Pio Esteves
Every Feast of the Cross, whether celebrated by the roadside or in chapels, is marked by a liturgical celebration in the morning. As evening falls, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed, and people—along with their relatives and friends—gather in large numbers at designated venues to watch a pre-booked tiatr, bringing the day’s festivities to a vibrant close.
This Easter season, several tiatrs are lined up by renowned directors of the Konkani stage, and each troupe is ready to showcase its acting and singing talent. Some of the new releases by popular commercial tiatrists have already been booked well in advance, leaving many latecomers disappointed and unable to enjoy a good show during the festive season.
Tiatrs to be staged
Some of the award-winning tiatrs from Kala Academy’s ‘A’ Group Tiatr Competition will also feature in village shows this Easter. These include Alexin de Morjim’s ‘Varear Ubtolo Kapus’, Matias Macarenhas’ ‘Aiz Mhaka Faleam Tuka’, Pedro Vaz’s ‘Vavttoll’, and Antonet de Sousa’s ‘Tum Mhaka Zai’.
A few older productions, released earlier this year, will also see re-releases during Easter. These include Pascoal de Chicalim’s ‘Atam Amchem Kitem Zatolem?’ and John D’Silva’s ‘Mogall’, which will continue its run until the end of May.
New releases in May
Two new tiatrs are expected to see grand releases in May, likely limited to city venues, and may continue into the monsoon season. These include Saby de Divar’s ‘Mhojem Poilem Ghor’ and Comedienne Anita’s
‘Smile Please’.
Compared to last year, with Easter falling in mid-April, tiatr directors have a shorter window to book and stage their productions in both cities and villages. By the end of May, monsoon releases will likely be announced and performed exclusively in city auditoriums.
As a result, many directors may opt for simpler productions, focusing less on elaborate stage sets and effects, and instead presenting basic scripts enriched with songs and comedy. However, newcomers are expected to put in greater effort on scriptwriting, direction, music, comedy, and technical aspects like stage design and lighting—hoping to impress organizers and audiences alike, and build demand for their future shows.