PROLOGUE (Wahoudok) by Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal had the rare honor of opening the National School of Drama’s (NSD) satellite festival in Mumbai on 6th January 2008. Directed by veteran theatre person Ratan Thiyyam, the play while being lofty in thought and sentiment was no match for Thiyyam’s earlier creation- NINE HILLS AND A VALLEY. Apart from the impressive narration, the technique in terms of brilliant lighting in some instances, the innovative use of costumes and property was what came across more strongly than the actual content. Besides these techniques too were repetitive and have been seen in Thiyyam’s earlier work.

Secondly the play had many dialogues and without knowing a word of the language, it was terribly frustrating to sit through the performance and miss all the poetic expressions. All one could do was to watch the series of beautiful but static groupings moving at the same spot in characteristic Natya Shashtra Tradition that has percolated down to folk and regional theatres. An important point however is that Thiyyam is a master of Manipur’s culture and of its Performing Arts and rightly wants to insulate his theatre from from popular commercialization by extending the boundaries of purity in art. This makes his work unique and authentic but at the same time it restricts his theatre to go full-fledged out into the wide world and convey its ethos.

One wonders why subtlety was lacking or why a scene by scene synopsis was not provided? I am sure the dialogues must be poignant but the entire point was lost to us, Mumbai audiences. A play in an unfamiliar language can gain from symbolic body movements and subtitles would help to understand and appreciate the work to a greater extent. As per the synopsis given to the press and the audience the play has four scenes strung together. Scene one begins with the Narrator singing the glory of the Almighty and the story of the creation of the universe. He invokes the Divine Mother and her seven manifestations spring out of the book and join the narration. And ultimately man comes to life. In the second scene the Divine Mothers blesses him, feeds him ambrosia. It is an age when humanity and divinity together enjoy the bounties of Nature. The Maichousing (the Seven Wise Men) predict a bleak future for mankind in the third scene:’ Men will turn into beasts. They will stop loving one another. Man will devour Man. Fire-breathing mouths of rich nations will annihilate the weaker nations. Fortresses will start fighting one another. Fire will start burning with earth as wick and water as fuel. Killing and wanton murder and kidnapping will be rampant; news of war and devastation will reverberate in all four directions. Wrong pens will start inscribing on official scrolls. Purses of dignitaries will burst at the seams. The play ends with beauty of Mother Earth.

Thiyyam concludes the play with warning and hope-‘In this globalize world of ours technical progress has reached new heights in every field of knowledge. Yet mankind reels under pain and suffering. There lies the irony.’ Theatre audiences who have seen Ratan Thiyyam’s work for the first time were awed by the imaginative use of theatre techniques and accessories. With his kind of ingenuity surely he can do better by making his play’s narrative more accessible. The general feeling in the audience was ‘It was great, but wish I had followed the story’. Indian audiences look for the story along with the astonishing performance. And PROLOGUE while having both, was not successful in communicating the former.

*The writer is a senior theatre and television person who has trained under Ebrahim Alkazi at the National School of Drama (NSD). She has written for publications such as ‘The Asian Age’ and is a regular contributor to the Prithvi Theatre Newsletter (PT Notes). She also offers theatre training to students at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is an important critical voice for the Gujarati Theatre.

Tell us what you think of this Review

More Review ... And Indrajeet 36 Ghante A Day At The Mall A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Review of Prithvi Theatre Festival 06' A Snapshot Review of the Prithvi Festival 07' A Special Bond Aastha Acid Ad’s Live Show And Aaina Adhla Hari Gharo Ghari Akash Andhe Choohe Antaryatra Antigone Apurva Avsar Aranyadhipati Tantiya Art Baa Bapuji Ni Twenty-Twenty Bade Bhaisahab And Garam Kamra Bali aur Shambhu BEYOND THERAPY Bikhre Bimb Bilquis Bano Black with 'Equal' Butterflies Are Free Chaaru Aaru Ityadi Chotu Class of 84 Collaborators Cotton 56 Polyester 84 Daayara Dance Like A Man Dayashankar Ki Diary Delirium Devna Didhel Electronic City End Of Season Erendira Evam Indrajit Filth Flower Freeze Madhe Thevlele Prem Full of Joy Giribala Girija Kalyana Gotya Hair Ho Rahega Kuchh Na Kuchh Ho Sakta Hai Do Aadmi Do Khursiyan Hum Deewane Hum Parwane Hum Nahin Sudhreinge Hum Rahe Na Hum I'm Not Bajirao Jazz Jinku Ya Dahahi Disha Jivaat Jeev Ghutmala Kaifi Aur Main Kalapi Kashmakash Katha Collage Lali Lila Lose Control Lovin' Bombay Mahabharata Manaskhor Mareez Mastana Rampuri Urf, Chappan Chhuri Matra Ratra Me Kash & Cruise Measure for Measure Metamorphosis Minor Matters Mityabhiman & Mojila Manilal Mritunjay Namak Mirch Nati Binodini Norway.Today Numbers In The Dark O’Lear Once Upon A... Tiger! Patra Mitro PEELE SCOOTERWALA AADMI Perchance to Dream Please Divorce Me Darling Prologue Pune Highway Raccontinni Raj-Rakt, Zulva & Dhol Tashe Rishtey - Natey Robinson And Crusoe Round Table Conference Sandhya Chaya Sarphire Seema Badnam Hain Shakkar Ke Panch Daane Shakya Ashakya Sonata Still Single Tay Pudhe Gele Thaamb Lakshmi Kunku Laavte That Time The Caucasian Chalk Circle The Edge The Open Couple The Prophet The Respectable Prostitute The Seagull The Suit The Thespo Youth Theatre Festival 2006’ Three New Mumbai Productions = More Power to India Tik 20 & Soda and The Red Dress Time To Tell A Tale Tran Gujarati Tu & Troubadour Turel Under The Influence Vadani Kaval Gheta Vagina Monologues Vedhapashya Vivekanand Water Lilies Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hain