A collage of vibrance and youthfulness

Minerva Repertory, a powerhouse of young, talented actors has pulled off a theatrical soiree, few days back in Kolkata. This performance has proved beyond doubt that the state sponsored cultural organization for theatre is in the hands of a group of bubbly and potential young actors. 

I believe that critics who have raised questions about their capabilities with the change of political power must have  been silenced by their successive productions – Raja Lear, Debi Sarpamasta, Chandragupta, Kankra and the last blockbuster being Mumbai Nights.  

This production, a platter of five theatrical plays of different tastes was performed in front of a lovely audience comprising of mostly young theatre aspirants and the renowned theatre practitioners under the planning of Prithiwis Rana, the coordinator of the Repertory. Prithiwis, who has already proved himself with his commanding job as a designer of art and stage in renowned productions is responsible for the ‘In-house’ productions under the aegis of Bratya Basu. Pancher Panchali (Song of Five) is a collage of five plays, three of which are performed in the first half and the balance two in the second half.

Jatiswar, the first play, talks about six unforgettable and important personalities. They are Ravana from Ramayana, Duryodhan and Shakuni from Mahabharata and Mirzafar, Firoz Shah and Wajid Ali Shah from the pages of history. Six actors, one by one, delve deep into the character through their monologues. They are seen to be justifying their deeds and are trying to establish a familiarity with the modern day characters. The play was directed by Partha Sinha.

The next play, Fatichar (The disreputable)is based on a short story, written by Samaresh Basu, and directed by Mrinmoy Nag. The story revolves around an erstwhile union leader of an industry, Ratan Lal Pathak, and his perception about collective demand in the best interest of the oppressed labour class. Reality strikes hard when the rickshaw pullers working for him stopped working for his misbehaviour.  

The third play is comparatively a light hearted production that reminds us of the animation series, Tom and Jerry, directed by Arpan Garai. The second half is absorbing with the initial performance of a play, Pokamakorer Kutum (The guest of insects). It is the journey of a scavenger, Katu who has a dream of living a far better life. Director Saikat Ghosh interestingly uses a part of the set to depict a street trash corner.

The last production is the much acclaimed seriocomedy, Mahabidya, (The Great Lesson), written by veteran playwright, Manoj Mitra. Prithiwish represents this class room production with style and ripeness. He has been able to keep the suspense alive till the last. The projection of light and sound is noticeable. Acting was quite impressive in this play, especially Debraj Bhattacharjee, who is flawless in his role. Prasenjit Bardhan and Partha Sarathi Sarkar are quite impressive as actors in different roles.

The effort and enthusiasm put in by each actor of Minerva Repertory is laudable. The younger generation will surely draw inspiration from the confidence shown by them.