On Labor Day in Central Park, NYC, I saw an enchanting, deeply moving production of a play about the life of the Dalai Lama, entitled The Buddha Prince. This show is currently on tour and will be appearing in Minneapolis, MN, in mid-September. Further dates and locations look to be added. For a beautiful and emotional outdoor theatrical experience, you can’t beat it. I was as captivated as my 9 year old.
According to director, Markell Kiefer, The Buddha Prince is a play celebrating the extraordinary life and teachings of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, created for a diverse audience, of all ages. It shares the story of his early life in a free Tibet and his subsequent escape into India. Narrated with excerpts from the Dalai Lama’s own teachings and autobiographies, it offers a very personal point of view into his coming of age, the difficulties he experienced, the precious lessons, and the tremendous sadness he absorbed for his people.
The production was created to be performed outdoors as a walking play, taking the audience on a journey through the natural environment with the scenes unfolding around them. Drawing from both eastern and western artistic traditions, a diverse cast of physical actors, dancers and musicians tells the story with song, dance, mask, puppetry, clown, traditional Tibetan and home-spun musical instruments.
Admittedly, I was one of four people in the world relatively unfamiliar with the details of the Dalai Lama’s life, but now that I know them, and was so profoundly touched by them, I say with my many politically active friends, Free Tibet!
Photo via BuddhaPrince.org.