Community Spotlight / ‘At The End of Kaliyuga’: Toronto’s Mythical Adventure For Curious Kids

‘At The End of Kaliyuga’: Toronto’s Mythical Adventure For Curious Kids

Community Spotlight Jun 23, 2025

by Team ANOKHI LIFE

This summer, the Toronto Fringe Festival is set to host a theatrical experience that’s as profound as it is playful. At the End of Kaliyuga, created and performed by Indian Canadian artist Sanskruti Marathe, is not your typical children’s theatre production. It’s a vibrant, genre-blending performance that brings mythology, movement, and humor together in a cosmic courtroom where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

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Mythology Meets Modernity

Drawing from Hindu cosmology, the story unfolds at the twilight of Kaliyuga – the last age in a four-part cycle where chaos, imbalance, and disconnection reign. Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer assemble to decide whether Earth is beyond saving or if it can be reborn. But At the End of Kaliyuga refuses to offer easy answers. Instead, it invites young audiences into the heart of the debate, challenging them to think critically about responsibility, compassion, and what it truly means to protect our world.

What makes this show stand out is not just its rich storytelling but the way it actively involves its audience. Children are not passive viewers; they are co-creators in this interactive journey, encouraged to ask hard questions and imagine new possibilities.

A Multidisciplinary Experience

Blending classical Bharatanatyam dance, clowning, and immersive projections, the performance transforms the stage into a vibrant, celestial space. With the playful addition of a clown nose and the sounds of traditional Indian instruments like the sitar and veena, Marathe crafts a magical atmosphere that’s as visually striking as it is emotionally resonant.

The show is presented by Cold Open Productions, a Toronto-based arts company founded by Sanskruti Marathe. The company blends South Asian traditions with contemporary performance to create bold, immersive stories that spark curiosity and connection. Known for reimagining mythology through playful, interactive theatre, Cold Open Productions is dedicated to storytelling that resonates across generations and cultures.

The Heart Behind The Show

Sanskruti Marathe. Image Credit: https://sanskruti97.wixsite.com/website-1

My hope is that At the End of Kaliyuga helps children see the complexity of being a human being in a playful way,” says Marathe. “I think empathy begins when we’re allowed to see vulnerability, especially in characters who are supposed to be powerful. When kids see that even divine beings don’t always know what they’re doing, it opens a door to self-acceptance. It says, ‘It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to fail and try again.’

At the same time, I’ve planted a lot of open-ended questions in the piece about good vs. bad, about responsibility, about the consequences of inaction. These aren’t presented as lessons, but as sparks. Through humour, movement, and story, I hope the show gives young audiences tools to think deeply, feel openly, and connect with others more compassionately.

Lastly, even though it’s a kids’ show, I’m inviting adults to join in – to process our fears and emotions in these uncertain times, to indulge in childlike wonder, and to reimagine the future together.

Where To Catch It

At the End of Kaliyuga will run from July 2 to July 13, 2025, at Native Earth’s Aki Studio as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. Tickets will be available starting June 4 at fringetoronto.com.

For families, educators, and curious minds of all ages, this is more than just a show – it’s an invitation to laugh, reflect, and imagine what could come next.

Buy Tickets Here

‘At The End of Kaliyuga’: Toronto’s Mythical Adventure For Curious Kids

by Team ANOKHI LIFE

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