Love. Euphoria. Anger. Betrayal – it’s this intense rollercoaster of emotions alongside eloquent dialogues and smooth transitions that keep you hooked to your screens. “Tirumala Annamayya,” the Telugu movie-style drama, has caught everyone’s attention with its descriptive storytelling, accessibility to non-Telugu speakers, and overall grandeur with costumes, props, sound, and lighting effects.
With its successful opening night on September 7, 2024 at Seattle’s McCaw Hall, Tirumala Annamayya is the four-hour production recounting the life of Sage Annamayya, renowned poet and musician, and his journey of spirituality, connecting to divinity, and ultimately reaching God himself. Transported through time and space, we witness heaven on Earth with this beautiful, research-backed depiction of a slice of Indian history. Directed by visionary Bala Mamillapalli, supported by his friends Satish Darbha and Venkat Prahlad Bommineni and a dedicated team of more than 60 participants at Surya Teja Arts, this nonprofit organization of performers, over 2,000 people in Seattle witnessed a show like never before.
Indian drama and filmmaking have a rich storytelling, dance, music, and expression-based background, developing depth and complexity to create vibrant narrations of not only spiritual, but modern events as well.
When interviewed, Prerana Annapantula, dancer and local actress, describes her personal experience with STA: “I learned more about different events within my religion and continue to explore myself through people I connect with.” Vaishnavi Vuttravadium, singer/newbie actor states, “I thought I was silly to try acting, but I was so wrong. STA sparked an interest in drama and dance for me.” Stage artist Vaishnavi Pavuluri explains, “The exemplary dedication and attention to detail showcased illustrated an intriguing show for the modern audience to easily understand.”
How do you feel about Indian theater? What path do you think it will follow? As for me, I believe that when you step foot into Broadway, you’ll soon see “Tirumala Annamayya” alongside “Wicked.”
