A Tale of Two Treaties , a masked comedy show from Commedia Dell”Arte, is all set to roll out in Bengaluru. A no-script concept surviving on improvisation of characters, the act promises to be an entertainer with one man playing 10 roles in 70 minutes.
Directed by Kathryn Tabone who pursued an MFA in ensemble-based physical theatre from Dell' Arte International School of Physical Theatre from California, A Tale of Two Treaties is a story about the primal drives of lust, hunger and greed.
Kathryn’s fascination for the masked theatre form was the driving force in the evolution of the A tale of two treaties . “A popular form in the West, it is yet to progress in India,” said the Mumbai-based Kathryn over phone. “To be duly established, people must be trained first to perform and this will familiarise everyone with the form,” she says.
The performer, Deepal Doshi, is also Mumbai based. The actor-creator, director and educator says: “It is a form that is gaining a lot of importance among the theatre universities around the world as it is one of the toughest comedy theatre acts. It is very demanding in terms of vocal and physical training. A deep understanding of the character and presence of mind on the part of the actor is required for improvisation,” he points out.
Deepal, who has been trained in various mask and puppetry forms of stage presentation, points out that masks are an indispensable part of this theatre form. “The masks are dramatic, larger than life representations of the characters. Masks are also symbolic of the archetypes in the society: the servants, the masters and the lovers. Once you put the mask on, you have to delve into the character. You can’t rely on your face or eyes for emoting expressions. You body language has to do all the talking. The idea of transcending from a mask on a face to an entire character is what the magic is all about.”
On playing 10 roles in 70 minutes, Deepal says, “I have done quite a bit of theatre in India and have pursued the study of this art form in Sweden and California so it really got me thinking on how I can push myself. That is when the idea of doing an ensemble solo form struck me wherein one actor plays 10 characters. The key to this performance is to engage the audience in such a way that they focus on the story rather than the actor himself which means creating a different body, nature, pace and style for every character.”
Kathryn adds: “It’s a classical art form very much relatable to Indian society. The audience feel much lighter after watching this as laughter is the best way to forget miseries. We are here to share our bit of escapism.”
