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Keli Rural Theatre Festival 2017...Three plays directed by Sasidharan Naduvil...

December 30, 2016 3:21:32 PM IST
MTG editorial

LIC presents in association with LICHFL, Keli's Rural Theatre Festival from 5th to 7th January 2017.

Keli is a Mumbai based registered charitable organisation striving to preserve, develop and propagate the classical cultural heritage of India. The Keli Festival signifying its 25thanniversary was titled as the "Saga of a village- an arts story '' and began in November 2016. Since then a series of festivals tell the story of a village by means of the Arts. Keli's mission in this project is an in-depth exploration of the essence of artistic traditions and their cultural significance of a village called Peruvanam in Trichur district, Kerala.

This village has a significant place in the cultural map of Kerala for its anthropological relevance of an art history unique to the world. It is the land of an exclusive aural rhythm art tradition called "Melam" which has a history of 1434 years and possesses the world's most ancient, 1800 year old Sanskrit theatre tradition. The village also has its proud presence in the contemporary film and theatre scenario and it continues through new writers and literary movements. Within these two extremes of the ancient and the new, the village embeds a variety of folk and traditional art forms. Keli's artistic mission includes the research, documentation and outreach of this unique cultural heritage of Peruvanam.

In the third phase of this initiative is the Keli Rural Theatre Festival 2017. This festival will showcase three plays of Sasisdharan Naduvil, a rural theatre activist from the village of Peruvanam. The festival is dedicated to the memory of the late Jose Chirammel, who was an eminent theatre activist from Kerala.

(Free entry passes will be available at Prithvi Theatre, Giri Stores Matunga, Maharashtra watch company, Dadar East.)

Schedule:

Day 1
Thursday, 5th January 2017, at Prithvi Theatre - 7 pm
BALCONY (presented by Remembrance group)
Playwright: Jean Genet
Director: Sasidharan Naduvil
Duration: 90 mins ( No Interval)

Synopsis : ''Grand Balcony'' is a deluxe brothel. Through the window panes of the balcony, the play unveils the disguises that people wear. Madam Irma's Grand Balcony is seen as the castle of miracles, which she runs along with the superior, Police Chief, where the balcony becomes the arena where the visitors dance in their favourite attires. A montage is seen that shows the play's sarcasm on the authorities - a judge who is ready to lick the feet of a criminal, and a Bishop, who is adamant to get out of his golden laces and royal mitre, is seen along with General, who finds his orgasm in being in General's funeral cortege. When the rebellion fills panic in the rooms of the Grand Balcony, the visitors refuse to go out to their homes, thus finding their new homes in the Balcony. The Grand Balcony is attacked....

Day 2
Friday, 6th January 2017, at Prithvi Theatre at 7 pm
THE DUMB DANCER (A Quest for Identity)(presented by Remembrance group)
Playwright: Asif Currimbhoy
Director: Sasidharan Naduvil
Duration: 90 mins ( No Interval)

Synopsis : The Dumb Dancer is a story of a Kathakali (an Indian classical dance that has highly stylized gesture language) dancer Bhima, who plays the mythological role of Bhima and over identifies himself with the role to the extent of forgetting his own identity in this world. He gradually turns insane and becomes a patient in a mental asylum. Bhima, the Kathakali dancer is under the delusion that he is the real Bhima of the Mahabharata, who had avenged the humiliation of his beloved wife Draupadi by killing Duryodhana. He becomes mentally deranged at the thought of his having become a murderer, the victim in his insane fantasy. Dr. Prema, the psychiatrist who treats him, becomes so strongly involved emotionally with his problem that, instead of curing him, she herself becomes insane. While treating him she gradually starts identifying herself with Draupadi, the beloved wife of Bhima and slowly turns insane.

Day 3
Saturday, 7th January 2017, at Prithvi Theatre at 6 pm and 9 pm
Play: OLD MAN AND THE SEA (Based on Ernest Hemingway's famous novel, The Old Man and the Sea) (presented by Remembrance group)
Director: Sasidharan Naduvil
Duration: 90 mins ( No Interval)

Synopsis: The main characters in the story are an old man named Santiago and Manolin, a young boy, friend, and supporter of Santiago.

Santiago is an old fisherman coming from a coastal village in Cuba. Manolin was his helper. Every day they went to the sea but even after forty days they could not get a single fish. So Manolin's parents forced him to part with Santiago and fish with more successful fishermen. Eighty four days passed without getting a fish yet Santiago's mind was with full of optimism.

He started again and on the third day a big Marlin fish swallowed the fishing hook and after a great struggle the old man conquered the Marlin and sailed back to the shore. But the blood of the injured Marlin spread in the water and a lot of sharks followed the skiff to eat the Marlin. The old man fought against the sharks and when he finally he reached the shore, only the huge skeleton of the Marlin was left. Santiago's struggle depicts the act of living with hope and never-ending enthusiasm. It is also a story of friendship between the old man and his young friend Manolin. The struggle of the oppressed and suppressed also displays the third world nations fight for their existence.

About the Director:
Sasidharan Naduvil is a rural theatre activist from Peruvanam, a village which inherits a variety of different art traditions and art practices. He is the disciple of the celebrated theatre genius Jose Chirammel.

Sasidharan has been active in the field of theatre from the last 40 years. He has acted in 13 theatre productions, written more than 30 plays and has directed over 400 Dramas for many theatre groups in Kerala and outside. He has been elected as the best director in more than 300 stages.

His plays have been staged at the META festival, the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, PRD theatre festival, among others. In 2008, he directed the reproduction of ''Mudraraakshasam'' a play directed by Jose Chirammel 25 years ago for the first edition of the International Theatre festival of Kerala conducted by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy.

He has won various awards and is currently the creative director of Remembrance Theatre group.

Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.




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