Histrionics come alive on stage at Tagore

Chandigarh Times - October 11, 2002  

Stage show: Famous theatre personality Lushin Dubey's giving solo-performance at Tagore Theatre on Thursday.

BE a good wife and a good mother and you will have space to live in my house," says Medea's husband, a character from Greek mythological, who kills her own children to take revenge on her husband, who had married a much younger girl. "Respect him and love him, and he will let you live in his house," said the wise old nurse. Medea's crisis was, she had to make a choice, if she wanted to remain a proud woman or become a wise woman, by sealing her lips, and let everything be, as it had been.

A parallel tale from Rajasthan, written by Vijaydan Detha, narrates a tale of a king's court, where a mehatrani (sweeper woman) comes, asking for justice, because her twelve year old daughter had been raped by the pundit of the court, who was, in fact, her father. The Raja, the Diwan and even the court jester silence their women by telling them that man need to have change of taste. One day, it is the Rani who calls the court to declare, she will get justice for the sweeper woman's daughter. She declares to the court that even she had changed her taste.

These rather shocking tales were used in a stark method for addressing a universal problem at Tagore Theatre on Thursday evening, where different parameters of social values are used for men and Women, who go through the process of ageing in the same society. Lushin Dubey's solo performance is an hour's play `Untitled' brought out the best of histrionics, using a combination of Hindi and English, she delved deep into the skins of many characters to bring them alive on the stage. Using props like blank frames, masks, caps and a few scarves, Lushin walked in and out of these characters, changing her gait and voice, dramatically. The most outstanding and haunting performance was that of Medea's nurse.

Musical interludes by Dr Savita Gaur were melodic and well placed, so was the use of folk traditional instruments like sarangi. Stage setting was perfect and director Arvind Gaur's direction brought out the best in the actress.