Meet the Directors!

Rehearsals for Chitra: The Girl Prince began this week. We had our first script read and it was phenomenal - what a refreshing take on the classic Chitrangada, all thanks to the powerhouse creative team. Let’s get acquainted with these stalwarts - Anita Menon and Sarah Jane Hardy.

Anita Menon is a director and choreographer who is recognized as one of the leading exporters of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form originating in Southern India. Anita is the recipient of the prestigious Performing Arts Fellowship in 2014 from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the first Asian-American to receive this honor. As the Founder and Artistic Director of the Anjali School of Dance, her classical yet inventive approach, creates an exceptional style that is distinct, meaningful and appealing to diverse audiences around the world. Anita has directed theatrical productions that are Indian adaptations of Classical Western plays including Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as Agatha Christie’s murder mystery Death on the Nile titled Murder on the Ganges. Her productions are known for their big dance numbers using several styles of dance from around the world. As a dancer, Anita has traveled the world delivering performances. Besides serving on the Board of RACC, Anita also serves on the board of the Northwest Children's Theater and School. Anita most recently has been identified as a Master Artist and Cultural Treasure of Oregon by the Oregon Folklife Network.

Sarah Jane Hardy is a producer, director, choreographer and facilitator of new work development based in Portland, Oregon. Originally from Liverpool, England she has been the Artistic Director of Northwest Children's Theater since 2006. She has led NWCT's Mainstage through many record-breaking and award-winning seasons, including the 22nd season which swept the regional Drammy and PAMTA awards with seven and nine wins, respectively. Sarah Jane was the 2017 Ann Shaw Fellowship recipient and traveled to Sanggar Paripurna in Bali to meet I Made Sadia and study Balinese Shadow Puppetry. A tireless advocate for excellence in art for children, Sarah Jane has created over 20 new works working in collaboration with artists from around the country. Her work is bold, imaginative and relevant.

The Jungle Book was the first time collaboration between Hardy and Menon, whose children have long been part of the NWCT family, taking classes and appearing in productions. Hardy was inspired to reach out after seeing Menon’s 2013 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which similarly bridged the world of traditional Indian dance with a classic western story. The Jungle Book was a phenomenal success and went on to receive four PAMTA nominations.

The unique production was the result of two-year collaboration. The show ran for a month and broke box office records for the 22-year-old company, reaching over 13,000 children and families in Portland, Oregon. This original adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic told its story through a mixture of traditional dialogue, Bharatanatyam, and a little bit of Bollywood.

“In the original story, Mowgli learns the language of the jungle and the various different animals within it,” says Sarah Jane Hardy. “In our production those languages are expressed through dance, with different animals representing different dance forms.”

“Coming from two different worlds of dance training, Sarah Jane and I spent the first few weeks developing a shared vocabulary,” adds Menon. “It became clear that we needed a hybrid style of movement that would be influenced by both Bharatanatyam and Western physical theater.”

Chitra promises to be much, much more! An exuberant amalgamation of the East and the West that introduces this layered tale in an exciting and child-friendly way. While our little ones play dress-up as their favorite princesses, this story shows them how there is so much more to being a princess, and a warrior at that!

Want to find out more about this ‘Girl-Prince’ from Far East?? Stay tuned ☺