Rashoman - the name is awe-inspiring, owing to the classic Akira Kurosawa film made in 1950 that was itself derived from a play by the same name. Now a play Rashoman based on Kurosawa’s film will be staged in the city.
Intrigued, we approach the team at Phoenix Arena and find rehearsals are in full swing. Two artistes stand in a corner and the scene opens with a priest at rashomon, the gate at the end of the city. As he waits for the rain to stop, the priest is joined by a woodcutter and a thief; the trio discuss court proceedings. Narrated in a flashback, the story is about a couple — a zamindar from a village who is murdered and his wife raped. In the court, the story takes a turn each time a new suspect emerges. “With different perceptions and interpretations, the case becomes complicated and the story creates suspense,” states Surendra Pal Thanmurti Singh of Oomph Dramatics and Acting Studio. Surendra, a drama teacher at Oakridge International School, has designed and directed the play Rashomon in an effort to raise funds for young boy Kilaru Harigved who is suffering from a blood cancer. “Kilaru’s father is a staffer at Oakridge and we are doing our bit to support the family.”
The play has only seven artistes, each performing two roles. In the format of environmental theatre, the play is staged across three locations — at an outgate, jungle and court. Phoenix Arena’s green and rocky environs seem perfect for such a production. “The scenes take place at three places and the audience can watch them by turning their heads. Seating is arranged to suit this,” he states, adding that though the technique is old, few t heatre directors attempt it. The jungle scenes are enacted amidst the trees, court scenes on a stage and the outgate scenes on a rock behind the stage.
This is Surendra’s second stint as a drama teacher at Oakridge. Speaking of the theatre scenario that is slowly picking up in his native town of Aligarh, he says, “Delhi has a vibrant theatre scene but that is not the case with Aligarh, which is just 150 kilometres away from the Capital. When I started my theatre studio, I told young artistes that I can train them as artistes but won’t be able to give work in films.They were hesitant at first, but came around eventually. We started with a small team and now there are 25 artistes who work on a regular basis.”
