Tasher Desh - The Kingdom of Cards

Come out and watch this classic from Rabindranath Tagore's plays with a modern touch and a dazzling cast.

Produced by: DFW Play

The Story

The prince, our protagonist, feeling his spirit being suffocated by the world of maturity, walled in by wisdom, is desperate for adventure. As he sets sail with his friend they find themselves on a strange island after they are shipwrecked. The inhabitants of this land, various playing cards, have strange manners: they follow a set of rules, are disciplined in a strict system and are extremely cautious about maintaining their culture and purity. The prince feels the pathetic condition, and he pledges to bring out the true selves of the cards.

Background

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote Tasher Desh, The Kingdom of Cards, in 1933. It’s written in Bengali and a satire against the bondage of orthodox rules. It parodies the fascist atmosphere that hypnotized Europe and explores human responses to radical change. How relevant is that today in the midst of the caste and racial justice, rise of supremacists and lack of women’s choice?

The original music of Tasher desh is composed by Tagore, with a stylistic blend of Indian classical and Western Opera. The musical lyrics will remain in Bengali for this production while the spoken dialogues will be in English.

About DFW Play

Founded in 2015, the mission of DFW Play is to create exhilarating, socially relevant, and shareable theater for youth and adults. We produce both original as well as adapted works, collaborate with arts communities locally and across the United States, and enhance and enrich the cultural diversity of North Texas by preserving the rich artistic heritage of Indian and Bengali theater. We believe that young people will change the world for the better and aim to empower young minds and invest in second generation immigrants to be confident, curious, and creative through performing arts and community involvement.

Host or Publisher DFW Play