A dramatic comment on the modern malaise of miscommunication was showcased in the form of a Tamil play, ‘Thavaraha Purinthu Kondu’ by an amateur theatre troupe at the Rasika Ranjana Sabha’s FGN Hall on Sunday.
Based on a translation of 'Le Malentendu' ('The Misunderstanding') by Algerian-French playwright Albert Camus, ‘Thavaraha Purinthu Kondu’ was the 35th production of Tiruchi Nataka Sangam. The script was translated by N. Jambunathan, from the English version by Christopher Williams. Five students from the Department of English Literature of the Rabiammal Ahamed Maideen College for Women in Tiruvarur - ML Swetha, S. Sangeetha, S. Keerthana, M. Shanmathi and MT Minnath Fathima – formed the cast of the play, directed by R. Akila, assistant professor of English at the college.
The plot is about Jan, a young man who has been away from home for 20 years. He meets his mother and sister Martha, who are running an inn with the help of a taciturn old manservant.
Expecting to be welcomed as the prodigal son, Jan is surprised when his own kin fail to recognise him. So he decides to stay overnight in the inn under a false name, in order to find out what they really need to make them happy. What he doesn’t know (or rather doesn’t understand) is that his mother and sister kill rich solitary travellers for a living, and he is their next target.
Keerthana, who played the naïve and trusting Jan, was the perfect foil to Swetha, who essayed the conflicted yet calculating character of Martha. Among the moments that stood out were the graphic description of death enacted by the mother (played by Sangeetha). Her mood of exhaustion, contrasted with the exceptionally dense Jan, who said without a trace of irony, “This is the room that will give me all the answers.”
Minnath Fathima as the brooding manservant and Shanmathi as the emotional Maria also gave noteworthy performances.
‘Thavaraha Purinthu Kondu’ was a departure from the typical weekend Tamil stage play, despite the occasional failure of microphones.
