Child of destiny
MANU REMAKANT
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Rasika Theatres’ ‘Samthrpthan,’ directed by Kaladharan, evocatively narrated the tragic tale of Oedipus.
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Photo: S. Gopakumar
Redefining a classic: Director K. Kaladharan enacted the lead role of Oedipus in ‘Samthrpthan.’
The mood was set right from the opening scene, when the blind, old and helpless Oedipus was thrown out of Thebes. Destiny, pain and salvation, the main threads of the story, were woven seamlessly into the play. At the end, when the viewers were asked: ‘Who is the contented man?’ the audience was so engrossed in the tragic spectacle that it became their question too.
The open-air auditorium at Vylloppilli Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, was packed to watch Rasika Theatres stage the play ‘Samthrpthan,’ directed by K. Kaladharan. The play, which tells us the tragic story of Oedipus, unfolds through the hero’s conversation with his alter ego, his shadow, as Oedipus spends his last minutes in Athens under the protection of Theseus.
The elongated shadow of Oedipus, an important character in the story, was enacted by an actor walking dexterously on stilts with headgear and masks to give a spooky effect to the rendering.
“I am the truth,” says the shadow and it is also the wounded conscience of the protagonist.
Casting a spell
The play harnessed all elements of theatre – music, theatrical spectacles, light and sound effects and drama – and cast a profound spell on the audience. The open-air auditorium lent an authentic air to the whole production, transporting the viewers to the world imagined by Sophocles, author of the Oedipus trilogy. Kaladharan managed to be acerbic and reconciled as the aged Oedipus, engaging the senses with his superb performance.
“It was a wonderful experience to enact the tormented Oedipus. The play reinforces man’s helplessness in the hands of fate. The theme is always relevant,” feels Kaladharan.
Rajawarrier as the young, agile Oedipus etched the hero in the minds of the audience. He also essayed the shadow. Oedipus’ past, portrayed through the flashback technique, shows how he leaves Corinth to avoid killing his father and eventually marrying his mother, as revealed by the oracle.
But, ironically Oedipus ends up fulfilling the words of the oracle. Light effects were used to depict Oedipus’ confrontation with King Laius.
The confrontation with the Sphinx was excellently choreographed, even though the creature did not visually resemble the Sphinx as most of us know it.
The chorus did a fine role with their songs and interactions with the main characters. The only place the play faltered a little was in the scene in which Oedipus realises his grave error; it boiled over without the high drama many expected.
The play was scripted by K.N.N. Namboothiri. P.J. Radhakrishnan donned the role of Creon and Sreekumar acted as Polynices.
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