Words if not controlled face the danger of being redundant, smart but not intelligent and worse, meaningless. In the context of drama especially, words have always been at a premium, particularly if the play is clearly dependent on them. Again words in a play never work in isolation because if they do then a play would cease to be a play.
NORWAY.TODAY written by Igor Bauersima in German and translated into English by Marlene Norst seems to have forgotten that language however well embellished and crafted cannot make up for the lack of substance. If one were to vouch for the English translation of the original, one would realize that Bauersima’s attempt at creating a two-act play out of a news’ story about a double suicide is clearly off its mark.
Bauersima’s play fills up the gaps of the news’ story by romanticizing suicide in the context of the Internet chat room. Undoubtedly, Teenage Suicide is a compelling subject. A rough google search on the Internet will reveal to the layman the common causes of this social ill. Depression by far is the most common of all reasons and depression could be the sum result of many factors. Family, peer group, physiological ailments and substance abuse can all contribute to teenage depression.
The Internet on the other hand like most other things in life has its fall-outs, which does not mean that its world is necessarily Frankenstein like. Sure, we may face many postmodern dilemmas about technology inclusive of the image cast by a cold and distant chat room. Teenagers today have perhaps lost direct human communication than ever before but surely one cannot necessarily conflate suicide with the chat room or that is what at least Bauersima has got muddled up in his play.
The result is a glamorization of the suicidal tendencies of two young people, August and Julie. Instead of highlighting the actual motivations of his two characters, the play is reduced to a candyfloss end where love reigns supreme. The beginning and the middle are punctuated with smart words masquerading as philosophical gyaan and urban angst.
The Indian production (there have been other language productions) of this play as directed by Joy Fernandes and Mona Ambegaonkar unfortunately retains the fallacies of the script. A black and white backdrop, transparent screens with CD’s stuck on them and the yoga-aerobic antics of the two characters do little to camouflage the inherent banality of the play.
The only two things that really work for this production are the direction and the sincerity with which the two actors have essayed their characters. Joy Fernandes’ and Mona Ambegaonkar’s direction succeeds in creating some beautiful moments in the play such as when August (Quasar Thakore Padamsee) and Julie (Khusboo Hitkari) witness the North Light flickering through the horizon.
Quasar Thakore Padamsee’s August is a kid whose sense of wonder and feelings of alienation are raw enough to touch a chord. On the other hand, Khusboo Hitkari’s Julie is more studied than instinctual. Nevertheless, the two actors together manage to create some pretty scenes on the stage.
Again, the repartee between August and Julie may find teenage appeal in the sense of “Look, I am so cool and smart” which perhaps may not be an entirely bad way of broaching the taboo subject of suicide. At the same time, it could prove to be dangerous too, given the missing motivations of the characters. To walk the talk is one thing, to reflect is something altogether different.
In the sense of striking an immediate contact point with the majority of its audience and keeping them hooked to the verbose trajectory of August and Julie, the two directors seem to have succeeded. Despite the surface volubility, the bristling tension underlying August and Julie’s relationship has been well maintained. As such, the play moves at a pace that does allow the audience’s attention to wane till the end.
The music (by Raju Singh) and light design complement the episodes that take place in the play. Bob Dylan’s number especially typifies the essence of friendship as the truest of all relationships. And yet the end of it all leaves you wondering of the moot point of this dramatic exercise.
