By Lily Kharrazi, Living Cultures Grants Program Manager

Actor Sonam Tashi in Chaksam-pa Tibetan Dance & Opera Company's Choegyal Norsang.   Photo: ACTA

On October 16, 2011, a full seven-hour Tibetan folk opera, or Lhamo, was mounted in Richmond, California -- the first of its kind in the United States.  The tale Choegyal Norsang (translated The Religious King Norsang) draws from Tibetan history and Buddhist teachings.  This complex story involves kingdoms that inhabit both earth and heaven, the sojourn of a king to retrieve his queen who had been whisked to safety in order to escape the wrath of his 500 other wives, water spirits who flee their sacred lakes, demons, and hilarious imps.  This allegory is brought to life by skilled artists whose training includes acting, dance, recitation, singing, martial arts, and physical comedy, complete with exquisite and richly textured costumes.  While the narrative may be fantastical it also proved to be fully relevant to the present as the story reminded the audience to safeguard the sanctity of water, as twists and turns in the plot revealed the social and environmental hazards of neglecting resources.  Tibet is the water shed of the majority of Asia's greatest rivers.

The artists assembled to create the epic opera are all masters of the form who now live scattered throughout the United States and California.  Under the artistic direction of Ms. Tsering Wangmo, the Bay Area-based performing arts company Chaksam-pa Tibetan Dance & Opera Company is considered the most successful professional performance group outside of Tibet.

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