Comedy is the flavour of the weekend at Adishakti with two fun-filled plays to be staged back-to-back during the third week of the Remembering Veenapani Festival.
The weekender festival starts on Saturday with a musical comedy Piya Behrupiya from the Company Theatre in Maharashtra which is a Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night . How Cow Now Cow , a laugh riot for children, will be staged on Sunday.
The musical comedy is about two campaigns being quietly waged in the household of Olivia, by the lovesick Duke Orsino against the heart of the indifferent Lady Olivia and the other by the servants against the high-handedness of her steward the pompous Malvolio. When Orsino engages the cross-dressed Viola to plead with Olivia on his behalf, a bittersweet chain of events follows.
The Twelfth Night combines cruelty with high comedy and the pangs of unrequited love with some of the subtlest poetry and most exquisite songs Shakespeare wrote. This was translated into Hindi by Amitosh Nagpal. With a traditional music score, this play has won accolades at the World Shakespeare Festival in London.
Director Atul Kumar has filled the musical comedy with a cast of unforgettable characters. On the model of Adishakti, he is creating a residential space for art in rural Maharashtra. “Veenapani Chawla is my teacher, spiritual and creative guru,” he said.
Vinay Kumar K.J., managing trustee and artistic director, Adishakti, said that Piya Behrupiya has travelled across the world and it is one of the most staged plays from India. “They have a close association with the Adishakti since they are creating a similar space in Maharashtra. We thought this could be a befitting tribute to Veenapani,” he said.
On Sunday evening, a play specially dedicated for children would be staged. How Cow Now Cow play is set in a magical farm filled with happy animals and one grumpy cow.
This play employs object theatre, shadow puppetry, music, dance and story telling to steer young children into a world that goes far beyond the farm. It allows children to see, interact, and interpret the story in different ways. This 55-minute play directed by Vinod Ravindran is for people of all age groups.
How Cow Now Cow has been staged at the National Children’s Theatre Festival of Kerala, Kottayam (CHITOK); Jagriti Kids Carnival, Bangalore; Soorya Festival, Trivandrum; National Children’s Theatre Festival, Guwahati.
