A play about the tiger, forests, and human survival, Night’s End , a JustUs Repertory production is presented by SS International and supported by Kalakshetra. Written and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan, the play features Sheejith Krishna and Akhila Ramnarayan. It will be staged at Rukmini Arangam, Kalakshetra, Thiruvanmiyur on December 8 at 7 p.m.
Night’s End is a tale of betrayal, abandonment and loss in which the actions of humans — indigenous peoples, settlers, tourists, the state, the media — affect the fragile eco-system we inhabit. Set in a reserve forest in Rajasthan the play follows the journey of Krishnan Nair. Born into a family of Kathakali artistes, Krishnan runs away from his native village in Kerala, and becomes a forest guard in a tiger sanctuary. In moments of emotional intensity, the Kathakali artiste in him finds solace dancing. Krishnan is revered by the local Mogiya tribe for bringing alive the sights and sounds of the forest through his dance. He raises an abandoned tiger cub, resolving to return her to the wild with the help of his drumming partner Billu Mogiya. The plot moves through his attempts to enlist the help of the tiger-hunting Mogiya tribals to save the tiger, his friendship with Billu, his romance with the tribal woman Chandni, and his encounters with the poaching mafia.
JustUs Repertory is a Chennai-based theatre group launched in 2005. Gowri Ramnarayan, a journalist with a lifetime’s contribution to Indian performing arts has been a member of the Fipresci Jury of critics at international film festivals (London, Venice, Valladolid, Oslo, Mumbai).
Dancer-choreographer-actor Sheejith Krishna studied, then taught, at Kalakshetra for 21 years. He now directs his own Sahrdaya Foundation for the arts.
Actor-writer Akhila Ramnarayan has worked with JustUs Repertory since 2007. She teaches at the Asian College of Journalism, and is a founding member of Sahradaya Foundation.
The play is open to persons above the age of 13. For details call 98400 89030.
