The Age of Kali: A Play on the Six Enemies of the Mind

Gothic carnival staging, live music and dark comedy turn six destructive forces of the mind into characters in an immersive theater production by Sacred Vedic Arts. The Age of Kali takes place Saturday, September 12 at the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center as part of the related programming for the Song of the Soul exhibition. Lust, Anger, Greed, Illusion, Madness and Envy appear as agents of Kali, using contemporary situations to explore how distraction, desire and conflict shape human behavior.

Drawing on ideas from the Bhagavad Gita, the production approaches its source material through satire rather than traditional devotional presentation. Costumes, theatrical makeup and cabaret-style performance frame scenarios involving technology, consumer habits, ambition and interpersonal conflict, while the audience is gradually drawn into the action.

The approximately two-hour program shifts from dark comedy into live kirtan, inviting attendees to take part in call-and-response devotional singing, followed by a post-show discussion. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to view Song of the Soul, the Bhagavad Gita-inspired exhibition on view through October 31.