Hojang Taret

{{About|a classical Meitei language theatrical production based on a Greek tragedy|the original play|The Phoenician Women}}

{{Infobox play

| name = Hojang Taret

| orig_title = {{langx|grc|{{Script|Grek|Φοίνισσαι}}|Phoinissai|The Phoenician Women}}

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| writer = Euripides{{efn|He's the original author.}}

| based_on = {{langx|grc|{{Script|Grek|Φοίνισσαι}}|Phoinissai|The Phoenician Women}}

| chorus = Phoenician women

| characters =

| mute =

| setting = Before the royal palace of Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)

| premiere = 16 April 2018{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

| place = Imphal, Manipur{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

| orig_lang = Meitei language (Manipuri language){{efn|It is the original language of the version of a literary adaptation.}}{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

| series =

| subject =

| genre = Greek tragedy

| web =

}}

Hojang Taret is a classical Meitei language play based on Euripides's ancient Greek tragedy The Phoenician Women.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-25 |title=At This Stage {{!}} 2018: Looking back |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/2018-looking-back-theatre-stage-nsd-play-art-and-culture-5508202/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} It is directed by Oasis Sougaijam and produced by The Umbilical Theatre in Imphal, {{langnf|mni|Kangleipak|Manipur}}.{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-21 |title=WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 10 META PLAYS? - Art Culture Festival |url=https://www.artculturefestival.in/expect-13-meta-plays/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/blog/hojang-taret-a-greek-tragedy-brought-to-life |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

It depicts the moral ambiguities of conflict between brothers resulting to the ruination of the ancient city of Thebes.{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-21 |title=WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 10 META PLAYS? - Art Culture Festival |url=https://www.artculturefestival.in/expect-13-meta-plays/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/blog/hojang-taret-a-greek-tragedy-brought-to-life |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

Plot {{Anchor|Story|Storyline|Summary|Synopsis}}

Before mother Jocasta takes her own life, she has attempted to bring concord between her two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices. The two brothers are having a strong conflict to achieve the throne. Her sons do not listen to any of her words. All her efforts to avoid the occurrence of a tragic loss of the precious lives of her beloved children are futile. Thus, both the princes ended up their lives killing each other. Queen Jocasta's grief knows no bound. Finally, she commits suicide. Immediately afterwards, the city of Thebes witnesses its destruction.{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/plays/hojang-taret |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-21 |title=WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 10 META PLAYS? - Art Culture Festival |url=https://www.artculturefestival.in/expect-13-meta-plays/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |url=https://metawards.com/blog/hojang-taret-a-greek-tragedy-brought-to-life |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Hojang Taret- A Greek Tragedy brought to Life - Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards |language=en}}

Overview

While the play Hojang Taret was performed in the 13th edition of the Mahindra Excellence Theatre Awards (META), Oasis Sougaijam, the director of Hojang Taret,{{Cite web |title=Theatre and its thespians |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/theatre-and-its-thespians-1502627452.html |website=The Statesman}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-21 |title=WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 10 META PLAYS? - Art Culture Festival |url=https://www.artculturefestival.in/expect-13-meta-plays/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US}} noted:

{{Blockquote|“Focus is to blend the physical movement, visual imagery and music into a visual narrative. ... Hojang Taret is a classical Greek tragedy, written by Euripides, relevant even today. The long struggle for our Independence and the division of our country resonated with me. These similarities of the aftermath of war, pertinent even after 2,500 years, induced me to pick this play for a larger audience. The focus of my direction is to blend the physical movement, visual imagery and music into a visual narrative with multimedia element.”|Oasis Sougaijam|Director, Hojang Taret{{Cite web |title=Theatre and its thespians |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/theatre-and-its-thespians-1502627452.html |website=The Statesman}}}}

Besides the META, the play was presented in the 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav organized by the Ministry of Culture (India),{{Cite web |title=AHAL AMADI EPAK – 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2019 |url=https://20brm.nsd.gov.in/ahal-amadi-epak/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US |quote=It participated in the 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav and 8th Theatre Olympic with the play Hojang Taret directed by Oasis Sougaijam. Recently, the play has won three Mahindra Excellency in Theatre Awards 2018.}} following a selection process and a screening process for the event.{{Cite web |title=List of plays selected by the Screening Committee for 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav |url=https://nsd.gov.in/delhi/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/revised-result.pdf |website=National School of Drama, Government of India}}

On 8 March 2018, the play was also performed in the 8th Theatre Olympics 2018,{{Cite web |title=AHAL AMADI EPAK – 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2019 |url=https://20brm.nsd.gov.in/ahal-amadi-epak/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en-US |quote=It participated in the 19th Bharat Rang Mahotsav and 8th Theatre Olympic with the play Hojang Taret directed by Oasis Sougaijam. Recently, the play has won three Mahindra Excellency in Theatre Awards 2018.}} in Bhanja Kala Mandap, BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.{{Cite web |title=Theatre Olympics 2018 - Hojang Taret |url=https://insider.in/hojang-taret-mar8-2018/event |access-date=2023-08-24 |website= |language=en}}