Journey into the lives of Chudamani’s seven female protagonists through this stage adaptation by Madras Players

Inspired by the strong feminist perspective portrayed by the prose of Tamil writer R Chudamani, Madras Players’ ode to the writer comes in the form of an original stage adaptation. Directed by noted thespian and voice artist P C Ramakrishna, the play that has been staged on multiple occasions in Chennai will make its debut in the city. Created for the stage, the 90-minute play features seven short stories, four of which were translated by (Retd) Justice Prabha Sridevan in the book, Seeing in the Dark. 

At the centre

The piece showcases multiple facets of its female protagonists who as portrayed by the writer herself were self-aware and ahead of their times. “Chudamani’s women speak gently, yet firmly of the battles fought within the home and outside on a daily basis,” explains Ramakrishna. Created as one cohesive narrative for the stage, the play will include the character of Chudamani played by Nikhila Kesavan who adapted the play for the stage. A constant through the 90 minutes, this character will play the part of the narrator in one act, a listener in another, an actor in the next... “Chudamani is the central character that will make the narrative one seamless piece,” Ramakrishna says. 

Snapshots of the past

The play was recently staged in Trichy as the first English play in the city and saw a turn out of over 400 people in the audience. “The stories of Chudamani, though written by a woman in the ’70s is very topical and relevant to women in  a contemporary context.” A cast of 19 actors, the stage setting will use simple props like benches, cassette players and Tamil movie posters to create a sense of the time which they were written in.  

Native tongue

The oldest English theatre troupe in the country, its inception dating back to 1955, PC Ramakrishna tells us that the play is part of Madras Players’ mission to bring stories from the Indian vernacular to an audience that has grown up on English theatre. “We had the likes of Snehalata Reddy, Ammu Mathew, Girish Karnad who were part of the troupe in the ’70s and ’80s. By the ’90s almost 90 to 95 percent of our plays were translations or Indian writing in English. And what we have found in the process is that our audience has grown exponentially, because Indian themes appeal to them. For many of our audience, these plays revisit memories of short stories that they may have read growing up.”   

Hosted by the Round Table India and Ladies Circle India in the city as a fundraiser for the education of underprivileged rural girls, Chudamani will also be showcased at Auroville at the end of the month. 

Tickets start at Rs 500 upwards. At Mani School Auditorium. On March 17. From 6.30 pm.