Amongst the various plays and events that took place at the Prithvi Summertime this year, the Bangalore based theatre Ranga Shankara, run by the veteran and very talented actress Arundhati Nag, was invited to perform two of its children''s productions. The productions- ROBINSON AND CRUSOE, and ZAPPERDOCKEL AND THE WOCK have been produced under Ranga Shankara''s program for children called ''Aha!'' ''Aha!'' was launched in 2006 and involves various activities and programs for children. It works in collaboration with schools and hosts festivals exclusively for children. Before ROBINSON AND CRUSOE, and ZAPPERDOCKEL AND THE WOCK, it has produced GUMMA BANDA GUMMA in Kannada and THE FIRST LEAF in English. A notable aspect of ''Aha!'' is that it is trying to create a foundation for Children''s theatre through International collaborations also. Its aim is to reach out to children across different sections of the society.

In 2008, Padmavathi Rao saw the play ZAPPERDOCKEL AND THE WOCK at the Panoptikum festival in Germany. Ranga Shankara decided to recreate the play with the same directors, Wally and Paul Schmidt of Salz und Pfeffer, Nuremburg, Germany. Thus came to life in 2009 the adaptation of this play at ''Aha!''. The production is a unique combination of skillful Puppetry and Theatre. It has a fabulous stage set up, which is straight away gripping. The play is a story of tiny, cranky Zapperdockels and the huge, grouchy Wocks. It shows their evolving relationship, as it begins with fights and petty squabbles on both sides, who find it difficult to adjust to each other''s contrasting personalities. But eventually they learn to adapt and co-exist and become friends. The play is about tolerance, co-existence, adaptability required for surviving in a multi- ethnic environment like India and for that matter, the world. The story is told through a pair of narrators using puppets, walking sticks, ropes, sand bags, a magic box and other devices.

What makes this play interesting is the way in which the story is told. The directors create some interesting structures and formations through the property used and the set on the stage. The play begins with the narrators introducing the puppets from their magic box. Using the laws of physics and simple puppetry, the actors create fascinating visuals that thrill the audience. The play is a collage of many such devices and effects. The narrators are a stylish, skillful duo, whose repertoire includes clowning, theatrical tricks, puppetry, dancing and story telling. However, at times the narrative looses grip and jumps unevenly from one interesting effect to another. Virginia Rodriguez, one of the narrators in the play, is very good and her animated movements and expressions are pulled off with utmost grace. The music and lights which are equally essential to the success of the play lack vigor though. That said, the audience is offered something new and exciting that entertains as well as challenges them to think. In spite of its flaws, the play deserves credit for having experimented with genres and narratives, and for having offered something truly different.

The other play presented was ROBINSON AND CRUSOE directed by Gracias Devaraj, who starred in the original German production by Schnnawl, which was staged in 2006 at Ranga Shankara. Apart from its name and the setting, ROBINSON AND CRUSOE does not have any other similarity with Daniel Defoe''s eponymous classic novel. This play is about two people left on an island with the ocean all around them. Like the Zapperdockel and the Wock, both ROBINSON AND CRUSOE come across as two totally different individuals, with different backgrounds, speaking different languages and representing different communities. However, as the play progresses, both realize and discover the similarities in them and they are bonded by the same need- survival. Thus, what begins as a rat race to utilize the available resources on the roof eventually develops into a peaceful sharing and caring relationship. The play again shares ZAPPERDOCKEL AND THE WOCK''S theme of co-existence and unity in spite of diversity.

The script by Nino D''Introna and Giacomo Ravicchio is simple and is presented in a minimalist manner. The play''s simplicity is its strength. Backed by strong performances by Satnya and Tariq Vasudeva, it establishes a connect with the audience. The first fifteen minutes of the play are without a dialogue and actors communicate through their body language. Their different backgrounds give rise to some hilarious situations. At times both characters try to express the same thoughts but neither of them realize that and end up fighting. In the beginning, while both try to test each other there is a constant shift in the balance of power. However, as the play progresses, the characters change and so does their relationship. By the end they develop a strong bond that erases all the differences. It is these touching moments that linger. The play could have been shorter though. Some repetitive humor and long drawn scenes slow down the play''s pace.

Aha''s! debut at the Prithvi Summertime consisted of two very different plays having a similar theme. It provided children with plenty of entertainment and some lovely thoughts to take home. It also exhibited an array of exciting work that it has been doing over the years. And it leaves us with anticipation of its next visit to Mumbai.

*Sudeep Modak is a young theatre person with interests in other media. He has worked with Ramu Ramanathan, Chandan Roy Sanyal and has done production work for THE PROPHET by Naseeruddin Shah''s theatre group Motley, amongst other things.