By Philip Glass
Folkoperan / Cirkus Cirkör
Libretto by Constance De Jong adapted from the Bhagavad Gita
Directed by Tilde Björfors
Conducted by Matthew Wood
Many consider it to be Philip Glass’ most affecting and personal work: a mesmerizing operatic account of Mahatma Gandhi’s experiments with civil disobedience in South Africa, presented as a serene minimalist ritual. In this inspired production, Cirkus Cirkör—together with Swedish opera company Folkoperan—match one form of sublimity with another, lending its signature acrobatic grace and wit to every undulating musical murmur.
Thick yarn—which became a symbol of India’s independence from British rule after Gandhi encouraged Indians to begin weaving it themselves—is the unifying visual thread. Heaped into piles, twisted into tightropes, and enabling all manner of aerial tumbling, it becomes the poetic expression of Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance: an unlikely source of strength, in the face of daunting forces, that perseveres in the end.
Music arranged by Anders Högstedt
Set and costume design by Dan Potra
Lighting design by Patrik Bogårdh
Masks and wigs by Therésia Frisk
Satyagraha is supported by The Embassy of Sweden Washington, The Swedish Arts council and The City of Stockholm.
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