Theatre Ko, a start-up trying to set up theatre activities in Kovoor, is hosting Chennai Kalai Kuzhu, an amateur theatre group of committed individuals with a prolific record of serious theatre activity in Tamil Nadu, as they present an open-air play Payanam, which literally means ‘the journey’ in Tamil.
Founded by Sugumar, Prem Kumar and Prasanna, Theatre Ko aims at providing the audiences in the outskirts like Kovur a chance to experience good stage productions. Prasanna says, “We thought why should theatre be limited only to Alwarpet, Nungambakkam, and areas inside the city? Theatre should be experienced by all. And that’s why we thought of hosting Chennai Kalai Kuzhu’s play Payanam.”
The plot revolves around a group of people who, in distress, migrate from their native villages to the metropolis. The play deals with the anguish, sorrow, love, hatred, joy and the little celebrations of these migrated people.
The narrative of the play is built through scenes, images, songs, rhythmic movements and choreography. An important character in this play Nagara devan (Lord of the city), represents the hierarchal forces of the city, thereby, in a way plays the part of the narrator.
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“This play is a contextual response to the forceful eviction of the people who were living on the banks of the Buckingham canal in the late ’90s. The people who have been living there for 80 years with the pattas (needful documents) were also evicted. In fact, they are the people who have contributed to the development of the city for the last several decades as a construction worker, tram worker, taxi and auto drivers, factory worker, and so on,” says Pralayan, director of the play.
He continues, “Now in another phase of the development, they have plucked them out of the city which they have built. In this background, this play begins as a story of the people who are searching for shelter and unfolds as a story of the migrant workers.”
This play was originally produced in a 10-day residential workshop in the year 1997.
Chennai Kalai Kuzhu was formed in the year 1984. Since its inception, the major emphasis of its work are in the development, understanding and spreading out the ‘political – open air theatre’ as an art form with a distinctive language of its own. The group does not, however, restrict itself to any one genre or mode of performance and is equally at ease both in proscenium and open-air spaces. More than 52 odd open-air plays and 7 proscenium plays have been created and staged by Chennai Kalai Kuzhu. They have been performed at several national, regional, and state level theatre festivals. Chennai Kalai Kuzhu is also a much sought after resource group for inputs on theatrical workshops, training and research material for educational institutions.
Entry free.
August 27, 7 pm.
At Sundhareswarar Koil, West Mada Veethi, Kovoor.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @rupsjain