‘Nec Dextrorsum! Nec Sinistrorsum! For those of us who don’t know Latin or are someone who has not passed out of Bishop Cottons, these words may seem meaningless. But for those who have studied in this prestigious institution nestled in the heart of Bengaluru city, the quote brings a tonne of nostalgia. Meaning 'Neither to the right nor to the Left’ from the Bible, the school motto rings louder than before this year as the educational establishment comes to the end of its sesquicentennial celebration (read 150th year). And the Old Cottonians’ Association of Bishop Cotton Boys’ School find no better fitting tribute to give to the school than to present a play directed and performed entirely by Old Cottonians to herald in the festivities ahead of the grand reunion at Old Cottonians’ Day on June 30.
So, for the first time ever, the talented Preetam Koilpillai (Class of 1990) will spearhead the performance of Yasmina Reza’s Art , translated by Christopher Hampton, featuring Kartik Ganapathy (Class of 1991) as Marc, Abhijit Madhwaraj (Class of 2001) as Serge and Chris Avinash (Class of 1992) as Yvan on June 27 and 28 at Jagriti Theatre.
Art is a classic Yasmina Reza powerhouse that brings into sharp focus the chinks in the friendship of three friends - Marc, Serge and Yvan over a piece of art. Set in Paris, it mixes levity with drama over an obscenely expensive painting bought by Serge, which he sees as exquisite and tries to get his friends to see that way too, with bewildering results for all.
Chris says he’s incredibly, madly excited about the whole event. “For someone like me who has been typecast in a musical role usually, this is out of the blue. I’m famous for having people throw things at me,” he laughs and adds: “It’s great to do something where I’m not holding a guitar on stage. Performing Art is a dream come true. Over the last couple of years, nothing has demanded so much from me as this play. The impact is a learning curve for me.”
Karthik points that they updated the play a bit. “We’ve added some modern elements in it which were not there in previous versions. It’s also our school’s moment of pride and it’s a lot of excitement. I also share a deep-rooted connection with the school since my grandfather, my uncle and I studied there and perhaps, someday my kids will go there as well. Cottons is like an adopted family with a legacy of its own. We all respect what we got in school and who it made us. At the end of the day – the school anthem, the motto and the battle cry – it all gave us so much. This is our way of giving back.”
Preetam adds his two bits. “Art is a great script. But for me the experience goes beyond the technicalities of putting a play together. I’ve made friends. The great thing is that over the last few months, we’ve become close and supportive of each other. To me the process of going through the play with these guys is really cool and I’ve enjoyed it immensely.”
The connection with Cottons is absolutely phenomenal, he shares. “The reason why I’m into music and theatre is because of Cottons. It seemed right to do a play as part of the sesquicentennial year. And something like this has never been done before. It’s an interesting thing to be part of.”
What’s the take away from the play? Chris says people are going to find it funny. “Everyone will find a different kind of play. The set doesn’t change even though its three different houses – only one painting changes. It will remind them of themselves with a familiarity of the situations and humour on how silly life can be.”
Karthik says: “Art is also about how friendship transcends everything - characters, words, deeds and who we are. I hope people appreciate the beauty of friendship from the play that also reflects on the friendship we share despite leaving school long ago.”
From the perspective of the 150th year celebrations, what better time to act, one-lines Chris. Preetham echoes the same thought. “I hope this paves the way for other initiatives hopefully. People who have not really known each other before have gotten to know each other now. So it’s brought us together in a much more comprehensive way than online portals. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day.”
The play will be held at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield, on Saturday, June 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. Entry is for 18 years and above. Tickets at Jagriti box office and bookmyshow.com
(The author is also a Cottonian)
