‘Shakespeare
Fest – The Bard by the Mandovi’, an annual literature festival organised by the Department of
English at Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science (Autonomous), gears
up for its eighth edition this September. This year marks the 401st death
anniversary of arguably the uncrowned king of literature, William Shakespeare.
The festival consists of several onstage and offstage events,
such as ‘Steal-A-Scene’ (adapted play performances), ‘Friends, Romans,
Countrymen!’ (a presentation), ‘The Bard’ (poetry recitation), ‘The
Shakespearean Soliloquy’ (a dramatic monologue performance), ‘Mozaic!’ (ceramic
plate painting), ‘Bedtime Shakespeare’ (Shakespearean-style bedtime stories)
and ‘Diorama Drama’ (3-D rendition of any one scene from Shakespeare’s plays).
This year, the festival jumps aboard the pop culture train with the
introduction of a new event called ‘Meme Scheme!’ (memes based on Shakespearean
plays/ poetry). Bonus events include a selfie competition and an all-new
‘Shakespeare Stand-up!’ (roasting Shakespeare’s works), both of which are
non-competitive.
Students from high schools and higher secondary schools from all
over Goa participate in the various events, held throughout the day on the
campus. Last year saw sixteen teams closely compete for the coveted prizes. For
the first time ever, the top three teams that emerged victorious were higher
secondary schools, with Don Bosco Higher Secondary School (Panjim), Vidya Vikas
Academy (Margao) and Rosary Higher Secondary School (Navelim) securing first,
second and third place respectively. This year’s list includes 11 participating
schools: DCT’s Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School (Panjim), Don Bosco
Higher Secondary School (Panjim), Fatima Covent High School (Margao), Loyola
Higher Secondary School (Margao), Manovikas English Medium School (Margao), MES
Higher Secondary (Vasco), Our Lady of the Rosary High School (Dona Paula),
Rosary Higher Secondary School (Navelim), Sharda Mandir School (Panjim), The
King’s School (Margao) and Vidya Vikas Academy (Margao). The prizes at stake
are certificates and medals for each winning student and trophies for overall
winning teams.
Shakespeare was very
creative with his language. He may well have been the first to use a word in a
particular sense, or to have derived some new form of an existing word.
Although his works may initially come across as intimidating, they should be
looked at beyond face value. His works have been adapted in different media and
have even inspired our very own Bollywood films like ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’ and
‘Haider’ (originally ‘Macbeth’, ‘Othello’ and ‘Hamlet’).
However, very few
actually read his works since they are only taught at the college level. Hence,
the Department of English, Chowgule College, felt the need to spread the word
about Shakespeare and to motivate young students to learn about his life,
language and themes. The introduction of the subject works as an extension
programme to schools, bridging the gap between school and college.
The first Shakespeare
Fest took place in 2010 and it has seen tremendous success ever since. The
competition is not only literature-based but also art-based. The organisers
handle everything, from events to making mementoes for the judges. These
mementoes are always made of up cycled or recycled material. Students can hone
their skills, which gets their attention, encouraging them to engage. The
festival caters to teachers as well, as they get to apply their literary
knowledge. “The underlying goal of the event is always fun and learning,” explains
Asst. Professor Andrew Barreto, adding, “This year, participants are allowed to
choose any Shakespearean play of their liking, and poetry recitation is not
limited to Shakespeare.”
The organising
committee mainly consists of first year and second year students. “It’s a lot
more hectic than I expected,” admits Ramola D’Silva (FYBA). “Everyone who
partakes does really put in their all, because in the end, it’s about coming
together in the name of an amazing laureate and a subject we’re all passionate
about. Personally, I am looking forward to the performances. I love the effort
students and schools put into our festival.”
What is the
organisers’ favourite part of event? The answer is unanimous – the costumes. “I
can’t wait!” exclaims fellow organiser Sinead Vaz (SYBA), adding, “I think
dressing up is the one thing that everyone is excited about.”
Former co-ordinator
Anjali Mascarenhas says, “It doesn’t matter who you are – the palpable sense of
excitement and enthusiasm is infectious. It’s one thing that has never changed.
Shakespeare Fest will always be very close to my heart. My first encounter
began as a school participant, helping me harness my inner drama queen. As an
organiser, I realised that I work very well under pressure and lastly, as a
judge, I learnt that the joy of getting return gifts (mementoes, in adult
speak) will never grow old.”
“To me, at the end of
the day, it wasn’t the tired feet that mattered; rather, it was the sinking
feeling that the event was coming to an end. Lastly, it was the bonds that we
created with each other that cemented the foundation for years to come”,
reflects ex-organiser Shreya Jain.
The
festival is open to public, and parents and others are welcome to attend. The
event will take place at Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts & Science, in
Gogol, Margao on Saturday, September 9, 2017 from 9:45 am onwards
