‘Project Darling’ is an experimental Kannada play that traces the journey of a group of performers who set out on a search for their ancestry - women performers on whose shoulders their work stands. In their search, they stumble upon an iconic character called Khanavali Chenni who ruled the stage with her hilarious double meaning dialogues and sexual innuendo. While trying to find the actress who played Chenni, they meet several other actresses who have their own stories to share. Will this group of performers eventually meet Chenni? How will their search end? What will they discover? Project Darling is a meditation on female sexuality at the crossroads of censorship and culture.

The play is based on a two year research project where the director, Sharanya Ramprakash, interviewed several female performers, vamps, comedians, heroines of the Kannada company theatre. It freely mixes research with fiction to fill in the inconsistencies of history. Project Darling juxtaposes video testimonials, photo-essays and soundscapes from this research with song, dance, puppetry and clowning as it seeks to rewrite Kannada Rangabhoomi’s women performers back into our cultural history...on our own terms. Supported by India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) Research grant, reFrame Genderalities Fellowship and developed at Nirdigantha – an incubation centre for theatre by multilingual actor Prakash Raj.

Written & directed by: Sharanya Ramprakash

Presented by: Prakash Raj

Produced by: Nirdigantha, K.Shettihalli, Mandya – 57180

Performers: Matangi Prasan, Shobhana Kumari, Shrunga BV, Shashank Rajashekar and Surabhi Vasisht

Dramaturg & Production Manager: Sridhar R Prasad

Co-writer: Kruti R Purappemane

Assistant Director & Sound Design: Aswin Varrier

Lighting Design: Bharavi

Music: Rumi Harish, Priyashri Mani & Pardafash

Songs: Siddhartha & Dadapeer Jyman

Puppets: Rency Philip

Set Execution: Khaju Guttala

With thanks to:

The staff of Nirdigantha

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT & DIRECTOR

Sharanya Ramprakash is a Bengaluru based theatre maker. She places her work in the intersection between gender, tradition and language. She writes, acts, directs and collaborates with a range of forms, communities and theatre makers across local, national and international locations. Her work is research based, collaborative and exploratory. She is an INLAKS scholar and Member of the Lincoln Centre Director’s Lab, New York. She is the recipient of the Shankar Nag Theatre Award 2022. Her latest work includes Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Award (META) winning play Akshayambara, Nava (supported by IFA Project 560), Artificial Hells (Taiwan International Festivalof Arts) and Malashree Challenge (Goethe Gender Bender Festival).

ABOUT NIRDIGANTHA

Nirdigantha – the word in itself means transcending horizons in Kannada. This is a theatre incubator space carved out of nature to enable the possibilities of theatre to bloom to its best hues and textures. Nirdigantha is located by the serene banks of the river Lokapavani at K Shettihalli close to Srirangapattana.

It is a haven for theatre artists, providing them with a supportive environment, resources, aesthetics, convenient facilities, and a vibrant community to fortify the growth of empowering theatre experiences. It serves as a fertile ground for artistic exploration, innovation, and the creation of compelling and impactful theatrical experiences. This is the dream child of multilingual actor Prakash Raj.