Metawards and Kerala Theatre

 

 

 

 

 

In the history of Ten years of Meta (Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards) which is undoubtedly the best recognition in Indian theatre, three Malayalam plays had bagged the best play award. Karnnabharam (2008 -Lokadharmi Theatre Kochi, INDIA, -Chandradasan); Spinal Cord (2010 - OxygenTheatre Kerala - Deepan Sivaraman ) and now Matthi (2015 - Malayala kalanilayam - Jino Joseph). Also productions of Kizhavanum Kadalum Sasidharan Naduvil), Macbeth Jyothish Mg), Moments Just Before Death (Liju Krishna), After The silence (Martin John Chalissery) has won accolades for direction, acting, scenic designing, lighting design etc.
It is great to see that KeralaTheatre is really going high.... I am proud and happy to be part of this.

Karnnabharam @Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Lokadharmi presents the play Karnnabharam at Jodhpur, Rajasthan in the five day National theatre festival organised by Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi. at 7.00 pm, on 14th February 2013. We are performing this play after a gap of three years. The festival is from 11^th to 15^th of February 2013.

KARNNABHARAM (The anguish of Karnna), The Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit Classic Performed by Lokadharmi Kochi Kerala is based on the translation into Malayalam by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. The Music is scored by Bijibal, Lighting by Gireesh Menon, and the Design & Direction is done by Chandradasan.

• This play has won the prestigious awards for Best play, best stage design & best costume design from Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008.
• Also nominated for best Actor, best Ensemble and best Choreography in the festival

Lokadharmi had performed Karnnabharam widely all over in India including Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Kolkota (Bengal), Mysore, Bengaluru and Gulbarga, (Karnataka), Jagdalpur (Chatisgad), Cuttack (Orissa), Patna (Bihar), New Delhi, and Kurukshethra (Hariyana).

This play is performed widely in major theatre festivals all over India including Bharath Rang Mahotsav New Delhi 2006.

This is the 322^nd show of the play.

The artists travelling to Jodhpur to perform the play are Sudheer Babu, VR Selvaraj, Madan Kolavil, Charu Narayanan, Jolly Antony, Shaiju T Hamsa, Sumesh Chittooran, Ajaikumar Thiruvankulam, Sanosh Palluruthy, Jebin Jesmes, Gireesh Menon, Bhanuvajanan, Kishore NK, Chandran Arookkutty, Poornnathrayee Jayaprakash, Sreedeep KS, Terry John Converse and Chandradasan.

Theatre in his blood

K. PRADEEP

V.R.Selvaraj, a headload worker, moonlights as an actor in the evenings but even Selvaraj himself does not realise how very good he is. Cinema was a natural progression, after Selvaraj had acted in a few ad films.

Sweat and toil: It just happens to be V. R. Selvaraj's life. Every morning, every afternoon, this theatre actor slogs, lifting loads, his shirt sticking to his back, sometimes feeling the stinging pain creep up his legs and arms. All the while Selvaraj waits for the evening, for the streetlights to shine, for the stage to come alive. He lives for the evening.

A head load worker by day, Selvaraj is transformed to an actor in the evening. The arc lights brighten up his life and he turns into the Greek hero Jason, Bhima, Ravana, Bali… myriad characters. Theatre, stage, rehearsals is Selvaraj's life.

“For me theatre is everything. Right from the time I stepped on to the stage for the first time, 25 years ago, it has sustained me. Not that it has given me money, for I have never thought of it that way. But it has kept me going through all the tribulations in life,” says Selvaraj who plays a significant role in the recently released ‘Kutty Srank.'

A small role in a school play was what set the spark aglow. “I was in the eighth standard when I played Lakshmana in C.N. Sreekantan Nair's ‘Saketham.' The play was directed by Kamalam Teacher, my first director. Incidentally, after all these years, numerous roles later, I'll be acting in another CN play. This time I play Ravana in his classic ‘Lanka Lakshmi,' directed by Chandradasan Sir for Lokadharmi.”

Lokadharmi

Chandradasan and Lokadharmi played a significant role in moulding Selvaraj the actor. “I had done a few plays before I joined Bhasabheri, Tripunithura, in 1991, where Chandradasan Sir was working for the play ‘Gopuranadayil.' From then I must have done around 10 plays with Chandradasan Sir. And some of the characters in his plays, like Jaison in ‘Medea,' Caliban in ‘Chathankattu' based on William Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest,' Karna in ‘Karnabharam' and Poranadi in the play of the same title by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, helped win me recognition as an actor.”

In life's theatre it was a different act altogether. Selvaraj was struggling to keep his family going. His father, Raghavan Asan, was an exponent of various folk arts like sasthampaattu, kolkali and kaikottikkali. After his death the burden of the family fell on Selvaraj and his younger brothers. “My father imbibed in me the nuances of rhythm. I also picked up a bit of sasthampaattu and longed to become a Kathakali singer. I even studied Kathakali to learn the movements and of course singing. All this came in handy when I joined theatre. I did a lot of odd jobs but always kept my dream of becoming an actor going. I bought an autorickshaw but had to sell it off, almost at scrap value. This was again because I was usually not there for days, regularly during evenings when we had rehearsals.”

His wife Dr. Leela is a guest lecturer at the Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady. “It was an arranged marriage. She wanted to study and complete her Ph.D and I did what I could to help her,” Selvaraj says with a smile.

New dimension

Selvaraj attributes his five-year stint with theatre-person Jose Chirammel as the most educative, that gave a new dimension to his understanding of theatre. “He instilled so many aspects of theatre. There were complete sessions on so many subjects like imagination, tempo and rhythm, Stanislavsky's method of acting and so much more. It was a complete educational phase. Of course, every director I worked with has helped mould me into the actor I am today.”

Selvaraj has trained with esteemed theatre ‘gurus' like Habib Tanveer, John Martin from England, Gautam Majumdar, H. S. Shiva Prakash, Probir Guha acted in important roles for eminent directors like P. K. Venukuttan Nair, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, and Ramesh Varma. “Three plays stand out in memory. They are the Malayalam versions of Asif Currimbhoy's ‘The Dumb Dancer' directed by Venukuttan Nair Sir, ‘Maamathil' by Kavalam Sir and Ramesh Varma's ‘Madhyama Vyayogam'. In the first one I did the role of a Kathakali singer. For this I studied for nearly two months from Venmani Haridas. The play was staged at the Tagore Theatre and included celebrated actors. Kavalam Sir's play was very different from what he usually presents. I played the lead role, that of a soldier in this patriotic play. There was this climax scene where I had to walk right across the huge hall, past a line of dead bodies, singing. It was a challenge to sing in tune and also act. And in Ramesh Varma's play I did the role of Bhima. For the rehearsals he asked me to hold dumbbells in my hands when I moved. And the role involved a lot of complicated movements. This was to build that power in me, to help me transform into that character.”

Cinema was a natural progression, after Selvaraj had acted in a few ad films. “Most of the film roles were small but meaningful. The circus artiste who does cycle tricks in ‘Kuruthipookal' (directed by Ambily), autorickshaw driver Saravanan in ‘Pachamarathanalil' (Leo Thaddeus) who is a crucial link in the story, villain's aide in ‘Big B' (Amal Neerad) and as Panchi, Mammotty's associate in ‘Kutty Srank' are all important personal landmarks.”

Selvaraj hopes that Panchi in ‘Kutty Srank' will be a turning point in his career. “I'm one of the six stage artistes in the film. Those who saw the film in Goa said that I will be noticed. I have a few scenes with Mammukka including a Chavittunatakam sequence.”

He has also starred in lead roles in a few documentaries like ‘Charithrathinte Vazhiye' as Kalluvarambil Appakunju, as P. J. Antony and as poet Edappally Raghavan Pillai in ‘Maninaadam' He has also acted in a couple of telefilms.

Direction, music

But surely his heart lies in theatre. There is nothing that Selvaraj has not tried out here. He has directed more than 12 plays, composed music for Chandradasan's ‘Chathankaattu,' acted-directed numerous street plays, organised theatre workshops, and was also awarded a fellowship by the HRD Ministry for his study on ‘masks in traditional theatre and its potential in modern theatre.'

Selvaraj has remained unrecognised for his acting talents. Awards have not come his way though he has been part of many award-winning plays like Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008 for ‘Karnabharam,' accolades for his role as Jason in ‘Medea' in Greece and best play for ‘Poranadi' at the National Theatre Festival at Cuttack, to name a few. Selvaraj, a sure-bet actor, a virtual scene-stealer, is yet unsung in a world where sometimes PR matters mare than talent.

COURTESY. THE HINDU 24 JULY 2010

Karnnabharam @Kalamandalam as part of celebration of the 100th year of rediscovering Bhasa plays

Lokadharmi is proud and privileged to be invited toKerala Kalamandalam, deemed university of arts and culture to present its play Karnnabharam as part of the 3 day celebrations to mark the 100th year of rediscovering the plays by Mahakavi Bhasa.

Mahakavi Bhasa

Kālidāsa in the introduction to his first play Malavikagnimitram writes - Shall we neglect the works of such illustrious authors as Bhāsa, Saumilla, and Kaviputra? Can the audience feel any respect for the work of a modern poet, a Kālidāsa?

Bhasa, the Sanskrit playwright, was one of the greats of all times, believed to have lived two or three centuries ahead of Kalidasa. As the date for Kālidāsa varies from the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE, Bhāsa is dated between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE. Based on the language used, his date is also supposed to be around 5th century BC. Reverential references are seen about the greatness of poet Bhasa in the works of Patanjali, Kalidasa (both first century B.C.), Banabhata, Dandi (both seventh century A.D.), Vamanacharya (eighth century A.D.), and a long line of other poets and critics till 12th century.

The plays of Bhāsa had been lost for centuries. He was known only from mention in other works like the famous text on poetics Kavyamimamsa written during 880-920 AD by Rajashekhara a famous poet, dramatist and critic. In the Kavyamimamsa, he attributes the play Swapnavāsavadatta to Bhāsa.

Dr. T. Ganapati Shastrikal was a scholar and the curator of the Travancore Oriental Manuscripts Library, in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. In 1906 he made a sensational discovery in literary history and then by publishing in 1909, a series of 13 plays, all in Sanskrit. It was a circle of Bhasa's plays, which lay in darkness for more than eight centuries, which were used in Koodiyattam. Unlike other classical plays, none of them mentioned the author, but one was the Swapnavāsavadatta. Comparing the style of writing and techniques employed in these plays and based on the knowledge that Swapnavāsavadatta was Bhāsa's work, all of them were credited to him. Bhāsa does not follow all the dictates of the Natya Shastra. Bhasa deviated from the accepted dramaturgical practices of the day by depicting battle scenes and murder on stage. For example scenes that contains signs of physical violence to be shown on stage in plays like Urubhanga

The Uru-Bhanga and Karna-bhara are the only known tragic Sanskrit plays in ancient India. The Karna-bhara ends with the premonitions of the sad end of Karna, the epic character from Mahabharata. Early plays in India, inspired by Natya Shastra, strictly considered sad endings inappropriate.

The plays are generally short compared to later playwrights and most of them draw the theme from the Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana. Though he is firmly on the side of the heroes of the epic, Bhāsa treats their opponents with great sympathy. He takes a lot of liberties with the story to achieve this.

Plays based on Ramayana

• Pratima-nataka: The statues
• Abhisheka-natka: The coronation

Plays based on Mahabharata

• Panch-ratra: The five-nights
• Madhyama-vyayoga: The middle one
• Duta-Ghattotkacha: Ghattotkacha as envoy
• Duta-Vakya : The envoy's message
• Urubhanga: The broken thigh
• Karna-bhara: Karna's burden
• Harivamsa or Bala-charita: Hari's dynasty or the tale of Childhood

His other plays are not epic based. Avimaraka is a fairy tale. The unfinished Daridra-Charudatta(Charudatta in poverty) tells the story of the courtesan Vasantasena and is interesting for the same story was developed by Śhudraka in Mrichakatika.

His most famous play Swapna-vasavadatta (Swapnavāsavadatta) (Vasavadatta in the dream) and Pratijna-Yaugandharayana (the vow of Yaugandharayana) are based on the legends that had grown around the King Udayana, a contemporary of the Buddha. Though his plays were discovered only in the 20th century, two of them Uru-Bhanga and Karna-bhara, have become popular due to their appeal to modern tastes and performed in translation and Sanskrit.

He had a profound influence on the dramatists that would follow him, including India's greatest poet, Kalidasa.

Bhasa plays are especially suited for stage as they are minimal scripts containing a lot action and conflicts. The scenic splendor of any performance of a Bhasa play makes him an appealing dramatist in the Indian Tradition. He is innovative enough to reinterpret the incidents and characterizations in the great epic with an original vision that transcends the time and space.

Karnnabharam@Kalamandalam

Lokadharmi presents the play Karnnabharam at Kalamandalam at 7.00 pm, on 2nd August 2009, the concluding day of the 3 day celebrations that marks the 100th year of discovering Bhasa plays by Ganapati sastrikal.  Performance of  plays in contemporary perspective and Kudiyattam format written by bhasa, seminar and discossions on Bhasa plays by experts in Sanskrit, and performing arts, meet of directors who have worked with Bhasa plays are the highlight of the 3 day programme from 31st July to 2nd August.

KARNNABHARAM (The anguish of Karnna), The Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit Classic Performed by Lokadharmi Kochi Kerala is based on the translation into Malayalam by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar. The Music is scored by Bijibal, Lighting by Gireesh Menon, art by Anup S Kalarikkal, and the Design & Direction is done by aChandradasan.

• This play has won the prestigious awards for Best play, best stage design & best costume design from Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008.
• Also nominated for best Actor, best Ensemble and best Choreography in the festival

Lokadharmi had performed Karnnabharam widely all over in India including Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Kolkota (Bengal), Mysore, Bangaluru, Gulbarga, (Karnataka), Jagdalpur (Chatisgad), Cuttack (Orissa), Patna (Bihar), New Delhi, and Kurukshethra (Hariyana).

This play is performed widely in major theatre festivals all over India including Bharath Rang Mahotsav New Delhi 2006.

This is the 320^th show of the play.

The artists traveling to perform the play are Sudheer Babu, VR Selvaraj, Sijin Sukumar, Madan Kolavil, Sebastian K Abraham, Jyothi Madan, Jolly Antony, Shyju T Hamsa, Vysakh Lal, Sumesh Chittooran, Santhosh Piravam, Ajaikumar Thiruvankulam, Sanosh Palluruthy, Aadarsh Madhav, Jebin Jesmes, Gireesh Menon, Anoop S Kalarikkal and Chandradasan.

Treat for theatre lovers

JAGADEESWARA RAO

Plays with different themes in four languages made Dakshina Natakotsav memorable.

PHOTOS: C.V.SUBRAHMANYAM
 PLAY TIME Scenes from `Mayabazaar', `Gokula Nirgamana', `Karnabharam'.

The people of Visakhapatnam were treated to a rich and varied fare of theatre art by the National School of Drama (NSD), Bangalore centre, which organized the Dakshina Natakotsav, from July 5 to10 at the Kalabharathi auditorium.

Six play productions in four southern languages, Mayabazar and Kabir Das in Telugu, Gokul Nirgamana in Kannada, Kuthirai Muttai in Tamil and Pravaachaka and Karnabharanam in Malayalam were staged.

The essential feature of drama, as distinct from cinema, is the presence of all the protagonists on-stage which strikes an immediate rapport between the actors and audience. This was evident from the packed audience and the rapt attention, interrupted only by the intermittent and thunderous applause, with which they witnessed all the six plays.

Variety of themes, dazzling and glittering costumes, rich and rhythmic literary constructions, amazing sets that left the audience astounded and flawless performances by the professional artistes made the show a memorable one. While the themes of Mayabazar, Gokul Nirgamana and Karnabharanam are well known and were taken from the epics, Kuthirai Muttai (Horse’s egg) had a hilarious social theme. The theme of Pravachaka was based on a Greek myth. Kabir Das was the story of an ardent devotee of Rama.

 ` Pravachaka' and`Kuthurai Muttai'.

The theatre extravaganza started with a bang when the Surabhi troupe, a household name in Andhra Pradesh, exhibited their talents, and mesmerising and magical sets with aplomb in Mayabazar. The divine sage Narada descending to the earth from the moving clouds, with shining stars and a crescent moon forming the background, singing the song pangs of separation, by Sasirekha and Abhimnayu, along with the special effects such as the fire spewing mace getting defused by the water showering arrow left the audience astounded.

Gokula Nirgamana, a tale of the platonic love that Gopala (Krishna) showered on Gopikas and Gopakas, had unbridled fun and frolic which was tastefully exhibited on-stage. The plays Kabir Das and Karnabharam revealed shades of contemporary problems that plague our society. The play Kabir Das starts with a conflict between Hindus and Muslims regarding the roots of the great saint. It also depicts his struggle from the mundane things and his yearning for the spiritual. Ultimately it conveys the message that all human being are one.

Similarly in Karnabharanam, the mental torture and agony that Karna had to undergo because of his birth and the humiliations that were heaped on him despite his unmatched military prowess, was brilliantly executed by the Lokadarshi troupe. It was directed by Chandradasan. Kuthurai Muttai, a hilarious Tamil play had striking similarities with a number of episodes of Parasmaanandayya Sishulu in Telugu. The only difference is, unlike in the Telugu version in which the Guru is a scholar, in Kuthuirai Muttai, the Guru is as foolish and stupid as the sishyas are.

The Malayalam play Pravachaka dealt with women empowerment. It was an all-women play, written and directed by Rajarajeswari and C.V. Sudhi respectively. It was staged by the only women theatre group in Kerala, Nereeksha. Mention must be made of the audience for witnessing the plays with decorum. As requested by the managers they had switched off their cell phones to ensure that there were no distractions. The organisers should also be congratulated for maintaining punctuality. Chatla Sriramulu, theatre director, Hyderabad, Prof. Devendra Raj Ankur, Chairman, Extension Programmes, NSD, New Delhi, C.S.N.Raju, founder president of Kalabharathi and Badamgeer Sai, deserve praise for organising such a memorable drama fare.

Source..The Hindu/ Friday Review/Hyderabad/  Friday July 17 2009

Fete ends with a grand show of Malayali play

Velcheti

Visakhapatnam July 10

WHEN adjectives become superfluous, it is the case to acknowledge excellence. So is the enactment of Malayali play Karnabharam at Kalabharati. artists of Lokadharmi, Kochi staged it as a grand finale to the five-day Dakshin Natakotsav.

The play opened with traditional naandi (introduction), which presented a brief intro about the original work in Sanskrit by Bhasa against the backdrop of romantic overtures of Sun god and Kunthi. Then unfolded a visual treat in all  its aesthetic richness.

Pride, prejudice, honour, humiliation, valour,  treachery, triumph and defeat – whole range of human emotions find abiding expression in mythology. Dealing with every shade of these emotions, the play in the time and space construct from the 16th day in the epic war at Kurukshetra, when, Karna, piloted by king Salya, unveiled a theatrical extravaganza.

As Salya berates Karna’s matchless military prowess at every turn, scene after scene unfold different tragic shades in his life. His tutelage under Parasurama, who teaches him archery on mistaken identity and curses it to  be powerless in war.

Indra taking away his natural armour and ear studs in disguise of a Brahmin to help Arjun, were presented with extraordinary precision in movements and coordination in troupe  formations besides expressional élan.

With a pervasive presence of poignancy in narration, the play essayed to bring out Karna’s emotional turmoil about his birth. faced with adulation and ridicule from different strata as dauntless warrior on one hand and man of low calling on the other, identity crisis haunts him all through.

In the portrayal of eponymous role, VR Selvaraj’s delineation of emotional landscape of Karna and that of Kunthi by Jyothi Madan stood out for its histrionic prowess. Rich stage props,traditional martial art group formations in depiction of war scenes besides a sprinkle of  Kathakali movements enhanced its dramatic appeal in ample measure.

While a team of 12 artists donned their roles with aplomb, Ajaya Kumar Tiruvankulam, Anup S Kalarikal, Sanosh Paluruti, and Adarsh Chandanavattam lend excellent technical support.

Note: This is the report reproduced from The New Indian  Express, / Saturday, July 11, 2009 / Visakhapatnam. The photograph is by Mahesh, Bangaluru.

Karnnabharam at Visaka Ranga Mahotsav, Visakapatanam

 

KARNNABHARAM (The anguish of Karnna), The Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit Classic Performed by Lokadharmi Kochi Kerala is invited to Visaka Ranga Mahotsav – 2009 at Visakapatnam. The play is written by Mahakavi Bhasa, translated into Malayalam by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, Music direction by Bijibal, Lighting by Gireesh Menon and the Design & Direction is done by aChandradasan.

• This play has won the prestigious awards for Best play, best stage design & best costume design from Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008.
• Also nominated for best Actor, best Ensemble and best Choreography in the festival

Karnnabharam will be performed at Visaka Music and dance academy (Kalabharathi), at Pitapuram Visakapatnam at 6.30 pm on 10^th July 2009.

Earlier Karnnabharam had been performed in Hyderabad and Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, and also in the major cities all over India that includes Kolkota (Bengal), Mysore, Bangaluru, Gulbarga, (Karnataka), Jagdalpur (Chatisgad), Cuttack (Orissa), Patna (Bihar), New Delhi, and Kurukshethra (Hariyana).

This play is performed widely in major theatre festivals all over India including Bharath Rang Mahotsav New Delhi 2006.

This is the 317^th show of the play.

The artists traveling to perform the play are Sudheer Babu, VR Selvaraj, Sijin Sukumar, Madan Kolavil, Sebastian K Abraham, Jyothi Madan, Jolly Antony, Shyju T Hamsa, Vysakh Lal, Sumesh Chittooran, Santhosh Piravam, Ajaikumar Thiruvankulam, Sanosh Palluruthy, Aadarsh Madhav, Jebin Jesmes, Gireesh Menon, Anoop S Kalarikkal and Chandradasan.

The Visaka Ranga Maholsava is organised by NSD RRC Bangaluru and is from 5^th July to the 10^th of July. The plays scheduled are

Mayabazar (Telugu) – A. Manohar(late) - Surabhi, Hyderabad. (05^th July)

The famous Surabhi tradition is on show where animals walks, a whole city flown away, arrows on fire, fountains and stalls sprout water, chariots passes across,­- the typical Surabhi blend of mythology and magic on stage in an untold Love Story from the Mahabharata. The real visual delight stage tricks, and music that blends together to create the 120 year tradition of continuous performing culture of Surabhi.

Gokula Nirgamana (Kannada) – BV Karanth (late) – Benaka ,Bangaluru (06^th July)

This play is one of the masterpieces of the late BV Karanth and the group Nepathya is still performing it as attribute to the master director. This play is about Krishna, his flute, his dreams, destiny of human life on earth and more. When the young Krishna left Gokula, his childhood friends, and a lover, leaves his flute behind. Did he also leave a simple, beautiful life behind, on a journey that would only end in the annihilation of his people, and the end of his "avatara" on Earth? Is the flute left behind for the greater calling of protecting the very thing the flute and its music represent? The play depicts the cultural grandeur of Gokula in a very simple manner with subtle messages and magnificent performances-a musical extravaganza, rendered rich literary constructions full of rhythmical patterns and rhythmic movements and music.

Kuthirai Muttai (Tamil) – Shanmugaraja- Nigazh Madurai (07^th July)

M. Shanmugaraja’s play ‘Kuthirai Muttai’ (Horse egg) of Constantine Joseph Beschi, an Italian Jesuit Priest, who was popularly known as ‘Veeramamunivar’., who had learnt Tamil language with an intention to befriend and inspire Tamil-speaking public and in turn got inspired and fell in love with the language itself. The play captures the essence of humour depicting the sage and his whimsically humorous journey in pursuit of disciples.

Pravachaka (Malayalam) – CV Sudhi – Nireeksha Thiruvananthapuram – (08^th July)

This play delves into the power structure in society and how women still find it difficult to be heard in a patriarchal society, by adapting the story of Cassandra from Greek mythology, scripted by E. Rajarajeswari. The rich subtexts and connotations raise this play above a costume play by the simple retelling of the Greek myth to contemporary social realities. Cassandra becomes a symbol for every woman’s plight and predicament and the play, an allegory. As war is forced on a peaceful land, the women have almost no say in the matter and can only watch the death and destruction that follow. The men and women seemed to be dwelling on different hemispheres and performance emphasizes the differences in the mindscapes of men and women.

Kabir Das (Telugu) - D. Someswara Rao - Rasa Ranjini, Hyderabad (09^th July)

Rasaranjani the pioneering theatre group in hyderabad is performing Kabir Das, a play on the life of the legendary poet saint Kabir Das of the 15th century. It is believed at he was born in 1440, near Varanasi and he grew up in a Muslim weaver family, but some say he was really the son of a Brahmin widow, and was adopted by a Muslim childless couple. The play deals with the later part of Kabir Das' life, when he teaches both Hindu and Muslim faiths.

Karnnabharam (Malayalam) – Chandradasan – Lokadharmi, Kochi (10^th July).

The festival concludes with Karnnabharam, the Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit classic by Bhasa, which attempts to interpret an epic for the modern world; to seek an understanding of contemporary India that is fast degenerating due to caste politics. This plat synthesizes elements of a classical Sanskrit play into the format of a Malayalam folk theatre system.

Karnnabharam for HPCL officers club

the 319th show of Karnnabharam will be done at HPCL officers club at Waltair, Visakhapatnam on the evening of 11th of June 2009. This is a special show by invitation and exclusively for the officers of HPCL Visakhapatanam. 
there is no invitation, this play only for Officers

META Fest 2009- On Transformations and Spaces in Indian Theatre

The curtain for Mahindra festival is up again…And the list of the ten plays selected for the festival is announced. It includes Kalivesham (Malayalam directed by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar), Ayussinte Pusthakam (The Book of Life, in Malayalam adapted and directed by Suveeran from the novel with the same name by CV Balakrishnan), Madhyabartini (Assamese play directed by Bahrul Islam) and Layla Majnu (Urdu directed by Ram Gopal Bajaj). As a welcome change all the ten directors of the selected plays are nominated for the best director award.

The other plays selected and the directors are Afsaneh - Bai Se Bioscope Tak (Akarsh Khurana), Absent Lover (Preethi Vasudevan), Hamlet - The Clown Prince (Rajat Kapoor), Aao Saathi Sapna Dekhein (Swanand Kirkire), All About Women (Hidaayath Sami), and Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane (Manav Kaul).

Kalivesham –on an Actor Possessed by the Character

This play written and directed by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar based on Nalacharitham, has Nala as its protagonist who gets possessed of Kali, the evil character. The text of this play provides a context in which there is interaction of three characters Nala, Kali and Natan (actor) of which Kali has no physical existence. His presence can be manifested only through the Natan (actor). Here when the Kathakali theme makes its renewed passage to the modern theatre it presents to us a thought process which forms the very basis of the art of transformation in theatre.

Ayussinte Pusthakam- On Sin and Sexuality

Contextualized against the intense emotional lives of a father, son and grandfather living in a small village in Kerala, this play offers an inter-textual theatrical experience dealing with the concept of ‘sin’. The play directed by Suveeran, deals with the themes of sexuality and sin against the backdrop the dogmatic religious concepts among priests and with its dynamic but semantically loaded scenes boldly tries to deconstruct the oppressive religious attitude towards sex as sin. The constructs like family, marriage, priesthood, incest, and pedophilia are being scrutinized, problematizing philosophical grand-narratives, using the simple but powerful images and medium of theatre.

Madhyabartini – Adapting Tagore

The play is a dramatization of Tagore’s classic short story Madhyabartini staged by Seagull, Guwahati. Rare Tagorean touches of the grotesque, in which a childless wife Harasundari nags her devoted husband Nivaran to remarry. He does, most reluctantly, but then gradually becomes besotted with his young new wife, leading to complications, one after another. The use of the Assamese folk form of Kamrupiya Dhuliya circus, with its clowns as narrators makes relate to the modern day flux of conflicting lives and interests.

Layla Majnun - A tale of timeless love and separation

Ram Gopal Bajaj, the actor-director who made a name with his spectacular plays as “Surya Ki Antim Kiran Se Surya Ki Pehli Kiran Tak”, “Asaad Ka Ek Din”, “Qaid-e-Hayat”, “Skandagupt” and many more directs Ismail Choonara’s play “Layla Majnun”. The story begins with the chorus comprising women introducing the characters and informing that people are obsessed about Majnun as he wanders around lost in Layla’s love. All along, the chorus and a pair of story tellers appear and the incredible tale of love, pain and separation is unraveled in action and narration. The cast, except Banwari Taneja who played Majnun’s father are former students of NSD. The back stage workers include Amba Sanyal as the costume designer and Rajesh Singh, as the music director.

Afsaneh: Bai Se Biscope Tak-Revisiting Nautanki

Akash Khuranna is bringing back the age-old form of Nautanki and Baithak (a form of Kadhak). The story centers around two characters, Gulab Bai who danced for the masses with her Nautanki, and Beni Bai who catered to the elite with the more refined Baithak style. And now, they are old, and are reflecting on the glory of their past life in a surreal space where they sit and talk about their experiences. The play has Kathak, music and a spirited cast.

The Absent Lover –the International collaborative.

This dance theatre is inspired from Kalidasa’s Vikramorvishyam. The play begins when a wandering story-teller, the Sutradhara, inviting the audience into a mysterious forest…and story begins to emerge...Pururuvas, has lost his lover - Urvashi in this forest and he struggles through the forest encountering strange and wonderful manifestations of nature. His ordeal becomes a metaphor, an intense crucible of self-examination as, through the pain and longing, he journeys towards redemption and true love. The original script for the play was written by Bruno Kavanagh, with costumes and sets designed by Paris-based Delphine Ciavaldini, lighting designed by Les Dickert from New York, and music composed by U.K.-based Ben Foskett. Preeti Vasudevan the director of the play performs the role of Urvashi, alongside French-born dancers Celine Pradeu (tree spirit) and Gilles Chuyen (the king and the narrator) in the cast. It will also feature the music of Bengali Baul singer, Raju Das.

Hamlet – The Clown Prince

The play, (in gibberish and English) is a hilarious version of Hamlet -- a company of clowns presenting their version of Hamlet along with multiple doses of digressions to share their own lives and personalities. Clowns being clowns, the play is not only funny; it’s filled with contemporary influences which manage to present the classical tragedy with a modern feel. The actors shoulder the show with impromptu dancing and breaking into songs to dumb-sharads (father’s ghost who by the way is not allowed to talk… being a ghost and all) and through the stories of the clowns and their relationships with each other. Rajat Kapoor is the director.

Aao Sathi Sapna Dekhe – a Musical all set to Entertain

Swanand Kirkire’s play is a musical set in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi - a romantic musical with elements of suspense and comedy in good measure. A Romeo-Juliet love story has the two fathers adopt the garb of feuding parents. When the fiction gets unmanageable they struggle to unscramble it to arrive at a happily-ever-after conclusion. The first part of Aao Sathi Sapna Dekhe takes place in moonlight, that magical time in youth… that strange innocence that bestows seeing rainbows even when it didn't rain… The second part is in face to face with the brightness of day, that painful transition to the harsh glare of reality. The play operates at the intersection of folk theatre and popular Hindi cinema.

All about Women – Stories Interwoven

Well-known light designer and actor, Hidaayat Sami makes his directorial debut with this Croatian play penned by Miro Gavran. The play has an unusual structure in which five life stories; alternate and interweave. One story concerns two sisters who are at loggerheads because of the man they both love - and there is also the question of their mother. The second story is also about two Women who are exceptionally close, until their relationship undergoes a crisis when a third woman comes into their lives. Then there is the story of secretaries working for the same firm; about three little girls who go to kindergarten together; and old ladies living in a retirement home.

Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane –the One Actor Show

Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane by Manav Kaul is a one actor play- with Kumud Mitra as the actor- discusses the life of the central character Rajkumar, a small-town simpleton. The play, which begins with a poem, does not have a conventional beginning, middle or end. The simple stage design with a lone chair, and a small space left in the middle by the four surrounding blocks, acts as his small world from which he springs with funny surprises…The light and sound design also help in creating an impression of a road, possibly of a highway, which is very close to where he lives. At various times, the road to an unknown land seems to beckon him but he appears to be content in his small space.

The plays selected seem to be an interesting mix of what is happening in contemporary Indian theatre. I am especially happy to see two plays are from Malayalam in the list of ten.

Ayussinthe Pusthakam - The Book of Life is nominated for best Ensemble, Script (CV Balakrishnan), Direction (Suveeran), Lighting (Suveeran) Scenic Design (Sunil CR), and costume Design (Priya).The nominations for Kalivesham are for best choreography (Kavalam), best ensemble, Direction (Kavalam), Lighting Design (Harikrishnan) and for sound design (Harikrishnan).

And we cherish our memories of the last year Meta where our production of Karnnabharam was selected for 3 awards, for best play, best costume design, and for best scenic design.

Karnnabharam at Rangayana Mysore

KARNNABHARAM (The anguish of Karnna), The Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit Classic Performed by Lokadharmi Kochi Kerala is invited to Mysore. The play is written by Mahakavi Bhasa, translated into Malayalam by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, Music direction by Bijibal and the Design & Direction is done by Chandradasan.

·        This play has won the prestigious awards for Best play, best stage design & best costume design from Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008.

·        Also nominated for best Actor, best Ensemble and best Choreography in the festival

Karnnabharam will be performed at Vanaranga, the open theatre at Rangayana Mysore as part of the National theatre festival Bahuroopi on 28^th December 2008 evening.

Earlier Karnnabharam had been performed in Gulburga and Bangaluru in Karnataka and also in the major cities all over India that includes Kolkota (Bengal), Hyderabad, Vijayanagaram (Andhra Pradesh), Jagdalpur (Chatisgad), Cuttack (Orissa), Patna (Bihar), New Delhi, and Kurukshethra (Hariyana). 

This play is performed widely in major theatre festivals all over India including Bharath Rang Mahotsav New Delhi 2006.

This is the 316^th shows of the play.

The artists traveling to perform the play are Sudheer Babu, VR Selvaraj, Aarjith Babu, Sijin Sukumar, Madan Kolavil, Sebastian K Abraham, Jyothi Madan, Jolly Antony, Bhanuvajanan, Shyju T Mamsa, Vysakh Lal, Shan Ijaas, Ajaikumar Thiruvankulam, Sanosh Palluruthy, Aadarsh Madhav, Jebin Jesmes, Gireesh Menon and Chandradasan

KARNNABHARAM Travels to Kolkota

KARNABHARAM (The anguish of Karna), The Malayalam adaptation of the Sanskrit Classic Performed by Lokadharmi Kochi Kerala travels to Kolkota. The play is written by Mahakavi Bhasa, translated into Malayalam by Kavalam Narayana Panikker, Music direction by Bijibal and the Design & Direction is done by Chandradasan.
· This play has won the prestigious awards for Best play, best stage design & best costume design from Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards 2008.
· Also nominated for best Actor, best Ensemble and best Choreography in the festival
This play is performed widely in major theatre festivals all over India including Bharath Rang Mahotsav New Delhi 2006. Karnnabharam was performed in the cities of Bangalore, Gulbarga (Karnataka), Hyderabad, Vijayanagaram (Andhra Pradesh), Jagdalpur (Chatisgad), Cuttack (Orissa), Patna (Bihar), New Delhi, Kurukshethra (Hariyana) and now in Kolkota.
The play will be performed in Kolkota As part of Ganakrishti Natya Utsav 2008, organised in collaboration with East Zone Cultural centre Kolkota. The two shows at Kolkota are at– Bharatheeyam Cultural multiplex Kolkota on 21.07.2008 and the second at Rabindrasadan on 22.7.2008.
This is the 312th and 313th shows of the play that has been widely performed all over India.

The artists traveling to perform the play are Sumesh Chittooran, Sudheer Babu C.S, Selvaraj.V.R, Pradeep Chittoor, Madan Kolavil, Jyothi Madan, Sebastian K. Abraham, Santhosh Piravom, Sijin Sukumar, Jolly Antony, Nandan Palluruthy, Ajaikumar Thiruvankulam, Sanosh Palluruthy, Aadarsh Madhav, Subramanian, Jebin Jesmes, Gireesh Menon and Chandradasan