117 years on, tiatrs still enthrall & enlighten 11 May 2009, 0352 hrs IST, TNN
PANAJI: It's the feast of the Holy Cross at Maina-Socorro in Bardez and the tiatr for the evening, Anthony Sylvester's "Tourist" brings to stage a simple family feud laced with subtle comedy. Sparring brothers living under the same roof refuse to share the electricity bill, for while one uses a water heater, the other heats it over firewood. The audience can't help but acknowledge the reality of the scenes enacted. It is 2009 and tiatrs continue to bring home social messages. "Tiatrs are a powerful and effective medium to reach out, rouse emotions and awaken people," says tiatr veteran Tomazinho Cardozo. This unique form of theatre has come a long way from a medium of simple entertainment to rousing sentiments. It was in the forefront in the fight to prevent Goa's merger with Maharashtra and to make Konkani the state's official language. It's not just politics, but also social themes that find their way into the tiatr's script. Antonio Rosario Fernandes, popularly known as Roseferns has staged dramas around different issues, including the garbage crisis, the CRZ issue and uneducated politicians with criminal antecedents. "Tiatrs give social messages, but the question is how many people retain it? We appreciate the message while inside the auditorium, but tend to forget it once outside," Cardozo said. That, however, doesn't dishearten tiatrists. "We know there will be a few who understand what we're trying to say. It's similar to a priest whose mission is fulfilled if atleast one person changes after listening to his sermon," Roseferns said. But isn't the tiatrist fraternity apprehensive of threats from some who resent particular themes? "We do receive threats, but the tiatr is a powerful medium and we have the backing of the people," says Wilson Mazarello, more popular by his stage name Wilmix'. Wilmix has been in the tiatr business for 40 years and his tiatrs have dwelled on family relationships, women empowerment and contemporary social themes. He is far more optimistic about the audience taking home the message. "If two out of ten people in the audience get the message and put it into practice, our purpose is served," he said. Tiatrs play an important role in Goa. "No Catholic feast is complete without a tiatr being staged in the evening," says Cardozo, who has been associated with the form for half a century now. >From the first ever tiatr in history, "Italian Bhurgo" (The Italian Boy) by Lucasinho Ribeiro staged in Mumbai on April 17, 1892, till today, this form of theatre - several acts entwined with songs backed by a live band, continues to enthrall and enlighten Goan society. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/117-years-on-tiatrs-still-enthrall--enlighten/articleshow/4507193.cms
