DISCOVERING LIFE

Losing skin,
Losing love, family and kin.
Letting go,
Letting time and tide flow.

Slowing down,
Acquiring smile in place of frown.
Picking pieces,
Re-setting the spoilt creases.

Shedding anger,
Felling its growths with a panga.
Sacrificing pride,
Losing a face, a hide.

Looking on,
As kin weep and move on.
Holding dear,
Every heartfelt tear.

It is new,
Unlike anything I ever knew.
Being dead,
Being a story once lovingly read.

BAUDOLINO -- A Masterful Adventure.

It is famously referred to as Eco's Book Of Lies. A treat of a read, filled with the most fabulous of adventures ever brought on paper. In Baudolino, Eco has given us the most memorable of protagonists; a man who lies, cheats, misleads, causes battles, creates fradulent myths, and yet comes out as a morally adorable person.

The canvas of the novel is rich in its content and pleasurable in the quality of its narrative. A host of captivating characters move in and out of Baudolino's life.

It is most defiantely Eco's best. Both in the plot and the quality of writing that he strives to maintain. Humor and Irony are abundant in this scintilating adventure where a poet, a moorish musician, a jewish rabbi, a turkish knight, and a a few other friends join forces with Baudolino on a journey to discover the lands of the far east that seem to have come right out of Baudolino's Imagination.

A man who fooled a King, who caused a King to enter the third crusade, who cooked up the myths of the Magi bodies and the holy grail, who made up the story about a lost land and the lost jewish tribes, who fell in love with a Roman queen, a peasent girl, and a goat-woman...will steal your hearts and expose the sham that history really is.

AMADEUS...

And now...The theatre fest got all the more exciting with the re-enactment of Peter Shaffer's controversial play - Amadeus. The Original though had been quite a controversy in itself. Amadeus had been, in course of its rise to fame, at one time, been a movie too. It was a perfect recipie for controversy- a possible murder of a great musical figure - Mozart. By Salieri, a notable composer himself.

To add to the impertinence, the story unfolds from Salieri's point of view, making absolute mockery of the genius musician Mozart. Although historical evidence seems to suggest both ways, the writer seems to have assumed theatrical lisence in his potrayal of charaters.

The Chennai theatre fest version was done well, the potrayals were good, and the fest got spicier.

A Valiant Song !!

The play that began as softly as a melodic song went on just like that untill it ended, after which it lived on in the hearts of its viewers like a sweet tune that stuck to the lips. The story about a an old man who struggles to come to terms with the desire of his young and vibrant grand daughter to catch a train to the city to make her dreams come true, was sincierly brought to life by the cast that comprised of just two.

The same actor playing the both the key roles of a white man who is a writer, and a black man who is a poor farmer showed not just the versatality of the actor but also the sincierity of the director who chose to be as true as possible to the original South African play.

The performances were out of the ordinary, and worthy of a class theatre act.

Kudos to the team !! It goes to their credit that inspite of the sadly lesser turnout, the hall resonated with applause that simulated an overflowing house.

Shadow Boxed!!

Some one came out of the serene shadow and boxed the hell out of the Shah's patience. Why does Madras Players so often than not perform below par collectively inspite of each actor having given a perfect to the T performance? Is something worth pondering upon.

The play is about death. Its about, in some cases the fear of what lies beyond, and in some cases tha abadon that accompanies the knowledge that the end is near. Its about severed lives, and shattered hopes.

An old lady dying in the vain hope that her favourite daughter is coming to see her while the daughter herself is dead and is alive only in the fake letters written by the one daughter who loves her beyon meassure.

A man past his prime, dying with the knowledge that he leaves behind nothing of any worth, except a wife who refuses to acknowledge whats coming and a son who does not know whats coming.

A failed writer trying to live it up to the full in his last moments.

All performances that stick with you.

It could have done so much more had it been shorter, with dialogues clipped down at some key points.

A BRITISH AFFAIR ALRITE...



The evening began with a stutter, someone should have warned the Shah that there was going to be no story. Two hours of music was peppered with a few jokes, some of which were worthy of laughs. One must say that the duo of Mark Waite and Matt Jasper are very good singers indeed, their ability to do justice to all kinds of songs is indeed admirable. Ian Lee, the pianist from Singapore was steller perfect in what he did, and his flawless performance was what held the show (Notice how the Shah doesnt use 'play' but uses 'show'? Well, cuz thats what it was ) together.

A few numbers had their moments, like the slow classic that went ' ...Phantom shadows on the floor.....empty tables empty chairs...where my friends would meet no more...' and 'Agony' - which was both good to the hear and listen (both very different things, mind you!).

There were a few jokes as the Shah said...that were worthy of laughs... like when Mark admonishes Jasper in mid-sentence sayin 'I dont think you can say 'tits' in chennai'. Or when Jasper as the devil announces that there are no toilets in hell because the bibl;e promises of a punishment without 'relief'. The rest of the stuff was just mediocre. Some of the off colour jokes drew laughs because a) people wanted it known that they understood them b) people wanted to show that chennai is forward too.

The Hindu says that " A Very British Affair', strangely enough, was born at a party " and that Shah thinks is where it belongs - in a party. It might be good entertainment watching old classics mutated and well known figures satired upon, but with no story nor substance nor any credible thought to convey, it ought not to call itself theatre.

The Shah cannot be blamed for putting it here, hell ! He even loves it.

Unakku Pasikkum Neram Parthu
Enakku Naane Pasikkavaithen
Neram Thavaramal,
Nanbargalodu Vandhu Serndhen
Unnai Paarthukonde Amarnthen
Siru Neeram Kavalai Ellam Maranthen
Thodangiyathu...Ilavasa Darisanam
Unavodu...Paarvaigalum Palavidam
Inithathu....Ne sindiya Punnagai Anaithu
Kasakavaithathu...Ne Mugathai Thirupiyathu
Pesavillai, Pazhagavilai
Uravaum Illai, Selavum Illai
Oru Idaivelikkul Odum Thodarkathai Idhu
Indru Nirithinaal, Nalai Thodarum Idhu

And Thats That.