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Strands of entanglement

tress stress Rapunzel’s mane is emblematic of entanglement and restriction

It is neither the anti-establishment rock musical by James Rado and Gerome Ragni about the 1960s anti-Vietnamese Hippie revolution nor is it about any of the numerous examples that the introduction gives. The much-acclaimed “Hair” written and directed by Mumbai-based, Bangalore-bred Ajay Krishnan draws from the grim Grimm’s fairy tale “Rapunzel”.

A man and woman attempt to introduce the play quoting famous stories and allegories where hair plays a defining role — from Mary Magdalene drying Jesus Christ’s feet with her hair to Delilah seducing and cutting off Samson’s mane. Signifying strength and sexuality, this part of the human body has always had varied connotations and permutations in society. And one anticipated that it would even delve into the various examples till sepia hues enveloped the solitary chair on stage under a light and the male narrator screams “They are all dead”.

Now, we don’t know whether that statement was supposed to indicate that these characters are dead because of their hair and or was it just a random exclamation — till a ‘dead character’ is introduced — Rapunzel.

The dramatic element is evoked at once as a woman strokes, lifts and draws a rope — a metaphor for long locks. Bursts of western classical music fills Ranga Shankara, as we’re brought into the ‘inside’ story of Rapunzel.

That’s what the synopsis tells us — that “Hair looks at the darker side of the world of the fairytale Rapunzel…What the medium of the fairytale doesn’t tell us is how these characters spoke, behaved, and most of all, what made them do the things they did.”

The stage is minimalist and aesthetically pleasing, costumes pastel and period — but they do not salvage the play. Stereotypes were reinforced — Mother Gothel is the fat wicked witch and Rapunzel is fair and pale. To bring out the darker, questions of the tale and its characters, some extreme measures were employed, both in the characterisation, direction and narrative. And as the playwright worked to create a different version, nothing seemed to be new.

Her hair becomes a point of entanglement and restriction. Her braids curtail her physical movement, and while open hair signified innocence, “letting down one’s hair” also reads as “letting down one’s guard”. Gothel’s over-possessiveness also signifies an overprotective parent’s control over a daughter’s physical freedom. The domineering adoptive parent who in her love traps her daughter’s movement was highlighted, but grossly overdone to the point of hysterical mania. Employing mime and dramatic music, a spate of inexplicable and unnecessary sequences, “Hair” staged by The Company Theatre’s “Evam Youth Forum” was a desperate, inert adaptation at recreating the characters’ inner selves.

And the appropriation of their black and white silent movie of Rapunzel using mime which was the only interesting part of the play was totally pointless, especially when it is a short summary that replayed what was just performed in fast-forward.

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