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Plays on a platter

GUDIPOODI SRIHARI

The Abhinaya national theatre festival staged drama from across the country.



Stage scene A scene from one of the play at the drama festival

There appears to be a sudden momentum in theatre productions not only in Telugu but in other languages as well. Last time it was Rasaranjani and immediately on its heels another All-India theatre festival organised by Abhinaya ran for three days. This time some street plays were also added to the regular productions. The Abhinaya National Drama Festival opened with a popular street play titled Kokkorako written by Tanikella Bharani that had many a staging already. This is Abhinaya ’s second national multi-language theatre festival at Ravindra Bharati Kokkoroko takes credit for being the one of early productions that took credit for introducing the street play culture. It aimed at problems of educated unemployed, running the story between two characters. Gedda Varaprasad is the director. Ye Velugulaki Prasthanam staged inside the theatre by Kalavani from east and west Godavari districts and directed by M. Prasada Murthy, was more a verse play written on the life and mission of Gautama Buddha. Vijaykumar played the role of Siddartha. Director Prasada Murthy essayed the role of Siddartha’s father, king Suddhodhana, Anjali as Gowthami and Rajaiah as Chennudu the charioteer. The rendition of verses was reasonably good with Pithapuram Babu Rao conducting the music. This verse play, written by Muni Sundaram, ended with Mahabhinishkramanam of Siddartha.

Numbers in the dark (English) was shocking to watch on the second day of the festival. A theatre production using more than 40 lights on the stage for its wonderful narration and director’s handling of the production competently. Atul Kumar was director for this play staged by Company Theatre. This is an adaptation of Mountain Language of Herald Pinter. When we get lost in the crowd, we behave like crowd. But when you look at yourself in the mirror, you are not what you were in the crowd. There in the crowd were all just numbers in the dark. Search for the reality is what the play drove at and ends up saying that we are all just searching for our own true images in a mirage. The play’s appeal was a bit high-browed and thought-provoking and depended on directorial excellence. Naren Chandarkar, Suhas Ahuja, Hyderali, Gulshan Lechal were in the lead roles. The technical contribution by Sujay Sapple was laudable.

There were to stagings on the third day - The Island and Caucasian Chalk Circle and The Island (English). The English production was a two-character show of two Blacks of South Africa imprisoned in a jail room, symbolic of an island. It was a moving depiction of the slavery. Rafiki of Bangalore presented this play. Anish Victor was the director.

Adapilla, a street play was also staged by Nalgonda’s Prajanatyamandali troupe, depicting the woes of a woman.

Caucasian Chalk Circle was a Kannada adaptation of Brecht’s famous play. Kailasam Hovvasi Kala Vedika, Gulbarga, Karnataka staged this popular play about a woman who leaves her child in others care and going in search of riches. When she returns and claims her child, the one who brought him up refuses. The case goes to court and the crucial scene was the way the judge resolves the issue. He draws a chalk circle and places the child in the centre. He then asks the mothers to pull towards them to their side. Who does it first get the child. But the one, who brought him up, pleads with the judge to let go the child with his mother. But the Judge finally grants the child to her only, ignoring the mother who gave birth to him, but left him to winds. S.N. Bawalji was the sutradhar who ran the show with Lakshmi Kulkarni, Sadand Helli, Malik and a 16- member artistes. Brecht’s play was known for using masks for the characters. A few characters were given masks in this play too. On the final day a Tamil street play Pawan Kunju was staged. It’s about an intelligent boy who tops in games but fares badly in studies. Taking his case as a specimen, the play analyses the reasons for this disparity. The play finds fault with the education system, finally. Some folk songs also made way into this street play to create rural appeal. This was directed by Pralayan . He also played an important role. Vijayanandan, Devarajan, Ganeshan and Manohar were in other roles.

Acheekpaagi khonggel a Manipur play, directed by Kishwarjit and staged by Paradesi theatre, Imphal, concluded the festival. Asghar Wajahat wrote this, adapting Henry Hang’s ‘Sound of Voice’ which tries to explain how romantic thoughts develop in both men and women and how to control them. The production was more in abstract form. A flower was used to symbolise love and change of moods. It was more an expressionist in approach. This huge festival was organised with the help of many governmental and non-governmental organisations.