Kumarane Valavane and the members of his Puducherry-based Indianostrum Theatre, are jubilant. The newer version of their production, Karuppu , premièred in March this year at Rangasankara, Bengaluru, and in May at Theatre Du Soleil, Paris. The play was also staged in Chennai this past week at the Alliance Francaise of Madras. And now, for the next upcoming three weekends they will be performing in Puducherry.
The play explores the relationship that humans have had with darkness since time immemorial. “Karuppu (black) is a common concept in Tamil culture. We have had deities such as Karuppan and Karuppayee even during the pre-vedic period. Humans did believe that darkness as something divine and conceived it as an element that would protect them (black stones are placed at the entrance to the villages to ward off diseases), and therefore they also surrender to the dark. I also think that darkness that pervades the universe cannot be controlled by the inhabitants of the world,” says Valavane, the director.
Karuppu is a theatre dance-drama based on stories from Greek and Hindu mythology. It explores the dynamics between male and female as seen as dual conceptsin ancient Indian Sankhya philosophy. “ Karuppu is the vision of a world born simply from the union between Pakriti (the feminine) and Purusha (the masculine). This union between energy and consciousness and the dynamic of a whole universe are as fragile as the relationship between man and woman.” The play has taken five popular woman characters from mythology and literature.
PUDUCHERRY, 30/09/2015: (For Page 2) Koumarane Valavane, founder of Indianostrum Theatre in Puducherry. Photo: S.S. Kumar
Iphigenia, who was sacrificed by her father; Ophelia who committed suicide as she was abandoned by Hamlet, Clytemnestra who murdered her extremely violent husband, Medea who killed her children in order to take revenge on her immensely oppressive husband and goddess Kaali , who destroyed Purusha (Shiva) and stamped him with her feet...all of them find their way into the play.
The play goes on to imagine what harmony can be created with energy as symbolised by Prakriti, and ends with a new vision of man-woman relationship, the beginning of a new cycle and the great possibility of rebuilding.“I think the audience will react to this play at a subconscious level and build their own story in their minds.”
Cinema to stage
There is an interesting story behind how Indianostrum Theatre ended up with its own space for staging its production in Puducherry. An old colonial cinema theatre, Pathe Cine Familial, on the beach front, which was under the control of the church, today has been converted into auditorium for Indianostrum Theatre.
“The priest of the church, Michael John, agreed to transform this old cinema to suit stage performances to be used exclusively for us. Prior to that it was used rented for small parties. He was impressed with our work and the amount of hardwork that goes on behind each of our production,” says Kumarane Valavane. Today, many young people come forward to work with us as they are also inspired by this colonial building, he says.
Karuppu will be performed at Indianostrum Theatre, No 7, Romain Rolland Street, on November 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) at 7 pm. For details, call 9578302087.
