Silent dimensions

V. R. DEVIKA looks at the efforts of a Chennai-based theatre project that aims to voice gender-related themes through traditional theatre forms, making use of the skills and professionalism of an all-woman cast.

TATAKAI, Amba and Nalayani.. Three women from the epics and mythology. Three different personalities and much misunderstood ...

Tatakai, the forest dweller, was the mother of Maricha. In the Ramayana, she prevents anyone entering the forest. The sages who needed to clear areas to undertake penance and conduct yagas take the help of Rama to get rid of her ...

Amba, the young queen, wanted to marry the King of Salwa. But because Bheeshma wanted to perpetuate the dynasty at Hastinapura, he defeated the King of Salwa and took away Amba with her sisters Ambika and Ambalika to be married to the prince Vichitraveerya. Amba pleaded with Bheeshma that she was in love with the King of Salwa and that she should be returned to him. Bheeshma agreed to do so. But Salwa refused to accept her as she had been won in a humiliating battle against him. When she returned to Bheeshma, he refused to accept her either, as he had vowed to be single. Amba consigned herself to flames vowing revenge for being treated so badly and decided to bring about the death of Bheeshma in the next birth.

Nalayani, the previous birth of Draupadi, is cited as the epitome of womanhood. She was married to sage Moudgalya and took great care to treat him with great devotion. Her fame had spread far and wide. Sage Moudgalya became jealous and wanted to test the limits of her patience and devotion.

These three woman characters were taken by the "Voicing Silence" women's theatre project of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and presented in a new light with an all-woman group of professional stage artists in the Isai Natakam form.

Mina Swaminathan, of Voicing Silence, says "This is an experiment in expressing new perspectives and gender-related themes through traditional forms. It is through these kinds of plays that we can reach out to the rural audiences and only through such experiments can we show urban audiences what beauty there is in these forms.

Beauty there is and astonishing professionalism in the women who performed. There is an innate sense of body language, mood of the moment and extreme dignity in the portrayal of any role given to these women.

The women are from families who have been in theatre for generations and, as is expected, the most exploited of the lot. An agent summons them for a play and they have to accept whatever role is given to them. Payment is according to the role and there is a huge cut for the agent and the women wait for months for a call from him. The more popular of them are very busy for most of the playing season. They travel for long distances by bus, walk for miles and reach a performing venue and, of course, have to take little babies in arms and cook and clean before donning the make up and giving an extremely inspiring performance that demands great stamina and a good singing voice. The women accomplish all this without a murmur.

Voicing Silence of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation has conducted a survey of the women performers, documented them in video form and has been looking at their problems. "The idea of creating an all-women play is to give the women something of their own and also to think about stereotypical roles that subjugate woman," says Mina Swaminathan.

In the play "Medai Pesudu", the three characters are looked at in a different angle. Tatakai, the forest dweller, questions the motives of the rishis who destroy the natural beauty of the forests in their quest for moksha and power. She says she has been preventing people from entering the area because they are destroyers of nature. Amba asks Salwa questions about his love. Salwa tells her that he cannot accept her back as she had been won in a battle. She asks him whether he does not go after the enemy to claim land lost in a battle or even cattle. How could the woman be inferior to these? Nalayani, whose husband gets infected with leprosy just to test her patience and asks to be taken to a prostitute saying he was fed up with her, asks him about his views on the female.

The participants in the play underwent workshops to internalise the new ideas. In the first workshop, the participants went through theatre exercises and improvisations and explored the silent dimensions of the woman in the characters like Sita, Kaikeyi, Damayanti, Chandramati and Savitri. "Out of that churning came this play," says Mina Swaminathan.

There are questions that the play asks. "Why does the justice that calls and names Tatakai a demoness because she destroyed the sacrificial fires of the rishis, not see that Rama invaded the space of a ruler who was only protecting her forest space?"

"Why is Amba's rage at being tossed about like a ball from one man to another not seen to be a response to protect her selfhood?"

"Why has Nalayani's agony on realising that her husband tortured her because he could not accept the glory of her devoted and selfless service to him even as a leper, never been registered?"

This attempt to break the "unspeakable" silence within these puranic stories began in a workshop directed by A. Mangai with the support of Mina Swaminathan, Vengadessin and others.

These three tales were elicited from the insights of the workshop and given flesh and blood and woven into a script by Dr. M. S. Gandhi Mary. The women brought in songs that have always been popular from other plays to fit into the script. Some songs and poems needed for the text were composed by poet Inquilab. Vengadessin took part in the workshop and also directed the play that uses a traditional form of presentation but asks new questions about familiar stories to reinforce the feminist perspective.

This is the third play in which this all-woman group of professional stage artists, who work in different drama companies, have come together. They had come together in 1996 to take part in the first women koothu directed by P. Rajagopal of the Kattaikoothu association. The next year, Voicing Silence organised "Kulavai" a workshop to enable women threatre artists of Tamil Nadu to share their personal and professinal experiences. Dr. K. A. Gunasekharan had directed a play "Pavalakodi or family conflict" in 1999.

The women have been encouraged by these experiences and have now thought of forming their own group. They will continue to perform in different drama companies but will available for the all-women group. "We want to give them work in the off season and also challenging roles. Some of these exceptionally good artists get some small role of a thozhi or friend and will have very little to do in them. In this group, they will be able to develop their own potential and will get satisfaction and income," says Mina Swaminathan.

The women can teach modern theatre practitioners a thing or two about body language and professionalism. They take to any role like fish to water and can bring it alive. They know the traditional roles after having seen them performed all their lives and the songs and dialogues have been ingrained in them. But since many are illiterate, doing a new play with new dialogues presents a different kind of challenge. Also the workshops that make them think about themselves as women and to take charge of their own life and decision-making has positive effect on them personally.

The gutsy performance of "Kattiakaran" by Shenbhagavalli and Rupavathi has be to seen to be believed. Totally uninhibited, and with brilliant jokes and songs, S. Andal as King Salwa, E. Malini as Bheeshma, M. Muniammal as Rama, A. Kasturi as rishi Moudgalya had majestic body movements and dialogue delivery. M. Chandra as Nalayani, S. Tamilarasi as Amba, S. Usharani as Tatakai, D. Kanniammal and S. Saraswathi as thozhis, N. Tamilarasi as Dasi gave brilliant performances.

"The script and everything else was group work" says Dr. Gandhi Mary, "it is such a learning experience to work with such professinal artists and such talent". At Pondicherry where the play was staged, the stage was very small and cramped. It was set at the junction of a small busy street and the main road where the vehicles, large and small, kept plying. There was hardly any space for movement and the audience had to stand and watch. Yet the artistes adjusted beautifully. The play started two and a half hours after the scheduled time since there were many speeches to be made to press for Tamil as the language for learning and songs to be sung. But the artistes were patient and did not let all this affect their performance.

While the audience was engrossed in the performance and were completely enjoying it, the organisers wanted to get on with the next segment of their programme and wanted the play to be cut short. When one of them skipped a large chunk of dialogue and went on, none on the stage flinched. They just got along. This is the power of professionalism and dedication to one's profession. A powerful performance indeed!

The play is available for organisers who may be interested in staging it. They may contact Latha at the M. S. Swaminathan Foundation in Chennai.

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