Mandi Theater

10/14/2026

🎭 MTF2026 PLAY REVEAL #5: KANUPRIYA — A BHARATANATYAM DANCE DRAMA

Celebrating 100th birth anniversary of Sri DHARMVEER BHARTI!!

When poetry meets classical dance, love becomes devotion and longing finds its voice.

Mandi Theater presents Kanupriya — a heartfelt effort to pay tribute to the legendary Hindi poet Dharmveer Bharati, bringing his timeless poetic masterpiece to life through the grace and expressive beauty of Bharatnatyam.

🎟️ Experience this special tribute at MTF2026!

🔗 Schedule & tickets: https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

Form: Bharatnatyam Classical Dance Drama
Language: Hindi (with English supertitles)
Duration: 20 minutes
Based on the poem by: Dharmveer Bharati
Performer: Rasika Bandekar, Founder of KalaRasa Dance School

📍 Venue: Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL 60016
📅 Dates: November 20–22, 2026

Kanupriya: Through Radha’s voice, Kanupriya explores the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, the ache of separation, and the delicate connection between earthly love and divine destiny.
About the Artist: With over 20 years of Bharatnatyam experience, Rasika Bandekar is dedicated to sharing Indian classical dance through her Chicago-based KalaRasa Dance School.

10/14/2026

🎭 LOVE THEATRE? BE PART OF THE MAGIC! 🎭

Mandi Theater is looking for enthusiastic, punctual volunteers and ushers for MTF2026, November 20–22!
⏰ Multiple time slots available. Sign up for a slot that works for you!

👉 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/WYwuf7tHHT6Dr5L67

We need helping hands for:
✨ Ushering & Guest Services
🎭 Stage & Backstage Support
💄 Makeup & Costumes
🎤 Tech & Q&A Sessions
🍽️ Hospitality & Food
🎟️ Ticketing & Audience Seating
📸 Photography & Social Media

Front of house or backstage—wherever help is needed, be part of the team! ❤️

Come volunteer, meet fellow theatre lovers, and help bring the magic of theatre to life! 🙌

10/13/2026

🎭 MTF2026 PLAY REVEAL #4: UNSUITABLY YOURS

🔗 Full schedule and timings coming soon:
https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

😂 Get ready for a hilarious theatrical ride! Mandi Theater Festival 2026 brings you Unsuitably Yours — a quirky comedy of relationships, misunderstandings, and the secrets that can turn family life upside down!

Play: Unsuitably Yours
Language: Hindi / English
Duration: 40 minutes
Writer & Director: Sumit Kulkarni
Performed by: Theatrix USA, New Jersey

📍 Venue: Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL 60016
Dates: November 20–22, 2026

About the Play: Two parents. One empty nest. And a whole lot of unexpected chaos!
A laid-back father, an anxious mother, a seemingly harmless joke that turns flirtatious, and a brother who arrives at just the wrong moment—or perhaps the perfect one!
As secrets surface and misunderstandings spiral, this laugh-out-loud comedy asks a surprisingly relatable question: Is distance the villain, or is silence the real culprit?

🎭 Get ready to laugh, relate, and rethink relationships at MTF2026!

🎟️ Join us for three unforgettable days of theatre, culture, and storytelling!

10/12/2026

🎭 MTF2026 PLAY REVEAL #3: ANJOLI LOHO MOR — TRIPTI MITRA IN CENTENNIAL

🔗 Full schedule and timings coming soon:
https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

The spotlight continues! Mandi Theater Festival 2026 proudly presents a special theatrical tribute celebrating the extraordinary life, artistry, and legacy of legendary Indian theatre icon Tripti Mitra.

Play: Anjoli Loho Mor: Tripti Mitra in Centennial
Language: Hindi, English, and portions in Bengali
Duration: 45 minutes
Playwright: Debasis Majumdar
Directed by: Bitan Basu
Performed by: KHWAB Theater, Mason/Cincinnati, Ohio

📍 Venue: Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL 60016
📅 Dates: November 20–22, 2026

About the Play: Celebrating Tripti Mitra’s 100th birth anniversary, Anjoli Loho Mor brings alive her remarkable stage and screen artistry, creative vision, and dreams of social transformation.

This research-based production weaves together iconic theatre performances, audio drama, and glimpses of her classic films, offering an intimate window into the life of a pioneering actor, activist, and renaissance woman whose legacy continues to inspire generations.

About the Playwright: Debasis Majumdar is an acclaimed Bengali playwright and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2005) for his contribution to Indian theatre. With decades of groundbreaking work, he has made a lasting impact on Indian drama and theatrical literature.

About KHWAB Theater: Founded in 2024 in Mason/Cincinnati, Ohio, KHWAB Theater is a community arts collective celebrating theatre, music, and dance from the Indian subcontinent. Under the artistic direction of Bitan Basu, KHWAB creates meaningful performances that foster empathy, cultural harmony, and social awareness.

🎟️ Join us at MTF2026 for a celebration of theatre, culture, and the artists who have shaped India's rich theatrical heritage!

10/11/2026

MTF2026 PLAY REVEAL #2: TRITIYO NOYON (তৃতীয় নয়ন)

The spotlight continues! Introducing our second selected production for Mandi Theater Festival 2026 — a gripping Bengali play that challenges our understanding of justice, truth, and the limits of the law.

Experience the thrill of live theatre at MTF2026! Full schedule and timings coming soon:
https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

Play: Tritiyo Noyon (তৃতীয় নয়ন)
Language: Bengali (with English supertitles)
Duration: 55–60 minutes
Playwright: Debabrata Dasgupta
Directed by: Late Sri Dev Hazra
Performed by: Chicago Natyo Gosthi (CNG)
Venue: Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL 60016
Dates: November 20–22, 2026

About the Play: What is justice — a verdict confined by the law, or a relentless pursuit of truth that sees beyond the obvious? Tritiyo Noyon takes audiences on a suspense-filled journey where logic, emotion, and vengeance collide. As hidden truths emerge, the play challenges the limitations of the man-made legal system and explores the power of the metaphorical “third eye” in uncovering justice.

About Chicago Natyogoshthi: (CNG)Chicago NatyoGoshthi is an association of theatre-loving individuals in the Chicagoland area, united by their passion for the stage. As an amateur theatre club, CNG strives to build a sustainable platform where creativity, collaboration, and a shared love of theatre create lasting memories.

10/11/2026

MTF2026 PLAY REVEAL #1: PAGLA GHODA

And now, the moment has arrived! We’re thrilled to unveil the first selected production for Mandi Theater Festival 2026 — a powerful Hindi play that explores love, guilt, and the hidden corners of human psychology.
🎟️ Join us at MTF2026 for a compelling celebration of theatre, culture, and storytelling!

🔗 Full schedule and timings coming soon:
https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

Play: Pagla Ghoda
Language: Hindi (with English supertitles)
Duration: 55–60 minutes
Playwright: Badal Sircar
Adapted & Directed by: Ritambhara Mittal
Performed by: PACA - Performing Arts Community of Atlanta
Venue: Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines, IL 60016
Dates: November 20–22, 2026

About the Play: Set during a young woman’s final rites, Pagla Ghoda brings four men together for a night of memories, confessions, and uncomfortable truths. As conversations unfold, buried guilt, emotional contradictions, and the fragile nature of love come to light.

What happens to love when we are afraid to confront the truths within ourselves?

✍️ About the Playwright: Badal Sircar (1925–2011) was a visionary Indian playwright and a pioneer of the Third Theatre movement, transforming Indian theatre through minimalist staging and socially conscious storytelling.

His plays challenge conventions and explore the complexities of human relationships, identity, and society.

10/10/2026

"It's time now to celebrate and embrace theatre!!"
THEATRE FOR EVERYONE
We’re making MTF2026 more welcoming and accessible:

♿ Wheelchair-accessible auditorium
💬 English captions for ALL non-English plays
🎧 Hearing assistance equipment available on demand
👵 FREE admission for Seniors 65+ with valid ID
Advance reservation required.

https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

10/08/2026

A heartfelt tribute to a legendary artist whose work taught us that true acting comes from truth, courage, and humanity.
Nana Patekar ji — your art will live on, long after the final curtain. 🙏🎭

10/07/2026

Andrea Lattari & Cinzia Grande from Rome, Italy, are bringing their expertise to MTF 2026 with a unique Commedia dell’Arte Masterclass!

✨ Learn. Explore. Move. Create.
A rare opportunity to learn from master artists and discover the timeless art of Commedia dell’Arte.

Participants will explore iconic characters such as Zanni, Arlecchino, Pantalone, Dottore, Brighella, and Pulcinella, while developing physicality, vocal expression, ensemble skills, and improvisation.

📅 Sunday, November 22, 2026
⏰ 9 AM – 12 PM
📍 Prairie Lakes Theater, Des Plaines, IL
💰 $115/person | All levels welcome
🏆 Certificate upon completion
Link: https://manditheatre.com/mtf2026

10/06/2026

A heartfelt thank you to CNG Chicago Natyogoshthi for the kind invitation to open COLURE 2026 with our production KATHPUTALIYAN (कठ पुतलियाँ) – The Puppets.

Play: Kathputliyan (The Puppets)
Playwright: Manisha Kulshreshtha
Translation & Dialect coach: Ujala Lohiya

📅 Friday, October 30 | 8:15–9:15 PM
📍 Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts

We’re also excited to have Team PACA joining us for this special evening! ❤️

Come experience a beautiful story rooted in Rajasthani puppetry, culture, music, and the human spirit.

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.chicagonatyogoshthi.org/events/colure-2026

CNG is thrilled to open Colure 2026 on Friday, October 30, with Mandi Theater’s KATHPUTALIYAN (काठ पुतलियाँ) (The Puppets). Written by acclaimed Rajasthani author Manisha Kulshrestha and adapted and directed by Alka Sharma of Mandi Theater, Kathputaliyan uses the ancient Indian art form of puppetry to describe the human condition. The narrative follows Sugni, a young woman caught between duty, love, and societal expectations on invisible strings of control. At the heart of the story is Ramkisan, a gifted and dedicated puppeteer struggling to survive in extreme poverty, whose circumstances begin to improve after he secures a government job, while the emotional and social conflicts surrounding him continue to unfold. Rich in Rajasthani folk culture, music, and symbolism, Kathputaliyan is a poignant exploration of resilience, tradition, and the human spirit. Performed from 8:15-9:15 pm on Friday 10/30/26 at Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts. All plays have supertitles. Free snacks, tea and coffee, meals for purchase. Get your tickets now!
https://www.chicagonatyogoshthi.org/events/colure-2026