Producer Ayilam Unnikrishnan told a press conference here on Wednesday that the inaugural show of Anisya would be held here on Thursday. The Power of Darkness is a five-act play by Leo Tolstoy written in 1886. The play was long bann ed in Russia by the ruling Czar.

The Power of Darkness is a tragedy of sordid misery, ignorance and superstition. It deals with a group of peasants steeped in poverty and utter darkness. This appalling condition, especially in relation to the women folk, is poignantly expressed by one of the characters in the play.

Tolstoy understood that the tragedy of the peasants’ life is due not to any inherent viciousness but to the power of darkness which permeates their existence from the cradle to the grave.

In the words of Anisya, something heavy is weighing them down, something that saps all humanity out of them and drives them into the depths.

The Power of Darkness is a social picture, at once appalling and gripping.

The name Anisya is already familiar to stage lovers in Kerala. The kathaprasangam version of the play was performed at over 8,000 venues in the State by kathaprasangam exponent V.Sambasivan.

The Malayalam theatre version of The Power of Darkness was written by Karette Jayakumar and directed by Vakkom Shakeer.

Alleppey Vivekanandan has scored the music for the lyrics penned by Ezhachery Ramachandran and Chempazhanthy Chandrababu. The songs have been rendered by Madhubala Krishnan, Jose and Sobha.

Mr.Shakeer said Anisya was a powerful demonstration of the fact that Malayalam theatre was alive and kicking. “The play represents the age of transformation and growth in the Malayalam theatre movement. It is a sound rebuff to all who believe that theatre is dead,” he said.

Minister for Cooperation and Devaswom G.Sudhakaran will inaugurate Anisya at a function to be held at Karthika Thirunal Theatre here on Thursday.

Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash will preside over the inaugural function. The show will be free for the public.

T.Nandakumar

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