Internationally-touring Play “Kultar’s Mime” (25 May 2016)

Following sixty-six acclaimed performances in the US, England, Scotland, Canada, and India, “Kultar‘s Mime”, a devised play composed by Smith College student J. Mehr Kaur, heads to Malaysia from May 19 to May 27, 2016. The cast includes American actors Ross Magnant, Ben Gutman, Sydney Grant, Cassandra Rose Blaise DiMarco, and Rose Fieschko. Tickets are by donation of RM50 and above, and can be purchased at www.kultarsmime.asia. Performances are as follows:

·       Melaka – Heng Ann Association Hall – May 20 and 21 at 3 p.m.

·       Johor Bahru – JOTIC Auditorium – May 22 at 6 p.m.

·       Petaling Jaya – Civic Centre Auditorium – May 23 at 7 p.m.

·       Ipoh – ACS Auditorium – May 25 at 7 p.m.

·       Penang Island – Penang PAC – May 27 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

·       Kuala Lumpur – Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields at 6 p.m.

“Kultar‘s Mime” blends painting, poetry, theater and music to tell the stories of Sikh children who survived the Delhi Massacre in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The play is adapted from the poem “Kultar‘s Mime” by Boston-area writer Sarbpreet Singh and incorporates text from “In The City Of Slaughter” by Haim Bialik. The play was presented at British Parliament and Scottish Parliament, and was featured at the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City. It has been presented at several universities and colleges including Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Carleton, Boston University, King’s College London, and several others. On the 30th anniversary of the 1984 massacre a performance was staged in Delhi, receiving terrific press in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. The play was noted by The Times of India for “stirring the audience and garnering applause,” and was called “chilling” by the Utah Theatre Bloggers’ Association.

“Kultar‘s Mime” is being presented worldwide by the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI), Bridgewater, N.J. The play has helped start a global conversation about 1984 both within and outside the Sikh community. Inni Kaur, CEO of the Sikh Research Institute explains, “The outpouring of compassion has been overwhelming as this poignant tale of four young survivors of terrible sectarian violence has traveled the world that continues to be divided by differences of faith and culture.”

The Malaysia “Kultar’s Mime” tour is organized by the Malaysian Young Sikh Leaders Initiative, a wing of the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organizations. For more information about the tour, contact Autar Singh at autarsinghsj@yahoo.com.

For more information about “Kultar‘s Mime,” visit www.sikhri.org/km1984. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@kultarsmime). To arrange a performance in your community, contact Sarbpreet Singh at sarbpreet@comcast.net.

The Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to provide educational resources to Sikhs to lead a Guru-inspired life. All donations are tax deductible. You can make a donation at http://sikhri.org/donate/

Cassandra DeMarco (ensemble member) is a New York based actor who is grateful beyond words to take part in giving voice to this underreported narrative. She holds a BFA in Performance from Hofstra University. Recent NYC credits include “The Laramie Project” (Zubaida Ula and others), “As You Like It” (Celia), and “The Dreamer Examines his Pillow” (Donna).

Rose Fieschko (Biloo, ensemble member) is an actor, fight director, and circus lover. A graduate of Emerson College with a passion for movement, Rose has trained with Double Edge Theatre, Esh

Circus Arts and New Jersey Ballet. Recently, Rose performed in a devised movement piece entitled Thresholds and has fight directed productions for Shakespeare in the Pub, Boston Public Works, and Wax Wings Productions.

Sydney Grant (Guide, ensemble member) graduated from Suffolk University with a BA in theater performance with a dance concentration in spring 2015. While studying at Suffolk she also acted as a student director, choreographer, and performer. Her most recent credits include “The Saints Plays” and “The Servant of Two Masters.” Kultar‘s Mime will be Sydney’s first professional performance.

Ben Gutman (Angad, ensemble member) attended Cape Cod Community College where he concentrated in theater. His recent credits include Cleomenes in “The Winter’s Tale” and Tom Snout/Cobweb in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” both with the Bay Colony Shakespeare Company. Other credits include “Macbeth” as Macbeth and “Lysistrata” as Kinesias, both at

CCCC. Ben will be appearing as the lead in an upcoming indie film that will be submitted to The Sundance Film Festival.

Ross Magnant (Kultar, ensemble member) is overjoyed to be returning to Kultar’s Mime for another exciting tour. Last year, Ross first acted as Stage Manager and then understudied Angad for the production’s first tour of India. Last winter Ross was cast as Kultar and will be returning to the project as this character, among a few others. Ross most recently spent the summer with the Bay Colony Shakespeare Company’s 2015 productions of “The Winter’s Tale” (Florizel) and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Puck).

Geena Forristall is a stage manager based in Boston and NYC. She is a graduate of Hofstra University with a BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in stage management. Recent

stage management credits include: “The Winter’s Tale” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in rep with the Bay Colony Shakespeare Company, “kamrDANCE” with kamrDANCE, and “Sleep No More” with Punchdrunk NYC/Emursive (Intern).

J. Mehr Kaur (Director, Playwright) is a senior at Smith College pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with an emphasis in directing. Recent projects include “Water by the Spoonful” by Quiara Alegria Hudes in Northampton’s 460-seat Theatre 14, and “SEVEN: A documentary play” presented as part of Hillary Clinton’s 2014 Women in Public Service Institute. She has attended the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center where she directed a thirty-eight member ensemble in a devised, multi-media musical inspired by the #blacklivesmatter movement. Her interests as a director range from productions of revisited classics, the development of new work, and opera.

Sarbpreet Singh (“Kultar’s Mime” poet) is a playwright commentator and poet, who has been writing while pursuing a career in technology for several years. His commentary has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, The Boston Herald, The Providence Journal, The Milwaukee Journal and several other newspapers and magazines. He writes a weekly column for the popular culture magazine, Sikhchic.com. He is the founder and director of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of traditional Sikh music and serves on the boards of various non-profits focused on service and social justice. He is very active in Boston Interfaith circles and was recognized for his interfaith work by the Boston Globe.