Based on
Dario Fo's "MEDEA" and on a story by विजयदान देथा Directed By Arvind Gaur
Boston, U.S.A 1st June 2003
AASRA, the areas woman's group offering support and aid to South Asian women in dis added a feather to its cap by co-sponsoring with Shakti, a superb theatrical program, "Untitled' by the well-known theatre personality from India, Ms Lushin Dubey.
About 125 people, who braved the damp weather and cool temperatures for a chance support the two organizations and to watch Ms. Dubey play, attended the event, which held at the Marlboro Middle School on Sunday, June 1. Some had driven all the way free Connecticut to watch the presentation.
The President of AASRA, Ms. Radha Jalan who thanked the attendees and Ms. Dubey, welcome address, kicked off the event with a welcome speech. Ms Neelu Sharma, co-founder of the woman's group Shakti addressed the audience next.
Indicating that women's issues were dear to her heart, Ms. Dubey went on to introduce (herself and her play to the audience. Having been involved in theater since she was in four, Lushin went on to train with Barry John in New Delhi, later starting a Youth Theater Group'Kids World' with her cousin, Bubbles Sabharwal. The two have produced, scripted and directed many plays, establishing Kids World as a pioneer in youth theatre group India. Ms. Dubey was also involved in Shakespearean productions, contemporizing so reflect present day mores.
Arvind Gaur who heads the New Delhi-based theatre group Asmita directed the play, a completely experimental venture, a solo performance by Ms. Dubey. Untitled is based on Dario Fo' play on Medea and Vijaydan Detha's Nyari Nyari Maryada.
Dressed in a stark black salwar and a long dupatta, the actor's presence on stage is magnetic: eyes tend to be glued to her slender form as she moves across the stage restlessly.
Her props are simple, there are five wooden frames placed strategically, they look like to different worlds. On each hangs a hand puppet the female puppets are colorful, and has a long flowing robe. The male puppets are dominant in their size, turbaned but be, facial features, just a nose and a mouth.
She begins with an electrifying dance to drums, peaking in a crescendo where she turned around and assuming the role of Medea's old maid, replete with a mask, talks of the poet the abandoned wife whose husband Jason has left her for a younger woman. Soon she has changed roles and is right on the mark as the swaggering, womanizing Bahratji, the court poet who entertains the king with his wit, wisdom and advice. From the old stooped woman to the macho young poet, the transformation is seamless, the actor seems to .grow and (diminish in size as the roles demand and Ms. Dubey's performance can only be called electrifying.
In the course of ninety five minutes, she gives voice to twelve character, the lascivious replete with facial tics and mannerisms, his helpless wife, the queen, who ultimately fit lover in her riding teacher, the sweeper woman, who breaks her silence about the priest has ritually abused her since childhood when he begins to rape her young daughter, a victim only eleven, uncomprehendingly asking the rapist why uncle chaacha was shown attention on her...Ms. Dubeys range seems endless. Evoking chills, laughter, incredul one-handedly, this actor gives one a taste of what great Theater is all about.
Theater is a wonderful vehicle for introducing difficult, complicated subjects that have tremendous relevance in everyday life. In addition to its entertainment value, it also has way of opening the mind to a variety of points of view and life experiences. In a darker auditorium, people are more likely to allow their emotions free reign. Enabling people to laugh and cry among strangers, drama connects an audience in ways that lectures an films seldom do.
The play ended with the audience rising to their feet to applaud the effort. A panel disc on the play followed with each panelist addressing the impact of the play with some questions from the audience being answered by Ms. Dubey and the director of the Play Arvind Gaur.
The panelists, Dr. Saroj Joshi of AASRA, Ms. Parminder Bachu of Shakti and Ms. Hel Theodosiou expressed their joy at the presentation with Ms. Bachu commenting that so found the silences in the play as eloquent as the spoken words. She also spoke about different interpretations of the story of Medea.
Ms. Theodosiou, who is of Greek desce that such perceptions of male superiority existed even in today's Greece as she watch play about her ancestors. Double standards are still prevalent in societies around the and it is more oppressive for women and colored folks;' she said, " more so in South Africa where 1 have lived".
Ms. Dubey said that her play is called' Untitled' because she sought to bring home thought that so many women lack a sense of identity. She also said that the play had no real that she and the director constantly change it, add to it, subtract from it and bake it after every performance.
Mr. Gaur said that though the play has been termed feminist by some, it was far from I feminist, preferring instead to call it a reflection of society's many ills. "It is easy," said I make plays that are feminist in theme but to make one with a theme, a theme of a social malady of this magnitude, that is relevant all over the world, be it USA, Afghanistan or is the challenge that we took on."
Some members of the audience asked why the queen found her voice and courage after being unfaithful to her husband, who seemed to punish his infidelity with her own. Ms. explained that the idea was to portray the desires that women also feel, both physical spiritual. When a woman has lost her sense of worth, when she feels unloved and unheard she has to take her life into her own hands, she said. The queen's unhappiness when confronts the court with her infidelity, and her relationship with the sais are intense fee that are eminently human, she added. Symbolism did allow the audience room to inter but Ms. Dubey iterated the fact that all of us have a right to feel worthy, to seek happiness and to feel and embrace desire. When one astute member of the audience mentioned fact the social power misused by the king, the priest and other men in the play was the used also by the queen when she seduces the young said, the interpretation seemed to intrigue both Ms. Dubey and the director Mr. Gaur.
Bemoaning the fact that the rest of Boston had missed this opportunity to watch this great performance, one member of the audience applauded the two organizations Aasra and Shakti and the men folk who had come to attend the show.
Ms. Archana Singhal of AASRA concluded the event by expressing her gratitude to the attendees as well as the artist herself. AASRA is a non-profit organization.
AASRA's mission is to support and serve as a residing agency for women and families of the Asian American community in New England are AASRA provides opportunities for women to come together, network and share ideas. recently opened AASRA Center provides assistance to South Asian women in the are health, immigration and domestic crisis and is a comforting acrd supportive walk-in fact women. Located at 54 Cummings Park, Suite 318, Woburn, MR 01801, the center is off every Sunday from 1pm to 4 pm.