Preview The Indian adaptation of American playwright Lee Blessing’s A Walk In The Woods will be performed by Rajit Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah in the city
Marking actor Ratna Pathak Shah’s directorial debut in theatre, A Walk In The Woods by Lee Blessing will be performed by Rajit Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah today.
The original version of A Walk In The Woods portrays a conversation between a Russian and American diplomat, along the sidelines of a peace talk in Geneva. Motley Productions has adapted the script to depict a conversation between a Pakistani and an Indian diplomat. In the midst of peace negotiations, the duo decide to take a ‘walk in the woods’, where they have a more meaningful conversation, instead of the usual rhetoric that characterises most diplomatic interactions, to resolve differences between their nations.
Ratna Pathak Shah, in a phone interview, says that the “conflict in the drama is depicted through conversation, between two different personalities and ways of looking at the world, while also revealing the value of person-to-person contact in a conflict situation.”
Salim Arif had first suggested Ratna Pathak to stage the play, and Randeep Hooda and Faisal Rashid had begun work on it, but Ratna realised that the play needed more work. Eventually, Naseeruddin Shah and Rajit Kapoor were roped in to perform the lead roles.
Ratna who has been associated with theatre for a long time says that the experience of directing is not particularly new for her. “There is a fair amount of commonality between Naseer’s directorial style and mine,” adding on a lighter note, “It did bring with a sense of responsibility, which came as a shock. Earlier, my suggestions were often taken into account, but now, as I am the director, my decision is final.”
Ratna’s interest in theatre essentially lies in the business of acting and training actors. A script’s appeal, for both Naseer and Ratna, is “the manner in which words are arranged to express complex emotions.”
As far as the overall production is concerned, Ratna believes in keeping the sets minimal.
A Walk In The Woods , presented by Motley Theatre group, will be performed at Chowdiah Memorial Hall today at 7.30 p.m.
Donor passes in the denominations of Rs. 3000, Rs. 2000, Rs.1000, Rs. 750, Rs. 500 and Rs. 300 are available on www.indianstage.in, www.bookmyshow.com and India Foundation for the Arts office, Apurva, No. 259, 4th Cross, RMV 2nd Stage.
For details call 23414681.
SRAVASTI DATTA
