality of cross-cultural interactions and imagining a world that could exist outside of the colonial paradigm that has dominated for much of human history. EgoPo built the foundation for these collaborations with artists from Indonesia and South Africa over many years, with each company spending time in each other’s countries and sharing meals, artistic practices, and methodologies.
“As we emerge from the pandemic and re-engage with this new world, we have a choice to make. Will we echo the old destructive forces of colonialism, approaching each other with a sense of fear and othering? Or will we seek a new paradigm of curiosity, respect and communal care? Ramayana is an integral story to the Indonesian community and I am excited to share it and wonderful Indonesian American small businesses with the Greater Philadelphia area.” -Sinta Penyami Storms, Season Curator and Rama’s Fest Coordinator
This season, curated by Lane Savadove, Sinta Penyami Storms, Sunil Kumar, and Ontaria Kim Wilson, is a celebration of the possibilities of trans-cultural artistic collaboration. Each event will provide Philadelphia audiences opportunities to view the world through new cultural lenses and discover the power of diverse perspectives.
“We need to recognize that diversity is actually a source of strength. Diverse perspectives are necessary for both creative and critical thought and lead to invention and progress. Diverse experiences provide us with new lenses to view the world, supplying us with wisdom and empathy.” Ontaria Kim Wilson, Season Curator, performer, and dramaturg for Les Blancs.
EgoPo’s Crossing Oceans season will also feature other offerings including curated season books, snacks, and hors d’oeuvres from local African and Indonesian restaurants, and art from Indonesia to better educate and engage audiences. Performances of Ramayana will be surrounded by Rama’s Fest, a week-long celebration of Indonesian food and culture featuring 15 to 20 local Indonesian American small businesses.
More information about EgoPo’s immersive events, the season’s curated books, and their international collaborators can be found at EgoPo.org.
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