If an adult watches a production by children for the children he has two sources of enjoyment –– the lively performances on the stage and the spontaneous response of children in the auditorium, breaking the concept of the fourth wall. The interplay between the child audience and child performer is thrilling. Such an occasion was provided by Umang which presented “Pustakraj” this past week at Shri Ram Centre. It was also a theatrical event to look back with nostalgia at the great exciting productions directed by the late Rekha Jain who founded Umang in 1979 to provide creative platform for children drawn from different classes to foster in them a sense of unity through creativity and to enhance their aesthetic sensibility.
With her background of working with Indian People’s Theatre Association beginning as an actress in Sambhu Mitra’s production of “Antim Abhilasha”, she rose to become an icon for those working in children’s theatre. She died in 2010 while preparing to conduct a theatre workshop.
As a culmination of workshop, “Pustakraj” is part of Umang’s annual festival which is witnessed by children, parents and lovers of children theatre. The production vibrates with youthful enthusiasm, engrossing narrative, conveying the message that books deserve to be loved and handled with care. It is all about books, books children love to read. It is an ingenious way to personify a wide range of books through the imagery formed by child artists.
Based of Shanta Gandhi’s play in Gujarati, “Pustakraj” is written by Rekha Jain who staged it for Umang in 1980. It became a favourite with the children and Umang again mounted it under her direction in 1991. The production under review is directed by Harish Verma, a multi-faceted artist having availed himself the opportunity to work with Umang under the inspiring guidance of Rekha Jain for a long time.
A child participant in the theatre workshop is initiated to a variety of performing arts like dance, singing and acting. The whole exercise is unaffected and the atmosphere is cordial. The process of learning is through playing various theatre games. The result is a show which brings joy to the audience and to the performers a sense of creative satisfaction.
The play opens with Himanshu and his sister Anju fighting and in the process throwing their books at each other, tearing pages of books. After wasting their energy and time damaging books and fighting they get tired and fall asleep. The opening sequences are treated in a realistic style, and then begins the world of fantasy. The brother and sister confront angry books who appear before them as living entity in their dream.
The fantasy reveals the world of books, who have their own king addressed by books as “Pustakraj” with reverence. The king is an embodiment of benevolence but firm when required. His court maintains high decorum. The books shabbily treated by brother and sister appear before the king, narrating their tale of suffering at their hands. The tormentors are brought before the court of the king.
The play unfolds on a bare stage with adequate property to create suggestively the required ambience for the action. The movements, the songs, colourful costumes and acting are blended to create a production which is visually and aurally absorbing.
The best part of the production tends to be the court of “Pustakraj” which has colour, fun, suspense and drama. Here are popular books that tell the story of great fictional characters who appear in the court. We meet Cinderella with her beautiful slipper, holding the hand of her Prince Charming. Our sympathies are with her, who after living in the most oppressive atmosphere under the tyranny of her step-sisters and step-mother, suddenly acquires the most exalted position. Then appears Ali Baba, being chased by forty thieves. An impoverished Ali Baba gets immense wealth. He is followed by Red Riding Hood with a beautiful basket carrying food for her grandmother. She is being followed by Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat the granny, Red Riding Hood and the food. The little beautiful girl is determined to defeat the wolf in his evil design.
One of the persons, who pay respect to the king, is a bagpiper, who is followed by rats to be drowned in a sea to liberate a kingdom from their menace. Then comes the “Jungle Book” written by Rudyard Kipling with its hero Mowgli. The song “Jungle Jungle Pata Chala Hai” enhances the cheerful ambience. And then brother-sister duo come, promising to handle books with care and love realising that it is through reading books our future is brightened up, inspiring us to be gentle and humane.
It is an entertaining and enlightening evening in theatre indeed.
