Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 22: Samooh Theatre performed Euripides’s tragedy ‘Trojan Women’ at Abhinav Theatre, here today.
‘Trojan Women’ is a terrifying commentary on a war that is as relevant, it was in 415 BC when Euripides wrote the Greek tragedy. Interestingly this great work of art has stayed alive due to its poignant portrayal of how cruelty remains a defining pattern of the human condition.
J N Kaushal’s full length Hindi translation, under the direction of Ravinder Sharma, revolved around four women who are tragic survivors of the Trojan war – Hecuba, wife of King Priam of Troy; her daughter Cassandra; Andromache, the wife of Hector; and Helen, who was abducted by Paris, Prince of Troy. Their stories as they wait to be informed of further sorrows at the hands of their Greek captors constitute the main narration part of the play.
Today’s production was successfully designed to retain the play’s original context with help of thoughtful set and costumes, background musical score and light design-all of which propped up the female characters’ longish monologues that delve deeply into the nature of death, loss and its consequences. The constant high pitch speeches, shouting and wailing by female actors brought alive the feel of real-life where women continue to live with the consequences of the wars made by men.
The cast comprised of Gautam Kumar as Poseidon, Deepa Mala as Athena, Radhika Sharma as Hecuba, Jahnavi Sharma as Cassandra, Sumeeta Bhat as Helen, Sandeep Manhas as Talthybius, Goutam Sharma as Menelaus, Ajay Tamangh as narrator/soldier, Daskshav Raina as soldier, while the chorus comprised of Kamini Sharma, Deepika Rani and Deep Mala.
The technical team included Gautam Kumar and Sasnddeep Manhas as assistant directors, sets and costumes by Ravinder Sharma, choreography by Rohit Bains, lights by Aditya Bharti, music by Surinder Manhas and operated by Gautam Kumar, Avinash Lakhnotra, Manoj Dhamir, who also did the make-up design.
Tomorrow, Dogri adaptation of original Marathi play ‘Sakha Ram Binder’ will be staged by Bhartiya Kala Sangam.
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