Theatre workshop
THE MUSIC of folk songs resounds in the air at the AICUF House, Nungambakkam. Groups of young men and women rehearse their steps in accompaniment. They are participants in a month-long theatre workshop conducted by the National School of Drama (NSD) in association with Nataka Veli, Chennai. The workshop will culminate in the staging of Marathi playwright Satish Alekar's "Maha Nirvanam" in Tamil on July 16 and 17 at Alliance Francaise. Admission is free. "The play is being staged as a tribute to writer-poet late K.V. Ramaswamy who translated "Maha Nirvanam" into Tamil, says K.S. Rajendran, Associate Professor, NSD, New Delhi, who is directing the production.
"Maha Nirvanam", a milestone in modern Indian drama, deals with the theme of death and the various levels - social, ceremonial and psychological - at which one comes to terms with it. At the workshop in which 30 persons are participating, numerous theatre personalities are training the artistes. Among them are Prof. S. Ramanujam, K.S. Rajendran, V. Balakrishnan, Shamugharaja, Kalairani, C. Ravindran, Indira Parthasarathy and M.A. George. "We have been able to learn quite a bit from each one of them," say Nagarjuna and Rakshit. The artistes trained at the workshop will take on peripheral roles in the play.
Rajendran says, "Theatre people in Chennai lack skills in music. Lack of rehearsal space is also a major problem." He might as well add that so is performing space for experience has shown that the AF Auditorium is too cramped for grand productions. But then how many organisations are as willing to help out?
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
