The text for the play comes from a verse poem by the poet Ajneya, with music, design, and direction created by Thiyam. The 27-member production is meticulously choreographed and rich in visual imagery, making use of highly stylized movements, gestures, declamations and chanting that reference traditional performing and martial arts of Manipur. Premiered in Thailand in 1996, Uttar-Priyadarshi has traveled to India, Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand, to critical acclaim. All company members are trained in dance, acting, martial arts, stagecraft, and design. Emphasis on vocal and breath techniques, physical stamina and control, provide the means to accomplish the impressive oral and athletic feats the production demands of its participants.
Words are as important for the way they sound as for their actual meaning.
Like a film score, sound is used to foreshadow, comment on, and accelerate action. Sets are fewsimple black wall panels and platformsbut color saturates the costumes, which are elaborate and meticulously crafted. The lighting, designed and operated by Thiyam during performances, is used very specifically to define space, dramatic action, and rhythm. Thiyam established Chorus Repertory Theatre in April 1976 in his native Imphal, Manipur, in northeastern India. Bordered by Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma, it is one of the world's most isolated areas.