G5A presents

RUBBER GIRL

By Preethi Athreya

Produced by G5A as part of In Residence

Supported by BNP Paribas

Synopsis:

‘Rubber Girl’ was the name given to Cuckoo Moray, one of the first cabaret dancers in Indian cinema in the 1940s, who was followed by a long line of singularly powerful performers who dared to be terrific and terrifying. The project of Rubber Girl taps into this legacy asking questions of how, through the Indian cabaret body, we as a nation are dealing with our fear of 'illegitimate' desire - how are we reacting post-independence to a world outside that is 'watching' - and how are we 'watching' our contradictory selves. The performance of Rubber Girl seeks out key moments in the history of World War Europe, the birth of DADA, French chanson, the Chinese revolution, and Indian cinema. Despite these journeys, the character of RUBBER GIRL remains autonomous, with the inconsistent attitude of those who take no account of the past and are not afraid of the future. The figure grows alive on the stage, gains autonomy, and eventually rebels against the histories that it draws from. Rubber Girl came out of the research and development undertaken while in residence at the Centre National de la Danse (CND), Pantin, and Cité des Arts, Paris, in 2022. It was further developed with assistance from the Alliance Française of Madras.

Cast and Credits:

Concept & Choreography: Preethi Athreya

Dramaturgy & Technical Direction: Pravin Kannanur

Performance: Preethi Athreya

Lighting Design: Gurleen Judge

Music Arrangement: Paul Jacob

Music used with permission: Robin Fargose, Uli Schauert, Tuba Skinny 

Costume and accessories: Ezhilmadi, M. Siva

G5A

produces and co-creates interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work that is bold, experimental, and just.

In Residence, a production series, creates space for practitioners to explore their craft, form, and expression to consistently and rigorously refine their practice. Each production is hosted over an extended duration at the warehouse, enabling work that is multidisciplinary and grounded in traditional and contemporary performance methods.