FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Jasmine Sawant 416-726-9824 admin@sawitri.ca
Media Release
SAWITRI Theatre’s Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival Returns for its 3rd Consecutive Year
Mississauga, Ontario, July 7th, 2023 – SAWITRI Theatre Group is thrilled to announce the return of the highly anticipated Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival (MMFF) for its third edition. From Monday August 14th to Sunday August 27th at Sampradaya Theatre, Mississauga, MMFF presents 10 theatre productions with 40 performances in total. Building on the success of the previous two years, MMFF promises to deliver an unforgettable experience featuring diverse productions, varied languages, and several artists of colour.
Since its inception in 2021, MMFF has become a must-attend event in Mississauga's cultural calendar. Showcasing the rich tapestry of languages and cultures, this unique festival celebrates the artistic expressions of Asia in languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Urdu, and English. The MMFF offers a platform for established and emerging artists to present original, authentic, and captivating works.
Jasmine Sawant, Co-Founder and Artistic Co-Director of SAWITRI Theatre Group, expressed her excitement about the upcoming festival: “We are delighted to bring the MMFF back for its third year. This year, apart from the theatre productions, we are also screening ten short films based on the ten productions in the MMFF. It has been exciting to see the growth and receive love and support from artists, audiences, our funding organizations and our collaborators. We hope to continue promoting South Asian theatre arts, all the while creating a space for dialogue and understanding of all cultures.”
SAWITRI Theatre Group – Founded in January 2003, SAWITRI Theatre Group is an award-winning, incorporated not-for-profit organization under the artistic leadership of Jasmine Sawant and Shruti Shah, presenting original, challenging and exciting works featuring established professionals as well as emerging artists. With a mandate to educate, entertain and heal through theatre arts that are South Asian in character, origin or topic and foreground women and the new generation, as well as issues of social or political importance, SAWITRI Theatre brings unique theatre experiences to its audiences in some of India’s many languages, including English. Operationally, SAWITRI Theatre Group is supported by The Open Space, Nitin Sawant, and the unstinting support of family, friends and volunteers. It is partly supported by the City of Mississauga and the Ontario Arts Council through an annual operating grant. The Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival would not have been possible without the support of Canadian Heritage. SAWITRI is also supported by the Mississauga Arts Council, Desi News and Sampradaya Theatre. SAWITRI Theatre is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) since 2020.
The Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) - CAFF’s member festivals have worked together for more than 30 years to pioneer a made-in-Canada model unique in the Fringe world. There are currently 32 members of CAFF, including 11 members in the United States. Canada now enjoys more Fringe Festivals than any other country in the world and each festival is a leader in the development of theatre artists and audiences in its community. Collectively, CAFF festival audiences are a boon for independent artists. In the last 3 years alone, they have generated more than $10,000,000 in box office revenues, returned directly to the participating artists.
Venue: Sampradaya Dance Creations, 3275 Ridgeway Dr, Mississauga, ON L5L 5Y6
Duration of each performance: 60 minutes approximately. Tickets: Only $12 + taxes/charges.
@SawitriTheatreGroup @SawitriTheatre @sawitritheatre www.sawitri.ca
Additional Information
The Untold Story - Directed by Anju Malholtra, this piece sheds light on the life of a young woman who reflects on her past lived experiences and attempts to re-evaluate her choices to break societal norms. (Featured in Hindi)
A Touch of Tagore - Centered around Rabindranath Tagore’s works, this play will depict the influence of Indian classical music on his art through songs. This will be followed by a dance-drama exploring the impacts of Vaishnavism’s ideologies on caste on Tagore. (Featured in English and Bengali)
Hinglish-Pinglish: A Desi Stand-Up Comedy Show - Organized by Laal Button, this piece will serve as a desi comedy showcase with content in multiple languages. It will include numerous parts featuring many comedians from across the GTA. (Featured in a mix of Punjabi, Hindi, and English)
Becoming Ancestors - With a mix of storytelling, comedy, and poetry, this piece will explore questions and relationships between human ancestry, trauma, and more. Exploring our lineages, relationships, and complicated histories, we alchemize our pains into art as we become ancestors. (Featured in English and Cantonese)
Five Grains of Sugar - Like ants with grains of sugar, humans too live life in a linear fashion, moving from moment-to-moment. This play explores this concept and makes one think about fundamental questions like where we come from and where we shall go. (Featured in English)
Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas - Starring Oshini Wanigasekera, this coming-of-age story sheds light on the lived experiences of a young brown girl who forces herself into the world of ballet against all odds. (Featured in English)
Life Hee To Hai! - This piece comprises two unique stories exploring concepts of love and emotion in generational lenses. #HashtagMainn delves into the life of a millennial woman trying to find companionship in the 21st century, all while balancing her dreams, identity, and life. Shhh*t Happens, the second piece, is a mother-daughter tale that explores parental relationships and how they develop during conflict. (Featured in Hindi and English)
Aa Ab Laut Chalein - This play explores the theme of migration and its impacts on individuals who immigrate to Canada in search of a better future. It takes us on a journey of 3 individuals who are trying to belong and find meaning in a life full of loneliness, all while finding their own purpose. (Featured in Hindi)
Aahlna - Apnay Paraaye - Presented in Punjabi, this story explores the experiences of Canada’s South Asian seniors and their challenges with social isolation. The Canadian adaptation of this script has been developed with the support and guidance from GTA's Punjabi speaking senior community. (Featured in Punjabi)
Improvised Bollywood Show - Displayed by Hinprov, this piece is an improvised comedy show where the audience will have the liberty of providing suggestions that will contribute to the development of a show of their choice. (Featured in English and Hindi)
MMFF 2023 10 Productions – In-person performances - Schedule
14th Aug 2023 - Monday
7:00 pm - A Touch of Tagore
8:45 pm - Five Grains of Sugar
10:30 pm - Life Hee to Hai
15th Aug 2023 - Tuesday
7:00 pm - Becoming Ancestors
8:45 pm - Aahlna - Apnay Paraaye
10:30 pm - A Touch of Tagore
16th Aug 2023 - Wednesday
7:00 pm - Five Grains of Sugar
8:45 pm - Life Hee to Hai
10:30 pm - Becoming Ancestors
17th Aug 2023 - Thursday
7:00 pm - Aahlna - Apnay Paraaye
8:45 pm - A Touch of Tagore
10:30 pm - Five Grains of Sugar
18th Aug 2023 - Friday
7:00 pm - Life Hee to Hai
8:45 pm - Becoming Ancestors
10:30 pm - Aahlna - Apnay Paraaye
19th Aug 2023 - Saturday
11:00 to 1:00 pm - Actor Workshop
2:00 pm - A Touch of Tagore
4:00 pm - Five Grains of Sugar
6:00 pm - Life Hee to Hai
7:30 to 9:30 pm - Production Screening
20th Aug 2023 - Sunday
2:00 to 3:00 pm - Visual Workshop
4:00 pm - Becoming Ancestors
8 pm - Aahlna - Apnay Paraaye
21th Aug 2023 - Monday
7:00 pm - The Untold Story
8:45 pm - Hinglish Pinglish
10:30 pm - Aa Ab Laut Chalein
22nd Aug 2023 - Tuesday
7:00 pm - Improvised Bollywood Show
8:45 pm - Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas
10:30 pm - The Untold Story
23rd Aug 2023 - Wednesday
7:00 pm - Hinglish Pinglish
8:45 pm - Aa Ab Laut Chalein
10:30 pm - Improvised Bollywood Show
24th Aug 2023 - Thursday
7:00 pm - Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas
8:45 pm - The Untold Story
10:30 pm - Hinglish Pinglish
25th Aug 2023 - Friday
7:00 pm - Aa Ab Laut Chalein
8:45 pm - Improvised Bollywood Show
10:30 pm - Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas
26th Aug 2023 - Saturday
11:00 to 1:00 pm - Actor Workshop
2:00 pm - The Untold Story
4:00 pm - Hinglish Pinglish
6:00 pm - Aa Ab Laut Chalein
7:30 to 9:30 pm - Production Screening
27th Aug 2023 - Sunday
2:00 to 3:00 pm - Visual Workshop
4:00 pm - Improvised Bollywood Show
6:00 pm - Brown People Can’t Be Ballerinas