SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Pio Esteves
At the Kala Academy’s 49th Tiatr ‘A’ Group Competition, tiatr ‘Daiz’ written by J L Diogo Fernandes, directed by Austin Rodrigues and presented by the Dramatic Troupe of Ribandar was staged on the fifth day of the competition.
The story revolves around Darius (Salvador Cruz), his spouse Diana (Merlyn Rodrigues) and their three sons, Astor (Henzil Cardoz), Ivan (Evaristo Rodrigues) and Zion (Chaitanya Naik). Astor resides with his wife Daphnee (Succurina Fernandes), Ivan brings along his fiancée Isabel (Simran Alphonso) and Zion is still schooling, but they all reside under one roof. Daphnee’s aunt Maggie (Richa Fernandes) also puts up in the same house.
While Astor and Ivan try to fight for the share of ancestral property, Darius is busy settling certain issues pertaining to property matters. And after settlement to a certain extent, on return home he experiences uneasiness.
Diana instantly seeks help from her two sons but both the siblings are busy with their mates, each trying to provide silly excuses. Meanwhile, due to not getting timely help, Darius collapses and passes away.
Despite the loss of their father, greed in claiming the ancestral properties does not pass away from the minds of Astor and Ivan along with their mates. On the other hand, Maggie poisons Zion’s mind as well and instigates him to demand his share too.
Will Diana be willing to part with the hard-earned property of her deceased husband to her sons? What about the money accumulated in the bank? How does the mother handle the entire tense situation at home despite her ill health?
Tiatr ‘Diaz’ focuses on ancestral properties and its claim by the members of the family, especially the siblings. It had a good dose of suspense too with a few hints here and there and the actual truth getting unveiled in the concluding scene.
All the artistes have given fine performances on stage and each has done justice to their respective roles. Salvador and Merlyn stand out as guardians, while Henzil, Evaristo and Chaitanya deliver well as siblings. Succurina and Simran as mates of the elder sons extend good support to the main cast.
For some laughter moments, Richa steps in and along with Chaitanya entertains with a good dose of hilarious pills. Chaitanya and Grace Paul as school mates are equally good in their sharing of sweet-nothings together. The scene of Charlie Chaplin enacted by teenager Chaitanya deserves a mention.
In the section of songs, all the renditions on stage in different categories were good. A duet by Henzil and Charmaine, solos by Bernice de Souza, Kimberly D’Mello, Pascoal Pereira and Jeronimo Silveira, a duo by Richa Fernandes and Charmaine Fernandes on climate change and a quartet by Henzil Cardoz, Russel da Cruz, Merlyn Rodrigues and Bernice de Souza on marriage stood out among the rest.
Live band led by Selvyn Braganca and team was appealing, thus motivating the singers to give their best.
Stage sets by Joaquim Afonso and light designs by Vaibhav Naik need to be commended, but in some scenes additional props were not required. In some acts, the background music could have been controlled. Overall, it was a fine presentation and an entertainer.
