On India, Language and Witnessing a Miracle in the Form of a Dream

Last week tragedy struck India. Islamist gunmen from Pakistan attacked luxury hotels and other landmarks, killing over 150 people. The effects of these attacks were felt throughout the world. They were especially felt here in Chicago.

On the day of the attacks, a group of performers from India were preparing to take to the stage for the opening performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The production is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. It consists of eight languages: English, Tamil, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Sanskrit. The cast combines actors trained in classical and folk traditions. The production includes live traditional music, folk performers, traditional dancers, martial arts experts and street acrobats from across India and Sri Lanka. The show is simply a marvel.

All Photography: Tristram Kenton

As fear and panic reigned in Mumbai, these performers decided that the show must go on. They graced the audience with their joyous performance and, while the situation across the globe was never far from anyone’s mind, they helped everyone find some beauty and magic amidst the tragedy.

I was a part of the audience that witnessed this miracle.

This production truly is like no other I have ever seen. I work in theater and so I see a lot of productions from all over the world. Nothing, however, has been quite as mystifying and enchanting as this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In so many ways, it really is a dream.

Never did I think that I would find myself understanding Hindi and Bengali without really understanding Hindi and Bengali. But as this production weaves its web and entangles the senses, it becomes clear that language is not the only way to communicate. Movement and emotion and music can serve us just as well.

And that is the beauty of the entire situation. That night in that theater there was only one culture. There was only one language. There was only one consciousness. There were no terrorists. There were no bombs. There was no division.

There were only people and a dream.