February 5, 2008 at 7pm (Children's show at 2pm) 
At: Chinmaya Heritage Center, No.2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai 600031  
Ph: (91- 44) - 28365046 
www.prakritifoundation.com / www.treeoflifefestival.com  

The Absent Lover is co-produced by Alliance Francaise, Chennai 
And supported by NIFT, Sundari Silks & Bodhi Muzzik 

The Production 
The Absent Lover is inspired by a 5th century play (Vikramorvishyam) by Sanskrit poet-dramatist Kalidasa. In essence, the piece is about loss and re-discovery. 

The play begins when a wandering story-teller, the Sutradhara, invites us into a mysterious forest glade, where ripe and strange-looking pods hang from the branches of a magical tree. It is from these bizarre fruit that our own story begins to emerge… 

A King (Pururuvas, Son of the Moon) has lost his beloved wife (the nymph-Queen Urvashi) in the forest. It is a wild and stormy night. As the King struggles through the forest, he encounters strange and wonderful manifestations of nature. His ordeal becomes a metaphor, an intense crucible of self-examination. Through pain and longing, he journeys towards redemption and true love. 

The Company 
Thresh was founded in 2004 by Artistic Director Preeti Vasudevan. The company has since presented works at major venues and arts festivals throughout the United States and Europe, and within India. Recently (2007-08) the company has established a research and development centre in Chennai, where artists from different traditions, backgrounds and disciplines can work together in a creative and truly multi-cultural environment.  

The Artists 
Raju Das Baul (Musician Spirit / Stage Hand) 
Gilles Chuyen (King / Sutradhara)  
Delphine Ciavaldini (Costume Design / Stage Design)  
Les Dickert (Lighting Design) 
Ben Foskett (Composer) 
Celine Pradeu (Tree Spirit / Stage Hand) 
Bruno Kavanagh (Script / Adaptation) 
Preeti Vasudevan – Artistic Director (Urvashi / Stage Hand) 

e-mail: vasudevan.preeti@gmail.com