Piya Behroopiya- a celebration of Shakespeare, Desi Style !!!

What happens when William Shakespeare meets  a motley crew of Nautanki performers? Well, you get Piya Behroopiya- a unique interepretation of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" by the Company Theatre, Mumbai.
On entering the hall on a cloudy Saturday evening at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore, I was greeted to an intriguing sight, a large picture of Lord Krishna as the stage backdrop...wait, Lord Krishna doesn't have a beard does he? It took me some moments to realize, it was actually the face of the Bard of Avon himself, coloured blue in the shade of Krishna...wearing the garment of an Indian deity.
That first sight itself, probably gave an insight on what this evening was going to be all about, William Shakespeare in a never before seen avatar.
Piya Behroopiya is in essence, a musical and the actors showcase their abundant skill not only in acting, but music and dance as well. The play begins, with a group of performers seated on stage, among them a harmonium and a tabla player. Not having been exposed to Nautanki style theatre previously, I was under the impression that the performers would essentially be singers and musicians, but as the play went on I realized that it was these performers who would take on the role of principal characters in the play.
The play begins with the principal characters introducing themselves. The Duke of Illyria, Orsino- master of all he surveys, but unable to win the heart of his beloved Olivia, still mourning at the death of her father and brother. The twins Sebastian and Viola, separated by a shipwreck, both believing that the other is dead.
The introductions are among the highlights of the play, all done in a manner full of humour, involving music and rhyme.The introduction of Sebastian, is the most hilarious, where he blames Shakespeare for giving the character a miniscule role, and the director for giving him this role in the 1st instance !!!
Few of the characters stand out for their interesting portrayal, Olivia for instance is portrayed as a Punjabi kudi with all the 'nakhras' of a wealthy countess.
The play follows the original Shakespearean storyline, with Viola disguising herself as Cesario and serving Orsino, Orsino appoints Cesario, as the messenger of his love to Olivia. Viola in the guise of Cesario meets Olivia with the duke's message and she falls in love with Cesario, thinking him a man. Adding to the comedy of errors is Viola herself who has fallen in love with the duke, but cannot declare her love since she is bound by her disguise.  At Olivia's house we are greeted by Olivia's uncle Toby,his friend and drinking partner Sir Andrew and Olivia's gentlewoman Maria. We are witness to some hilarious sequences, where Sir Toby tries to convince Sir Andrew that he is the one for Olivia and posseses the courage, talent and charm to win his niece's heart. The jester of Olivia's household Feste also joins in the fun. The highlight of these sequences is the witty dialogue and of course, the singing of the actors. We are also witness to Olivia's pompous steward Malvolio, who isn't too popular with the others. Andrew, Maria and Toby decide to teach Malvolio a lesson, by writing a letter in Olivia's hand, where Olivia declares her love for Malvolio and asks Malvolio to wear yellow stockings cross gartered, and be rude to all the other servants and always smile in the presence of Olivia. Highly encouraged by the letter, Malvolio acts as per what he thinks are Olivia's instructions in the letter, and approaches Olivia. Olivia is shocked by the transformation in Malvolio, and thinks he has gone insane. Sebastian arrives on the scene soon after, and Olivia mistakes him for Cesario. Sebastian is also attracted to Olivia and the two romance each other.
The plot thickens with Orsino appearing along with Cesario (Viola). Olivia and the duke are both bewildered by the similarity between Cesario and Sebastian. The other principal characters arrive on the scene soon after and are equally flummoxed. Viola and Sebastian are stunned to see each other, and finally recognize one another. Sebastian reveals himself to be the twin brother of Viola, and Viola confesses that she was in the guise of Cesario and is in love with the Duke. Orsino's heart melts and he blesses Sebastian and Olivia to be married, and also accepts Viola as his wife. It is also revealed that Toby and Maria are betrothed. The last scene sees Cesario's transformation into the bride to be Viola, and what ensues is a euphoric moment of song and dance, where all the couples get married, and the other characters celebrate alongside them, except poor Malvolio, who is left high and dry.
Piya Behroopiya was truly a theatrical experience to be treasured. The sheer energy of the actors stood out throughout the play. Music was an essential character in the play, and the voices of Feste and Olivia were particularly outstanding. A unique treatment of a Shakespearean classic, it never deviated from the principal storyline. The humour, the sharp wit in the dialogues, and the interactivity with the audience are also worth mentioning.Overall it leaves the viewer refreshed and wanting for more. As soon as the play ended, there was almost a spontaneous standing ovation from the audience, marking a worthy end to a memorable evening of theatre.

C sharp C Blunt- Watching Theatre can be a truly psychedelic experience

C sharp C Blunt- a very unusual name for a play isnt it? I went to watch this production of Flinntheater from Kassel, Berlin more out of intrigue than out of expectation. The initial description of the play on the Jagriti website, evoked much curiosity. It talked about an App, a Singer App. So was the production going to be a musical? A visual effects spectacular? Or some new form of experimental theatre ?
What it turned out to be was one of the most brilliant solo performances I have ever seen on stage. Actor-singer MD Pallavi, turned in a spectacular performance- essaying multiple roles with elan, keeping the audience riveted to their seats.
Anyhow, I should not get carried away, I could go on and on, and exhaust an entire dictionary of superlatives on the excellence of the performance, but I guess I should talk a bit about the play itself, right?
The play starts off with two shadowy figures in the dark seated in front of Apple Macbooks, then slowly an eerie voice breaks out of the darkness, robotic yet haunting. As the darkness subsides, and the lights come on, the voice reveals herself- Shilpa, the singer App.
Shilpa is a representation of womanhood itself, often stereotyped, misunderstood, objectified and exploited.
Through the course of this performance we are witness to the remarkable evolution of Shilpa, symbolic of the modern woman, confident, independent and standing up for her own rights.
Shilpa begins with being a user friendly Singer App on mobile phones- singing the lines you want to hear, making her voice sweet, sexy, husky as you want it to be, shakes her hips as you please, and literally dances to your tune. In one of the highlights of the play, MD Pallavi- acting as Shilpa, gives a demo of the functioning of this app, by taking inputs from the audience- showing the full range of her voice.
However, do not mistake Shilpa for a simpleton, because hiding behind the garb of innocence, is a deeply insightful woman- who knows the darkest secrets of her users. Interspersed in the play are moments where the stage goes dark and Shilpa's haunting voice reveals distinctly uncomfortable truths about her users' personal lives.
The play also touches upon the lives of two struggling artists in the entertainment industry. One, a young female playback singer, incidentally the voice for Shilpa- the Singer App. Blessed with obvious singing talent and classically trained, the young singer is made to sing songs which not only do not do justice to her vocal ability,  but whose words are explicit in nature, and grossly demeaning to women. Society also questions the young singer at every stage- on her career, her relationships, her plans for marriage.
The second artist featured in the play, is an upcoming film actress, who is married. For the sake of entertaining the audience, she is forced to do scenes which portray women as weak, and objects of pleasure for men. Just like the young singer, she is also questioned by society at every instance- on her interactions with other men, how she balances her personal and professional life, how her earning more than her husband would create problems in the household and so on.
MD Pallavi moves from one character to the next effortlessly and delivers each role with equal intensity.
The play of course revolves around Shilpa, and a brand new version is soon unveiled. This is no longer, the sweet, obedient Shilpa that we were introduced to at the start of the play. Shilpa is no longer dictated to by the whims and fancies of her users. Although still driven by user input, she now takes decisions of her own, any desire of the user unagreeable to her is bluntly rejected. Soon, the transformation is complete. The final version of Shilpa has broken all barriers, and not only is it independent of user input, it can now program itself. In fact, Shilpa has upgraded herself to such an extent, that she is able to penetrate the minds of her users and make them act as per her wishes. The transformation of Shilpa, is mirrored by the other  two lady protagonists, who also rebel against societal norms and stereotypical professional expectations, and continue  their quest to carve out a distinct identity for themselves.
Overall C sharp C Blunt succeeds in portraying the gamut of emotions, that a woman, particularly one striving to build a career of her own, goes through. It also displays the evolution of the modern woman in a very novel manner, and brings to light the stereotypical notions that society still has regarding women. A strikingly different plot, clever use of technology without overdoing it, are also some of the aspects of the play which make it a treat to watch. However, what I would remember the most as a theatre lover, was MD Pallavi's performance. Her stage presence, her vocal range, the elegance in her movement, and the power that she exuded in her expressions- especially through her eyes, was remarkable. As an audience you would almost feel that you were part of the play, and it is you on whom Shilpa is venting her fury. This play was one for the ages, and would transport you to a different level of consciousness, truly a psychedelic experience !!!!

ABOUT ME:- A FACE IN THE DARK

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being” -Oscar Wilde
People who have been involved with theatre or have been witness to it on a regular basis know exactly what the great Oscar Wilde meant.In no other artistic medium is there such an intimate interaction between the artist and the audience. 
And it is us, the audience, the faces in the dark , that inspire the actors on stage to great heights of accomplishment, and are the source of sustenance for this pristine performing art. 
I have been on the other side of the fence few times, myself but first and foremost I consider myself a face in the dark who is captivated by the magic of the stage. Through this blog, I would like to share my views on the plays I see, and on theatre in general from the perspective of that hazy figure visible to the actor while performing, who is left in wonder at the skill of the performer.