Tiatr
‘Name, Fame And Game’ written by Menino Mario Araujo, directed by Jayendranath
Y Haldankar and presented by Machi Mogi, Cujira, Santa Cruz was staged on the
fourth day of Kala Academy’s 49th Tiatr ‘A’ Group Competition.
After the mysterious death of her husband, who served as a
sarpanch (Domnic Dias), Cynthia (Sendrisha Fernandes) is not happy with the
post-mortem report revealing death due to suicide. She insists upon second
viscera, seeking justice. She approaches PI (Genevieve Rodrigues) and puts
forth her demand.
Cynthia is two months pregnant and despite her critical
state, she does not want to give up the fight. The locals wish that she should
pick up the post of the sarpanch, after the demise of her husband.
On the other hand, there is an upright officer Rodrigues
(Rosario Botelho), who will not bend down towards corruption. Ex-MLA (Manuel
Dias), who is corrupt by nature, steps into his office to explain that
cultivable land should be converted to a settlement zone and seeks his
signature on the said documents.
The ex-MLA is also willing to bribe Rodrigues with a cash
offer, but the officer stands firm to his convictions. During the heated
discussion, the ex-MLA gets a massive stroke.
After the honest officer gets promoted to comunidade
attorney, he along with the new sarpanch, Cynthia carries out an inspection in
landlord Lizardo’s (Joe Cardozo) land and many irregularities are spotted.
After turning his cultivable land into a settlement zone and
leasing it out to a non-Goan family and carrying out many illegal businesses,
Lizardo turns to the ex-MLA for shelter. But he cannot do much due to his ill
health. What follows next is to be watched on stage in the second half.
Tiatr ‘Name Fame and Game’ focuses on comunidade land and
its conversion into settlement zone. Other illegalities are also highlighted,
wherein corruption is to the core. But the flashback regarding the earlier
honest sarpanch and the dire consequences he faces for his uprightness from
ex-MLA and builder could have been better.
There were fine performances from Rosario Botelho, Sendrisha
Fernandes, Manuel Dias and supported by other artistes. For some laughter
moments, Kenny Fernandes, Nitin Naique, Jose Gonsalves, Wilson Dias, Riva
Oliveira stepped in, but comedy scenes were dragging.
In the category of songs, there was the opening choral on
corruption, followed by solo renditions by Gema Lourenco and Amber Lourenco, a
duet by Joe Fernandes and Vanessa Araujo and a quartet by Janice, Gema, Florina
and Vanessa on faith which were thought-provoking. Vitorino Araujo and team
provided good live music to all the songs.
The stage sets could have been worked upon more
artistically. The light effects could have been planned better as the
flickering lights on stage during the songs were distracting.