“The purpose of playing, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature," said Shakespeare, in Hamlet. Why stop there, asks Surendranath, the curator of the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival, which begins next weekend. "Theatre as a medium has come a long way since Shakespeare," he says. "It has become a medium through which we question history and its greatest personalities, to re-interpret and better understand them." The meaning we give to the past changes with the passage of time - "How we viewed the World War II or a personality like Gandhi, for instance, is very different from what today's generation sees. That's what we want to bring out."
The theme this year is 'Real', with eight plays that are based on real life incidents. "It's not a documentary style but fictionalised, re-imagined accounts of something that has actually taken place," said Surendranath. The event also includes a Directors' Round Table Discussion, moderated by noted historian, journalist and critic Sadanand Menon. Ranga Shankara will also conduct an art appreciation course, bringing maestros to audiences on a platform where they can share ideas, watch plays and discuss them together.
GAJAB KAHANI:
In 1551, an elephant named Solomon and his mahout, Subhro, travel from Lisbon to Vienna. The pair had made a long journey by sea from Goa and spent a couple of years standing about at apen in Lisbon before setting off for Valladolid, as a present from the king to the Archduke. Loosely based on The Elephant's Journey, a novel by Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago, Solomon and Subhro set off at a leisurely pace through a multitude of landscapes. Along the way, they meet with villagers and townsfolk who offer many an interpretation as to why an elephant has suddenly entered their lives! Adapted for the stage by Amitosh Nagpal and directed by Mohit Takalkar, the audience is seated in the midst of the action, as the story unravels around them.
When: Oct. 28, 7.30 pm
Tumhara Vincent:
Dr Satyabrata Rout's 2015 production, Tumhara Vincent, scrutinises the life of history's most troubled artistic genius, Vincent Van Gogh and was almost 25 years in the making. "Why did he cut off his ear?" "Would he have given us more paintings had he lived longer? These are the questions the play throws up," explains Surendranath. The story is told through letters Vincent exchanged with his brother, Theo, based on a the Letters of Vincent Van Gogh. Tumhara Vincent is a multi-lingual text based on the life and work of the great Dutch master. It fetched Dr Rout a Mohan Rakesh Samman award for best playwright of the year in 2016.
When: Oct 29, 7.30 pm
Outcaste:
Sharankumar Limbale's autobiography Akkarmashi, The Outcaste, a monumental contribution to Dalit literature, has been adapted to the stage by Randhir Kumar and the Raaga Repertory, Pune. This heart-wrenching first person account describes Limbale's struggle against poverty, deprivation, discrimination and violence, as well as the dehumanising impact of caste oppression in Hindu society. Limbale himself was born as the illegal son of a high caste Patil and a poor, landless, untouchable mother. As a result, he is an Akkarmashi, an outcast. His mother lived in a hut, his father in a mansion and Limbale flounders in the middle, cast away for his 'impure' blood. The story explores the pains of a fractured identity, social discrimination and the perils of being an untouchable, who is forced to beg, steal and consume the flesh of dead animals to survive.
When: Oct. 30, 7.30 pm
A QUIET LIFE:
Faizal Alkazi's A Quiet Desire is based on the arly life of Rabindranath Tagore, revolving around the bond he shared with his sister-in-law Kadambari. Rabindranath's brother, Jyotirindranath marries nine-year-old Kadambari, changing Robi's life forever. The two get along instantly and develop a strong bond as the years go by. Kadambari becomes 19-year-old Robi's sole reader, friend, admirer and inspiration. As Robi grows famous, Kadambari, heartbroken by the new distance that exists between them, goes into a depression as Robi's marriage approaches...
When: Oct. 31, 7.30 pm
Nomads of Water:
Neer Nadodigal, a production by Chennai-based team Manal Magudi Theatre Land, captures the horrors of the Chennai floods. People and authorities alike stood, totally helpless, before the wrath of nature - a subtle nod to human greed and the widespread encroachments that have destroyed our water bodies. Each woman on stage holds a piece of ragged cloth - the only traces, perhaps of their loved ones. The narrative is taken forward by memories, with one scene in the play inspired by director Murugaboopathy's own visit to the flood-ravaged city. Percussion instruments and didgeridoos provide a haunting sonic backdrop to a story that explores the depths of human helplessness.
When: Nov. 3, 7.30 pm
QUICKSAND:
Inspired by real events, Quicksand unfolds after an incident at an Indian airport. A man and a woman, who are, so far, strangers to each other and anonymous to the eyes of the world, find themselves put through a fiery social media trial. The incident itself is not made known, the play begins with the aftermath, as the lives of these two individuals is unravelled by the public eye. The play is in English and Hindi. Directed by Neel Chaudhuri and performed by the Delhi-based Tadpole Repertory.
When: Nov. 4, 7.30 pm
