Relationships get played out at a brand new theatre

There's a new theatre venue in town and the good news is that it will be inaugurated with the English play Nine Faces of Being directed by theatre veteran Arundhati Raja. We welcome Jagriti

There's a new theatre venue in town and the good news is that it will be inaugurated with the English play Nine Faces of Being directed by theatre veteran Arundhati Raja. We welcome Jagritiu00a0

At the beginning of 2011, theatre stalwarts Arundhati and Jagdish Raja have gifted their 30-year-old dream to Namma Oru Bengaluru in the form of Jagriti, a space for performing arts. With a small restaurant, bookshop and auditorium that can accommodate nearly 200 people, Jagriti is a result of seven years of dedicated toil. Today, Jagriti in Whitefield is ready to open its doors to the public with the brand new play Nine Faces of Being.

The new play Nine Faces of Being opens at the new Jagriti
Theatre in Whitefield today

Written by city-based author Anita Nair based on her novel Mistress, this English play is directed by Raja.
Explaining that an informal chat with Nair led Nine Faces of Being to be the first play staged at Jagriti, Raja says, "The play is neither a tragedy nor a comedy.u00a0 It is all about human relationu00a0ships and how we try to juggle with our beliefs and what we are expected to do."

With the classical Indian dance form Kathakali as the backdrop, Nine Faces of Being explores each of the nine rasas of Navarasas, a Sanskrit word that defines the fundamental energy and dominant emotional theme in any work of art. In fact, the emotions of all the characters in the play are expressed through various rasas like Shringara, Bhaya and so on. However, Raja clarifies that this is not a dance drama and she has been careful to keep Kathakali at the background.

Confessing that it was a challenge that production design should not be overshadowed by Kathakali motifs, Raja reveals, "The dance is in the background, while the play is about what happens to the characters as humans. The music by Nair, a mix of western and classical music, was also composed keeping all this in mind."

The story begins when an American young man Chris Stewart arrives at a Kerala riverside resort to meet Koman, a famous Kathakali dancer. Here Chris also meets Koman's niece Radha, who is married to Shyam. Chris enters into the colourful world of Kathakali masks and realises that despite being all about expressions and passion, here all emotions remain unexpressed.

From the beginning, Radha and her uncle find themselves drawn to this young visitor. Matters take a turn when Radha falls for Chris and her relationship with Shyam starts getting affected. Koman, a silent observer watches all this and tries cautioning the lovers by retelling the tale of his affair with Angela. According to Raja, the play deals with problems like adultery in marriage and the relentless fights that artistes undertake to maintain integrity of their art against commercialisation.

Describing all the characters as strong and real, Raja admits, "I have purposely not structured it like a soliloquy. Each character describes his or her emotional turmoil through a monologue. In this way they can interact with the audience and involve them in the play."

At: Jagriti Theatre, Varthur Road, Whitefield
On: from January 12 to 23, 8 pm Sundays, 3.30 pm
Call: 99000 94754 For Rs 250 and Rs 600 (Combo Theatre-supper)

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