Monday, June 13, 2011

Endgame' returns to Malayalam stage

Special correspondent

Actors of Lokadharmi rehearse for their production of Samuel Beckett's play, 'End Game'. Photo: Special Arrangement

KOCHI: Samuel Beckett's seminal play, ‘Endgame' is all set to make a much-desired comeback to Malayalam theatre. ‘Kadassikkali', an adaptation of the play in Malayalam, will be staged jointly by Lokadharmi centre for theatre training, research and performance, and the Centre for Heritage Environment and Development (C-HED) at the Town Hall here on June 30 at 7 p.m.

The Malayalam production is directed by Jithu Johny, a post-graduate student of theatre at the Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit in Kalady. Chandradasan, Lokadharmi director and eminent theatre activist, will don the lead role in the play. Actors Asha Devi, Sudheer Babu and Sijin Sukumar will also act in the play.

The one-act play, from the stable of the theatre of the absurd, problematises life's continuity and questions the meaning of familial bonds. It presents four physically-challenged people who are mutually dependent, but caught in an endless, bitter verbal duel. As in Beckett's other plays, stasis or stagnation in life forms a major theme in ‘Endgame' as well. The actions on stage are repetitive, almost ritualistic, reiterating Beckett's ‘habit is a great deadener' philosophy.

Written in the aftermath of the World War II that ended with a terrible nuclear tragedy, ‘Endgame' portends a life — read post-nuclear life — sans surprises. Even the death of a character fails to shock anyone. From their rants on stage, it appears to the audience that the characters shared a past, but a cheerful future doesn't appear to dawn for them. Its isolated setting points to a life without a social, cultural and environmental milieu

Courtesy: The Hindu daily 13th June 2011

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5 Comments:

Blogger sachin said...

great sir...

June 13, 2011 at 10:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great work you all are doing. Sad i will miss it unless it travels to Pune. All the same best wishes.
Dr Ajay Joshi, Pune

June 14, 2011 at 6:18 PM  
Blogger Dr V Jayarajan said...

Nice to hear that endgame is coming to Kerala stage. All the very best.
Dr.V.Jayarajan
Folkland

June 15, 2011 at 8:43 PM  
Blogger Paul Mathew said...

Great picture. All the best for a great show. Best wishes to cast and crew.

June 15, 2011 at 8:51 PM  
Blogger Deise Puga said...

Endgame stands out at one of Beckett's best plays, and it happened to also be Beckett's favorite play.
Several of Beckett's dramatic designs elucidate this Notion of a circular existence.
It's an exciting play and opening the door to an important discussion about life and its possible sense.
I am sure it will be a brilliant event in the theater of Kerala, since so beautiful and deeply influenced by the superb performance of Lokadharmi.
Congratulations on your fabulous choice.

My sincere wishes for success, Chandradasan!



Regards,

Deise Puga

June 16, 2011 at 12:32 AM  

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