The Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation’s much anticipated Shri Krishna Leela will hit the stage this evening, at the organisation’s centre in Reliance, East Canje, Berbice. The play will also be done on Sunday evening at the same location, starting both days at 7 pm.
Pandit Deodat Persaud, one of the directors of the play, explained that the show is their way of preserving historic traditions of telling such stories in a dramatic art form as was done by our foreparents. He explained that Project Coordinator Karamchand Sugrim applied to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport under the Creative Arts Fund and was selected and given the necessary funding for the Leela.
Karamchand, popularly known as “Kishan”, was trained at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in India as a classical vocalist. He was also the second runner-up in the E-Networks Emerging Voices 2016 competition.
According to the Pandit, there are over 25 cast who are members of the youth arm along with the choreographers and creative designers.
He said the two-hour-long show will entail a mix of drama, music, and dance. “We are telling the story of Bhagwan Shri Krishna… Historically our ancestors, when they came from India they would have always had these Leelas [stories] being performed,” he noted.
Pointing out that somewhere along the line this was not continued, he stressed that the Golden Om Dharmic Youth Organisation is doing its best to preserve this tradition for today’s generation. He noted that Ram Leela was done in 2015 and 2019.
He believes that today’s society has a shortage of adequate role models, therefore telling such important stories to the youth can give them someone to look up to and believe in. They might not gravitate to watching the stories on television but given the opportunity to participate and view it in this format then they might be more engaged.
“This entire story can catch to a wider audience,” he stressed. “I think in this way here we are able to preserve this rich heritage we have inherited from India, and even today in India this is something that is very popular. Its popular in Suriname, its popular in Trinidad and only here it seems to have been losing its way, and we are committed to preserving this art form.”
He said the preparation has been “intense” as they are tasked with telling this story in the most captivating way possible. He said while the idea was conceptualised some years ago they were looking for funding which is an important part in pulling off such a play.
He thanked the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for offering funding for such programmes, which essentially allow youth from all walks of life to express their creativity and contribute to the arts within the country.
“Everything that has been done here are from young people, from the making of the props, everything, the designing of the costume, the sounds cord, the acting, the script writing, the makeup, everything…,” he stressed.
Tickets cost $500 for adults and $300 for children and can be bought at the venue, the Reliance Veda Centre. However, the Pandit stated that someone has sponsored 100 children allowing them free access to the show.
Furthermore, in September the team will be taking the show to other parts of the country.
