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I can vouch for the contents of Eugene's email. I still do remember how Prem Kumar insulted Eugene for the review. I would also like to add that late Orlando's contribution for Konkani tiatr is magnificent. Let me state in Konkani: Sorgest Orlando Gomes hannim Konknni tiatrank Inglix porgottnneancher dil'li 'publicity' uchara bhaili. Titli tachea adim ani tachea uprant Konknni tiatrank Inglix potrancher ken'nach mellonk xokea na. Alas, there was not a single artiste present to pay him the last respect. Herald and Navhind Times and Goa Today carried just a few lines posted by me on goanet. May his soul rest in peace. Fausto ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eugene Correia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 3:18 AM Subject: [Goanet] Re: Chukh -- late reply > ########################################################################## > # If Goanet stops reaching you, contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] # > # Want to check the archives? http://www.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet/ # > # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # > ########################################################################## > > I am glad that my review of CHUKH provoked a debate on > a couple of issues. One of purposes of writing is to > provoke discussion, but the precise aim of a review is > to look at a book, a play, movie or any cultural event > from a critical point of view. > As a reviewer one cannot be a cheerleader or a fan. > When a audience is full of loyal fans, it's called a > "paper house." Maybe Chukh had such an audience in > England where, I am informed, it has been performed > four times. > I never set out with preconceived notions to run down > a play. In reviewing Chukh I took into consideration > that the actors were amateurs. I stand to gain nothing > by saying deliberately saying wrong things about a > play. If anyone carefully reads the play, I tried to > establish a balance. I never condemned the play, but > showed where the story tripped. > My opening line says it all. It was a play shaping up > well, but somehow got confused after the intermission. > If those cheerleaders or family members of the Alfonso > brothers had pointed out that what I said was not what > happened I would have welcomed a critique of my > review. I believe in fair game. It was one of the > reasons I didn't reply to the initial anonymous > letter, which shockingly was addressed To Whomsoever > It May Concern. It obviously concerned me, but why the > writer hid his name shows lack of guts. I wrote my > review with conviction. > To mention in passing, especially for the England > group, the much-herald play, Bombay Dreams, was > critically praised in the English media but got panned > by New York critics. That's the way the world > revolves. Some critics like certain plays, while > others don't. You take criticism with a pinch of salt > and you take praise with humility. > The other reason for not replying earlier is my busy > schedule in Toronto in planning a trip to the Middle > East. I am writing this from Dubai. The review was not > written for goanet, but for South Asian Observer, a > weekly newspaper in Toronto, for which I am consulting > editor. I forwarded a copy of my review to goanet with > a note saying a few paras were removed that mostly > delved on the Toronto promoters of the play. I felt > they were not relevant to the goanetters at large. > I also forwarded a copy of my review to Francis > D'Costa, of D'Costa Financial Group, who was the > "producer" of the play in Toronto. Francis called me a > couple of days later saying that he had received a > phone call from London complaining about the review. > He said I was discouraging young actors and was doing > a disservice to Goan culture. Though our conversation > was long. To surmise it, I said to Francis that if he > felt that way, I couldn't help it and that, for me, I > believe in the saying, the play's the thing. > I never thought the group or those close to it would > take my review seriously. It surprised me at the > reaction. More so, the letter from Joyce Alfonso. > Don't know if she is related to the Alfonso brothers, > but her questioning my qualification was something > weird. It shows how much Joyce knows about critics and > criticism. I would have loved to debate her on this > issue, but I would have first liked to know what > "qualifications" she has to join me in any > intellectual discussion on the world of theatre, more > so on Konkani tiatr. > What Bosco said about me may have been enough for a > forum such as goanet. To add to Bosco's message, I > have reviewed Konkani tiatrs in Mumbai for a long time > before migrating to Canada. If I may so, many popular > tiatrists and a few legends of the Konkani stage may > have been not to happy with my reviews of their plays. > I thing I am sure, with the exception of Prem Kumar, > none dare discuss my reviews on an one-on-one basis > with me when I met them. > Once in my journalistic career in Mumbai, the Konkani > weekly, Cine Times, attacked me in a front-page > article for a review of a play. I later learnt that > the "promoters" of the play were the proprieters of > Cine Times and, hence, the attack. > In a piece in the rival paper, Goa Times, I challenged > the writer of the Cine Times's piece to an open > debate. My challenge was not taken up by Cine Times. > I am told that the Cine Times owners were also not > happy with the piece on Konkani tiatr I wrote for the > now-defunct weekly, Clarity, a newsmen's weekly by > newsmen, which the desk guys headlined, Focot Cantaran > ani Fokandan. > They informed me to witness Boyer's Bhangar and > Burguim and also questioned why only Ophelia Cabral's > photo accompanied the piece. My reply was that I had > already seen Boyer's plan and as for Ophelia's photo, > it wasn't my decision. The desk people selected her > photo from a bunch I gave them and later informed me > that they could use only one because of space > constraints. > On a recent visit to Goa, I had lunch with Wilson and > Sharon Marzello, the famed husband-and-wife team of > triatists who run the Theatre and Cultural Arts > Training Institute (TACT) in Margao for young people > seeking a "career' in tiatrs. In India, there is the > national school or academy for performing arts based > in New Delhi. Wilson invited me to the passing-out > ceremony of his students, but prior commitments > prevented me from attending it. > I told him about the tiatr scene in Toronto. I said we > lack playwrights. He was courtesy enough to hand me > two of his plays brought out in book form by the Kala > Academy. Both plays, though originally written by > Wilson in Roman script, have been published in > Devnagiri script. He gave me permission to stage them > in Toronto without any "royalty" for him. I said in > case I convince tiatr groups in Toronto I will put a > condition that part of the profits goes to his > training school. Wilson also gave me a copy of the > book he wrote on the hundred years of tiatr. He didn't > mention my name in the book in a page or two he > devoted to critics. I flipped through the book at his > home, but I never raised the question as to why he had > omitted me. He wrote glowingly about my late friend, > Orlando Gomes. Though Orlando is no more to reply, but > let me say for the first time here that Orlando was no > critic but rather a "public relations" man to many > tiatrists, especially to Boyer. Frankly, Orlando gave > me complimentary tickets to many tiatrs on the > condition I review them. I rarely approached producers > or the playwrights for complimentary tickets. I could > write more on this subject, but it does not warrant it > here. I was asked by Orlando to be on the critics > panel to chose the Man of the Year. I was shocked when > the Man of the Year was given to Boyer on the stage > with an announcement the panelists included me. I told > Orlando that why my name was announced since I was not > a member of the panel. I never voted nor told to vote > for the Man of the Year. I said I was never a "formal" > member because I had objected to a "prodcuer" being a > member of the panel. Like many things related to the > world of Konkani stage, this critics' panel was > "bogus". My first objection to the critics' panel was > the trophy donated by Murli Deora, a Congress MP and > then president. I said the trophy should be bought > with our money and not be given by someone not even > connected to Konkani tiatr. > The story behind this is that a Goan, who was the > block president of the > I also paid a courtesy visit to M. Boyer, a legend. > Boyer was delighted to see me and asked his wife, > Martha, to help him sit on a chair so he could have a > conversation with me. Seeing him in his state, > suffering as he is from Parkinson's, my eyes were > moist. In my mind's eye, I could see him on stage > dressed majestically and singing in his inimitable > style. Nostalgia filled me. As I reflect now, I hope > Wilson's school produce a Boyer from among from his > students. I would love to see Konkani theatre progess > and those involved in it prosper financially. > In this context, I was glad to learn that the England > group paid for its own tickets to come and stage the > play in Toronto. They made a good sacrifice. But just > as a book reviewer would not show any mercy for a book > that is self-published by the author, I think a tiatr > or play reviewer shouldn't take that into > consideration. Let me say here that only yesterday I > was checking with someone as to who are the people who > sponsor tiatrs in Dubai. I have Chukh in mind. No > matter what I said in my review, which I consider was > well-balanced (but who am I to judge my own writing?), > I felt that play needs to be staged for Dubai or any > Middle East Konkani audiences. > I stand by my review which said that the "sideshow" > lifted the play out of its depths. It was really good, > and made the play enjoyable overall. If the group has > the contacts, the group must take the initiative to > stage the play in Dubai. > Lot of the people, especially in places outside Goa > and Mumbai but may be equally true of audiences in Goa > and Mumbai, who come to see a tiatr do so to enjoy it > without trying to analyze > it. That's been the bane of Konkani tiatrs and that's > what I have been fighting against. To me, > the play must sustain itself and not be dependant on > the sideshow. But, as a tradition, the sideshow is > often anchored in the play and more often than not > overshadows the play itself. This is different subject > altogether and I better stop here. > Though I can go on, especially add to what Alfred has > said about George Bernard Shaw by talking aboutother > reknowned critics, I think I have said enough. To > those who were hurt ordisagreed with my review, and > those who supported the view that people must have a > right to free express, I regret for sending this post > late. I, however, wish that the debate is not revived. > Ami soglle kedna tori chukhtat, punn ami chukhloleak > sarki vatt dakonk zai. > > Eugene Correia > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. > http://messenger.yahoo.com/ > >
