I am posting this blog just as hot as I can get it... in terms of immediacy; not in terms of its content. Because the content of this content was not hot either. I take my time before putting my thoughts in the 'emotions recollected in tranquility' style, but this one has to take the cake. I am posting in a hurry lest I forget the emotions. Simply because the event was very forgettable.
A few days back I stared the bullet in its barrel point by posting that egregious post on Chapter Two of Neil Simon, sent into Chapter Eleven by Evam. Now, hot on its heels, from the same venue comes Antigone by Jean Anouilh - the French adapation of the Greek legend.Antigone has been through playwrights from Greece to South Africa. Antigone has been a special tragedy even in comparison to its sibling classics Electra and Medea. The reason: the tragedy of Antigone is all about political expediency, power and the dignity of human emotion in the face of adversity that threatens to suppress individual democratic freedom in the name of authoritarian edicts. Unlike Electra, who breathes fire and brimstone in words before steering her brother Orestes to take revenge on behalf of her father Aegisthus who was murdered in the bath by the latter's own wife Clytemnestra, Antigone seeks to bring respect and decorum to a personal tragedy fomented on people as public calumny; unlike Medea who seeks to revenge her husband Jason for slighting her by taking another wife (Glauke, daughter of Kreon) and who kills Glauke, breaks Kreon's heart, kills her own two children before taking flight into the skies to join her grandfather Sun God, Antigone seeks to redress a ceremonial wrong.
Antigone's story is one that elevates and restores human faith in goodness. She tries after all to give a decent burial to the dead body of her brother Polyneikes, who has been condemned as the Enemy of the State by their Uncle Kreon (who retained the right to rule even after the power of attorney wore on his when both Eteocles and Polyneikes demanded their right to ascend their father Oedipus' throne!). Her argument is this: Polyneikes may be the enemy of the state and her other brother Eteocles may be a state hero. Both died and Eteocles got a burial of state honour. Polyneikes did not. To her both are brothers and they did her no wrong. And it is her duty in the absence of her father Oedipus and mother Jocasta and at the indifference of her sister Ismene, to give Polyneikes the denied burial. Even if it is against the order of the state. How can the public intrude into the private life? This is the conflict that makes the story of ANTIGONE worth exploring as a subject fit enough for any sort of literary or oral narrative. The personal and the public at lightsabers at each other. And the subject has gone through thorough treatment by everyone from Sophocles to Holderlin and Brecht to Anouilh.
Recently, the Stella Maris College decided to stage Anouilh's version of ANTIGONE as their annual theatre production. Directed by Deesh Mariwala, it went on stage for performance from 10th to 12th February. And I had the misfortune of witnessing the performance on 12th. I am not ashamed to say that I walked with still half hour to go. About 36 hours back, I had talked to a member of the cast that I knew well how the production was and how the premiere night was. I was told that except for some mobile toting, armpits scented bimbos who walked one hour late into the show and walked half hour late, the show was good. Wishing her luck and obliging some friends at Stella, I went to see the show.
Anouilh treats the play with certain freshness that makes you sit back and say, "Hey, this guy is not using the story to his own ideological purposes. He is no Holderlin who romantices the language, he is no Brecht who used it for his agit-prop purposes by placing the locale in the Nazi bunkers of the WW-II, he is no Athol Fugard who uses it launch a dialectics of South African apartheid! Anouilh's treatment pits a side of Kreon which we had not seen till now - the human who cares for Antigone... who cares for his son Hamon... who like a subversive Shakuni (who took to supporting Kauravas so that he could avenge the death of his own brothers killed by the Kurus in their launch against Gandhar Desh and thus bring the downfall of the Kuru vamsh) decides to run his political course even though he had inherited the throne upon compulsion. And he pleads to Antigone, saying "Go home, forget what happened, I shall remove those guards who arrested you so no trace of this FIR exists". But Antigone is young and brash and obstinate and rush-of-blood-idealist who would not relent. She seeks death in the name of taking up a stand that Kreon finds amusingly painful. Kreon has traversed through experiences. He is worldly wise and realistic. Thus the stage is set for a battle royale, as they call it. The tension present in the story, the inherent conflict that can arm an impotent soldier to confrontative levels is humongous. And that is why I was frustrated and furious. The Stella production has wasted an opportunity to the stupid stress busting world of hahahas what the real power of theatre can be!
The lead pairs were not as bad as college actors can be. They looked promising. The caged tightness of Antigone's (Varsha) body language was well confronted by a confident Kreon (Padmini). That was to start with. That was upon Kreon's introduction. But soon Antigone became flat as horse-piss in a can of overnight out-fizzed Beck's you get supplied in in-flight Lufthansa and was stuck to those hunched shoulders and arrested lung-pipe between her head and shoulders! She moved stereotypically through the one and half hour that I managed to stay. I saw more of her gluteous than her face and got an occasional darshan of her hair. As for Kreon, the girl has a voice box to be proud of. But it gets monotonous when there is no inflection beyond 5 degrees of emotions. As it wore on, there was nothing happening, the plot leading nowhere. This is the expand version of story-telling, there was no advancement of narrative. And when there is a minimalist (read zero) set approach and a few stools and chairs and a lone table as excuse for props and furns, you better put up a strong whiskey in the vat! The poison did manage to gulch the throat for starters... but the burn soon turned to be a bite on the tongue, the rasping vanished to bland oat.
I have heard of Deesh's attempt to do physical theatre workshops... and I got a glimpse of his physical theatre today. Well, physical theatre is not one character-player exhibiting pseudo-sadism through painful measures such as arm-twisting and booting the small of the co-actor's back. I just didn't hear too many sympathetic oohs and ouchs from the meagre audience in support of Antigone when Kreon inflicted third-degree on her. If you had seen Shared Experience Theatre's work that had toured this city enough, you would understand what I mean. As it went on, the play gathered dust instead of storm-signs. Redundant moves, repetitive emotional responses, regressive flatness of lighting lead to recognition of residual pains in my bladders, coercing me to preclude the loneliness of my corner at Pethachi and run for the remedial release of bladder-fluids into the pan-pots of the Gents Toilet. Having come out of the cold auditorium raised to freezing temperatures due to a lack of full-house warm bodies adorning those cushy seats, I did not want to get back. The lighting console supplier's technicians sitting outside warned me "another half hour to go". Well... I ran for my bike. Here I am posting the message.
This really is bad publicity for serious theatre in city and doesn't definitely enhance the reputation of the Stella Maris theatre oeuvres. A good script laid waste due to lack of tension, tempo and temerity to explore a passe East-European inquisition ambience! The costumes though were paid detailed attention to. That perhaps is the only saving grace. But when the bride is not worthy of a lay what use are the accoutrements, pray tell?
Picking Bones: The Chess playing One-woman Chorus started saying Ismene (ismean) twice and went back to correcting herself to Is-me-nee thrice before lapsing to Ismene once (which could have been tail-dropping) that means inconsistency of either pronunciation or breathing. Kreon missed and stammered over lines, bad idea to keep a profile right in the middle of the ramp and use as foot light to light the chorus' face. I have been through this heinous act on actors - as a victim that is - and it is not a very enjoyable experience to have a light right on your face when you're addressing the audience. Deesh's fetish for torches continues. Between the Cats he did at BC a while back and now, only the batteries probably have changed. It just was too much of wasted effort to impressive the audience with cheap-seat minds for small-time creative artifices. And of course, the much vaunted threat of locked doors did not work to keep the EMI exodus of disgruntled audience. And the cellphones never stopped ringing. That means, am gonna come up with an audience-etiquette post shortly!
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24 comments:
Madan... don't take your comments away. Leave them for all to see... Anyway, that's the way I feel and feel strongly about anything. One thing I learnt is make a strong choice and stick to it. Last night actually I had an interesting chat with Yamuna who felt one should criticise and express what one feels but should not spew it forth venomously. I disagree. Spewing venom is an act of malice. I am not acting on malice, but out of concern for the theatre that we are trying to build here in Chennai. It is also imporantant to adjacently build a responsible audience. By being polite we do not achieve progress. One remembers strong acts - either of favour or condescension, love or hate, positive or negative. And hopefully that would lead one to if not change, take an objective look at oneself. But sometimes it does not. I know one person who has grown with Masquerade all its life span and cannot digest negative feedbacks or strong criticism! Such people never grow as artists.
wipes venom off screen
can't comment on the actual play since i skipped it, but after this i'm glad i did.
KK
(I'm combining this with feedback for ur earlier post on Chapter 2 or 11 or whatever)
I can imagine the look on ur face when that person remarked on the beautifully written script:-)
i agree with u on ur point abt the dudes bimbos who watch theatre only to be 'seen' watching the show.when they attend to calls, it just makes me want to chuck the phone out.and walking in merrily half an hr late??what a freaking turnoff!they might as well catch the next show.siddharth coined the appropriate term for such people- 'pseudo emancipated phonys'.
but i think KK, u should just let people laugh if they find something funny.why are there comedies in the first place?i laughed shamelessly for Funny Money eventhough it was no intellectual play.that way,i have to agree with what Anil said in his comment.
And Creeps was NOT theatre if u ask me.mixing mediums like that(using video and whatnot) doesnt constitute theatre.the people i know who saw the show weren't very thrilled about it.
frankly its a good thing that so many theatre groups have mushroomed in chennai.About evam,with all due credit to doing Chapter 2,perhaps its time to do some new scripts.when TMK told me in Karthik's wedding that they were doing the show, my reaction was,"Again?"i read a couple of other neil simon scripts some months back and Im not sure if they've been done b4.
Antickpix
I for one would say one must see plays... whether good or bad. Without seeing we would never know, would we? What was wrong with the play is that it, for all its promise as one of the top 50 best scripts of last century, could not save the production. I mean, you may have the best of scripts, yet screw up the performance. You can't let an explosively dramatic script be presented in all its minimality of expression. The production deliberately tried to underplay the drama and fell flat. Imagine a Kieslowski version of Day After Tomorrow. Would it sustain? And the audience should have the right to walk out if they don't sustain interest in the work. They tried to gate-lock people in!
Actually, I skipped the play because I'd blown 200 bucks on 'Sammy', which in itself was quite disappointing. I try and catch most plays that come here.
Haha. Kieslowski's 'The Day After Tomorrow'. Ok, I haven't seen that film. But I want to. So bad.
Oh... I meant, if K made a movie in the Ridley Scott style is what I meant. Btw, everyone I met said Sammy sucked. Goes to show people are reailising that all that comes from beyond Chennai need not always be accepted or supported. I said this a few years back in a full e-newsletter for theatre I used to run for 2 years, that sooner than later people realise and audience cannot be fooled for a long time. I am watching Kieslowski's The Decalogue - beautiful is the word.
Kanishkaa...
It's actually a pity that you missed Gowri Ramnarayan's play Dark Horse down Arun Kolatkar's Lane that was presented at the Kala Ghoda. the festival is all about Kolatkar. At least you could have met Sundar, Amit, Andrea and others! Yes, the best thing about Maadhu is that he remains the same person. I am proud that he worked with us on OLEANNA!
As regards Chapter Two, my anger is not at someone producing only comedies or restricting themselves to only Neil Simons. Nothing wrong. When people restrict themselves only to Shakespeare like the RSC does, why not Simon? But the problem is, you don't present Simon as he intends. The bone I picked with Love Letter is what am picking here. Evam's trouble is not the choice of scripts or even calling it "... by Evam", but denying the fundamental right of a playwright. His vision. Frankly, audience is entitled to a good laugh. But am not with or against the audience... only against the production house. And when someone like Anil who has worked in tons of theatre here and has seen groups and artists come and go, and is very sensitive artist himself who knows what is correct theatre and what is milked laugh and deliberately overlooks it because he is one of them now... it is sad. I am furious at Evam for pushing a comedy that anyway is humorous enough to make the audience go riotously laughing. It shows they have no idea of what would work or not on stage. If you can't recognise a comedy for what it is and push it with too much of body and too much of contrived timing, the performance laughs through its backside!
You know how I loved Funny Money. The cast again makes the difference. Even your TMK who loves to push comedy (when he does that in parties, he is the soul of the party, but on stage it is a different ethics we have to play to, right?) turned a very refined comic performance, perhaps caught in the middle of mature cast. Frankly, TMK is working on personal agenda (to him only he comes first). He even hammed the serious scenes in Chapter Two. Star syndrome I guess. People should never stop taking time out to analyse themselves with a searing soul-search. I know you like most people won't agree Nish, you guys don't understand what am trying to say. I am not at all saying one should not do comedy or give people laughs. The paying audience is entitled to laughs. But only laughter and focussing on the endo and mesocorp of the fruit of play blunts the audience aesthetics in the long run and we would only end up watching Just for Laughs and Beans... and Monty Pythons... fun no doubt, but life is more than that. We should also get A Fish for Wanda types from time to time. Why do you think I stopped doing Doctoritis types? You know we made money in plenty during that phase! And we lost heavily in Wood. But I would still produce a Wood anyday.
As for Creeps, well, it is a form of theatre you would not accept, but you would accept if Evam used screen projection to run titles for Python Hyssteria... and to run credit titles after each show... and use multimedia-like techniques in a play like Love Letters in the name of sound track, is it? Freddy did that in Four Play, Prasanna Ramaswamy used it in a play that she produced and presented at Alliance in which TMK acted. What was Chetan Shah's Lizard Waltz all about? And there are plenty of such examples. Theatre is the only true multi-media art. It brings video, visual, aural, acoustic, set, furniture, costume and stage architecture design into play. At various levels. So what was wrong in using technology in CREEPS?
Perhaps we are not used to it! We would in time and given the laws of nature, like Leo says in Chapter Two.
Keep visiting, cheers.
Aarrgh.
I'm really sorry, but the movie snob in me keeps correcting errors.
Day after tomorrow was Roland Emmerich, he behind Independence Day, Godzilla and Stargate. Not R Scott.
Decalogue is one thing I haven't got around to seeing completely. I felt I wouldn't do it justice (possibly mistaken) if I don't see all 10 at the same time and sequentially, rather than catching one this month, another 3 months later.
KK: Chanced upon your blog while searching for review of Chapter Two!!
Not from Chennai hence do not know about What you called 'Chennai English Theatre' though getting what you mean.
And I couldnt make out much of that long review that spilled over to another post, whether you were criticising Chapter Two or Evam or the audience!! Am sure you could have done a better job with the review :p
And neither could understand why you had problems with someone missing the calls and not switching off the phones. Well mobiles do come with a 'silent mode' facility and sensible audience does miss the calls this way which they can get back to later!! (Am not talking about those whose phone send out most whacky ringtones at the most crucial moments.)
I did get what you exactly wanted to say through your reply to Kanishka, that was more precise and on the spot.
Your observation about KTM........hmmmmmmmmm
Rashmi
Antickpix... you are right. How could I mix up Ridley Scott and Emmerich... that mad Roland whom the townspeople of Emmerich in Germany disown amusingly because no German would make a mad film like I-Day. You know, I saw that movie the first time when I was in Deutschland with some friends and they were giggling their heart out when they saw something so plausible. But then, I think most Germans are so conscious that they can't have a puerile plain non-intellectual laugh of the Monty Python sort!
Unfortunately I am forced to watch Decalogue in bits and pieces. In fact these days I get so little time I watch any movie in 20 min. pieces. But this is my friends own copy and original. He has Red, Blue and White as well as The Decalogue in original gifted by someone. And he trusts me, so I get my own sweet time.
Hello Rashmi
thanks for the visit. where from are you? do you know kmt i am talking about?
It was pretty clear my grouse was against the production not the script or the author. And it was not a review... just my feelings. That is what a blog is for. If it is a review, I say it is a review. In a review I never go haywire with my vocabulary. You can check my film review of God is Brazilian for example or my earlier article on Thomas Berger.
As for phones... in silent mode! There are people who constantly keep sms-ing without watching the show they came to watch. Why be glued to the phone if you come to the show. Might as well stay where you are and sms. I think mobiles are really a bane to a society of people who don't have moderation in anything. I am humbly one of the race unfortunately... although not discourteous enough to use a phone during a performance.
Are you looking for a general review of Chap Two or specifically Evam's?
KK: Thank you for your reply.
I sure know who you are talking about! Do not claim to know him personally but know few people who almost claim to be close enough to be his alter egos!! Never knew he is kinda star!
I am based in Delhi as of now.
Yup, I agree any art or artist who doesnt go soul-searching and pays heed to constructive criticism will wither sooner than later. But then most such people are either surrounded by coterie or hunted by critics who will see wrong in every action of theirs.
Constructive criticism sounds like an oxymoron these days. But I think people like you, who feel for the art, can be harbinger of this new trend.
I read a review of Chapter two at Narthki.com and I think the lady has done a fair job.
Sure Sir, Silent Mode!!! for all of us who would like to be technologically savvy along with courteous according to the sanctity of the place. And I think I am guessing right this is how Anil, a sensitive connoisseur of art as per you, missed his calls. And you would agree there is nothing wrong in it.
Recently I hosted a national seminar and requested the audience to use this facility and made sure that friendly volunteers were there to help those who didnt know about this!! Also gave them option to set it on 'viberation mode' or 'beep once mode' if they didnt want to switch it off. It just takes a little effort to help people make our own world more beautiful.
I read Lillete will be touring with her 'Sammy', would like to hear from you if you get to watch the play.
It was pleasant stay at your blog. Liked your post on Robert Frost most, My all time favorite being the ubiquitous:
Miles to go before I sleep.......
Regards
Rashmi
Rashmi... hi again!
We have done better part of our theatre together. Our paths have run more than parallel including spending almost 2 years in the same workplace floors above and below... so I have a right to claim i do know him quite well. He's a nice bloke. Somewhere down the line priorities have changed. And fuelled by people who think it impolite to point out as either a senior actor or out of their personal agenda to have him around... he's getting it all wrong at the moment. Anyway, enough of that!
The review about Chap 2 in Narthaki... well, the problem in Chennai is there were only 3 people who knew their theatre basics and tradition who wrote reviews in print media. One has quit writing. Even if the person was always trying to be politically correct and would not criticise anyone. Another... still writes but is warped. The third... the person in question personally chatted with me and expressed as much as frustration about these things these days and has stopped contributing to print media and shifted to online. I am not a person who lets my ideology and politics affect my writings if the latter have to be formally published. But there are some people who either let that happen or try to be nice in the name of encouraging a young group. Am not naming names. All in all, I can only say that there are no entertainment critics worth their salt in Chennai. And I mean most entertainment forms. Not just theatre. For theatre... zero.
Sammy... I heard from enough people who saw the show and I guess Chennai audience has seriously evolved enough not to be clouded anymore by their touring domestic brands. Lillete is a good actress and her company many good ones to their credit. But the feedbacks I got about Sammy hardly befits their stature in some respects.
As for constructive criticism. Well, I can understand your anguish at the misuse of the term. Cricitism and critiques are supposed to be distantiated if not objective. Howmuch ever one says "I am objective," no writing can be objective, because all writings come from some individual or other and in as much as it belongs to an individual with his/her vocabulary (that is driven by his/her constructs in art), the piece would always be subjective to some extent. How much one speaks the truth, given that the person has knowledge and depth to speak about the topic, is the only criterion. In that sense, Chennai has always had a "encouraging to the point of irritation" attitude towards outsiders as well as local new comers. But how long one can be considered new comer is the question.
Anyway, thanks for visiting and revisiting. Keep visiting. I am going to be posting some film and theatre reviews in the days to come. That includes a review or a self-analysis of a play am directing on 23 and 24 for JBAS College. So please do visit and make my posts meaningful with your earnest comments.
Thanks
k
Hi K: Here again and guess for what?????????
Coincidence read your first post and incidently realised its your Blog Anniversary today!!!!!!!!!!
So what can I wish you......
As you say people will join your dreams eventually,
Someone has said
"Main akela hi chala tha janibe manjil magar
Log judte gaye caravan banta gaya."
I started it all alone
Met poeple who wished the same song
Hence the journey which seemed lonely
Has become a troupe as I went along.
(Have tried to translate in case you dont know Hindi/Urdu)
so I wish you many like minded people through this venture and many more such anniversaries in years to come.
And thanks for little information on TMK, appreciate it.
Regards
Rashmi
I Quote you,
"As regards Chapter Two, my anger is not at someone producing only comedies or restricting themselves to only Neil Simons.
The bone I picked with Love Letter is what am picking here. Evam's trouble is not the choice of scripts or even calling it "... by Evam", but denying the fundamental right of a playwright. His vision. Frankly, audience is entitled to a good laugh. But am not with or against the audience... only against the production house."
Your quite a doofus to contradict yourself. And as for the reviews i have seen, you just have a bloody problem with everyone who does plays...
whats with it? cant you get a life? you do some crap and call it theatre, why dont you let other people do the same?
Your issue with this so called 'evam' is obviously deeper than just the play because i hear you did it some years back and you did not have 1/4th the people watching it and it really sucked...
Stop being opinionated and get a life, your no great actor or director so why point fingers at other people? just reading up and doing research isnt everything.
As for young kids getting money for their re-charge cards? well your churning out a breed of them with your workshops as well, the only difference is they think you are GOD and your 'ethics' and 'asthetics' of theatre is the final verdict. HAH poor things!
- xw2k
anonymous... lakalakalakalaka! own up!
and grow up. i sympathise. am impressed. oooooooooh!
looks whos talking bout 'growing up' HAH.... youre the one to talk... balding and behaving like a nincompoop 13yr old throwing pre-teen tantrums.
xw2k is a name, why is this not literary enough for you? Or is it too staid? or is this name superficial and too 'arty'?
whats with own up? thats coming down to your level which i dont intend to do.
silly kid.
Yeah, nothing much you can say when the can of worms are opened up.
By the way, if you are an artiste, you should know that there is no 'right or wrong' way of ART. So really... who are you to make such snide, under-the-belt, un-ethical remarks? have you looked at yourself? What makes you think you can lash out at anyones work? And wait, lets see...........WOW NOT ONE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM! Your posts are all the 'oh my god! im so pathetic, i want attention, look at me im a scrony insecure middle-aged man going thru menopausal symptoms, oh look look im so jealous someones making money out of the art form' type remarks.
Also please note that these kids, carrying books to shelves and wearing cool t-shirts, well atleast its just that. What you are churning out are a bunch of pompus moronic children (who knows if their nose was ever effected by gravity!) who think after what they call 'directing' or 'acting' in one play, they have become the worlds most accomplished know-alls. This is worse for world theatre.
I think you really need to see a shrink old man oh sorry was that SIR KK!
- xw2k
Interesting... hmmmm! and what else, kid?
i don't normally talk to anonymous set-ups who vent spleen. but you seem interesting i'll reply your properly for one last time, if you want to do this, you must do it in real time and sit across the table and abuse me, while i patiently listen to you and don't worry your drink is on me. i am open about my convictions... owning it up and saying it with my name on it for all to see, RIGHT or WRONG! you don't even give your name. nope, that's like r2d2 or c3po what you have there! that is snide and under the belt. probably you've been damming it up for a long time now. please go ahead and get it all out. good for your system. better still, i suggest, palak!
well... like it or not, since you're visiting my blog, decorum demands i should put up with your school-boy tantrums. let me know once you're done. feel free to post as much. better still, apply your own advice to me and go and do some theatre... and make money! you're wasting your time, kid. bbfn.
Interesting ofcourse, no one dares say anything to SIR KK 'oh holyness', and here is a 'school-boy' doing so.
I watch plays and dont do them which is why have to liberty to say what i have. Pardon, i may not have the 'tah-tah-arty-farty-pseud-kissing-the-air' interactions with the whose-who of the little know theatre circle in this city!
If i sat across the table, and did this, you might not want to exist so lets just leave it at that.
I would like to conclude this 'spineless-venting' so to speak with something you said in your posts before,
'i am quitting acting/theatre', what are you still doing here?! why did your little faithful rodents think it'll be the end of world theatre if you quit? the demise of a legacy? GEEEEE i repeat, STOP SEEKING ATTENTION and GET REAL!
do i need to sign my name?
:-) thanks for scrapping.
you do have to work on it a bit more though. your spelling too! EOT.
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