Acclaimed Indian theater company spreads message of

As a medium-sized city on the edge of a vast desert, Tucson may often seem far from the pulse of world events.

Tonight, however, University of Arizona audiences have a chance to witness an international sensation, as acclaimed Indian playwright Rattan Thiyam and his Chorus Repertory Theatre stop at Centennial Hall on their inaugural United States tour. "Uttar Priyadarshi," Thiyam's newest work, makes its only Arizona appearance tonight.

"This is world-class theater, well-received worldwide," said Sunil Kothari, the company's scholar-in-residence.

The former chair of the Indian classical dance department at Calcutta's Rabindhra Bharati University, Kothari is an authority on the traditional arts of India who has toured with the Chorus Repertory Theatre for almost 20 years.