Antigone by Motley

Naseeruddin Shah as King Creon and Ratna Pathak Shah as Antigone, Benjamin Gilani and others drew in audiences as they performed Jean Anouilih's version of the classic.
Clever in parts, static in others, the acting kept the play together.

Phedre in India, Phedre in Hindi

Saw a packed house at Bahumukh. People were sitting on stage too. The diya lit stage, live tabla etc, Indian dances and transgressive plot kept the audience riveted.
The queen falls in love with her husband's son.
A French woman read in her language while subtitles flashed above the stage. The internal dilemma thus came through very well.

Copeius note

Being Boring
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If you ask me 'What's new?', I have nothing to say
Except that the garden is growing.
I had a slight cold but it's better today.
I'm content with the way things are going.
Yes, he is the same as he usually is,
Still eating and sleeping and snoring.
I get on with my work. He gets on with his.
I know this is all very boring.
There was drama enough in my turbulent past:
Tears and passion-I've used up a tankful.
No news is good news, and long may it last,
If nothing much happens, I'm thankful.
A happier cabbage you never did see,
My vegetable spirits are soaring.
If you're after excitement, steer well clear of me.
I want to go on being boring.
I don't go to parties. Well, what are they for,
If you don't need to find a new lover?
You drink and you listen and drink a bit more
And you take the next day to recover.
Someone to stay home with was all my desire
And, now that I've found a safe mooring,
I've just one ambition in life: I aspire
To go on and on being boring.
-- Wendy Cope

Aurangzeb

saw some impassioned acting. The cold in my head had taken me over, though.

Bamboo Blues

Pina Bausch's performance, Siri Fort: The yearning dance mirrored the plaintive music, the billowing stage. The sheer freedom, violence, trust between the dancers took stage turn by turn.

1st Weekend@ Theatre Utsav

Saturday saw Delirium by a Swiss group and Njinski, the God by a Polish troupe.

I liked the set, lighting, music and slapstick in Delirium. The story was more tell than show.

Njinski, the God too had a slick set, with competent dancing, lights and music. The constant homoerotic references took over the storyline.

Sunday saw an Afghani production of Caucasian Chalkcircle. It had a beautiful scene, where one of the women walks up a ladder with her babe held high, and men trailing sating on the rungs of the ladder as she climbs to its top. It reminded us strongly of Mary and Jesus, as a child in the audience pointed that out to his mother.

Dear Bapu by Mohan Maharishi had a trio standing around and reading. Very historical, the play showed shots from Gandhi's life as he spoke with Nehru. English with a smattering of Hindi, the play was more a documentary.

Butterflies are free, from China saw decent acting, a witty script and fast paced action. Although more like a film, which it has been adapted in, it still engaged the audience. Highlights were when the heroine reveals her wig and false eyelashes, surprising the hero and us.

Max Mueller showed a documentary on Pina Bausch, whose dance drama Bamboo Blues, inspired by Kolkata; (where she spent weeks recently) is on view today.

IHC saw a duo from UK read from Shaw's plays on Friday. Very lively, Shaw seems relevant still. The lady was indignant over his being ignored by UK theatre troupes. Even in his 70s, he wove a spell on a woman 1/3rd his age.

The only perfect love affair is on paper.

Ratan Thiyam's Prologue: NSD Inauguration Theatre Utsav

The Golden Jubilee of the National School of Drama saw Shiela Dixit and Ebrahim Alkazi on one stage. Alkazi's 30 years in theatre, 16 of which were spent teaching at the NSD, were recalled by his students and himself.

He announced 2 Rs. 5 lakh prizes from the Mrs. Roshan Alkazi foundation, for MK Raina and Hema Singh.

Alkazi spoke of how NSD needs to modify the course to include film, even if it means lengthening the course duration, as theatre all over the world, is not a paying profession by itself.

Ratan Thiyam's Prologue was stylistically flawless. The synchronisation of the dancers and the musicians was perfect. The stage, the costumes, the acting all ensured that the audience was involved despite the performance being in Manipuri.

Subtitles would perhaps have added to our understanding of the story.

As the three week theatre fest kicks off, with international productions as well as indigenous ones, it is interesting to note that the house full ones are Indian. Also, the 10 rs. tickets are most in demand.

Delhi's love for theatre is likely to be satisfied this month.

As was mentioned last evening, NSD has taught its students to fight.

The good fight.

It's raw now

Down the millenniums, wars have been waged for women.
Christ loved a sex worker- Mary Magdalene. His mother was Virgin Mary- an Oedipus Complex?
Why do we war?
We do not war for money. We are paid to exist. We advance when we pay others to wage war. The cycle continues.
We war for gain. Food and drink are needs we are equipped to satisfy.

Khan

SRK Chacha
Munnu tamasha.

As far as Art of War in my life goes, a la Steve Jobs, I can connect the dots post events. Last year, it was very relevant. Now, it is part of me. Everyone knows my workstyle. The element of surprise, key to victory is gone.
Keeping a low profile helps to hit the ground running. Spies too are useful, changing frequently.
General is new now- young blood, as befits the army he governs.
I will evolve as my role evolves- then new strategies will necessarily result, to adapt my environment to myself.
Working while waiting. Am back in the learning stage, so expect the curve to rise in a half year to a peak.

Art of War

Is one tome I return to whenever I am feeling particularly murderous. I like the way it is written- it leaves no room for argument. Diktats are listed without explanation. Having tried some of them out, I can vouch that it works- although I did not know I was applying these principles when I was:)

Some others are intriguing- cannot figure out how to apply them. Also, I do not know how to exactly use these principles for the projects I have in mind.

He advises an army to burn its bridges- so that there is no looking back. That's one I agree with- but although I found it easy to apply on the professional front, on the personal front it is taking me more time. I imagine, as usual, that for most other people- the reverse holds:)

Musing

It is comforting to learn that others have felt and acted the way I have.

Would love to scratch certain people's eyes out-but as I felt what they must have felt I guess there must be people who would love to do the same to me.

Does truth always win?

Perhaps, when we are dead and Maud Gonne.

मंच

नही.

Altos

Chappal

Round not

Mulberry bushy

Mincey wincey spiderwomen.

Desi maals

Goras listen to desis in the new world order.

Process orientation is apex, out of the box thinking not so.

As we move backwards, hopefully we will see you fly.

Dali's Univercity

Time after time.
Ticks on...

Lihaafed

Bought one at the Islamic exhibition- overpriced but smart- hope it's warm enough.
Basked in the sun and gossiped with an old timer on her terrace.
Got an even haircut and pedicure, so am having a good hair day.
About time too.

Peeping Toms

Dicks and Harrys
Up yours.

Shankaracharya

Vivekachudamani is full of gyan that I liked- perhaps because I have not come across this brand earlier.

How to tame the flesh, free the spirit.

I liked it.

King Harshavardhana the Great

Others being ashok and akbar

But as your name suggests

Maskra you are the leader

Elder sisters may be part mothers

younger brothers sometimes bigger

have wisdom beyond their years.

Quick to spot fakes, questions age

Jealous sometimes but always a rock

one leans against, confesses to

thank you for the birthday gift

Stories provide succour once more

As this storyteller needs mind fodder

Balam's ass assuming silent is not golden

Merely fool's gold.

Dickinson's

Heart, we will forget him!

You an I, tonight!

You may forget the warmth he gave,I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me

That I my thoughts may dim;

Haste! lest while you're lagging.

I may remember him!

Routing

Servers such as artists

Thespians, painters, scripters

Are our escapes.

Do we translate them in

Pastoral leaders?