Tiatr is a century-old entertainment form unique to Goa. While other forms of theatre have progressed, Tiatr has stayed the same over the years. Now, there is a need to take this art form to a professional stage and change the way people view tiatr
Tiatr is a unique form of theatre – unique not only to Goa,but to the world at large. The fact that tiatr has completed 120 years whilethe film industry is only 100 years old says it all. Tiatr has played a majorrole in the changes that have happened in Goa – right from the language issue,political issues, elections, changes in the government, etc to addressingburning issues such as mining, environment and AIDS. From the platform and fromthe stage tiatrists have reached out to the masses in a ‘language’ that wasunderstood and appealed to the common man. Tiatr has touched hearts andeducated people.
Judging by the statistics, the number of tiatr-goers hassurely increased – in earlier times we had only two tiatr seasons: one fromApril to October and the second from October to January. We now have fourseasons, the need of which arose to accommodate the increasing audience. Thisswell in the audience is not limited to Goa but all over the world. Tiatr, overthe years has crossed geographical boundaries – Dubai, Qatar, Masqat, AbuDhabi, Bahrain, Sarjah, London, Canada, America, UK, France and Germany.However, these figures should not make us complacent; we should keep strivingand revamping our act with innovative ideas to keep up with the modern times.
Tiatr consists of three stakeholders – the authorities, thetiatr industry and the audience. Each has to play an equal role to ensure thatin the years to follow tiatr does not wither or is not replaced by other formsof entertainment. Every time that we performed in countries out of India, theinitiative was a private one – the organisers were Goans who are settled abroad– and the government hardly played a role popularising tiatr at this level. Themost important contribution that the government needs to make is finance. Tiatrhas survived for 120 years without government aid and though the formation ofthe Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) ensures that there is semblance of order, beforeTAG, tiatr did not have set guidelines.
With regard to the industry, the current trend is, a singleperson writes the script, directs the tiatr and produces it. This has tochange. We have so many talented writers in Goa, we can take the script fromone of these writers, give him credit and his dues. This also sees that the lesserknown writers are brought to the limelight. Scripts can also be translated andadapted from theatre forms of other languages. The same person should not beproducing and directing the tiatr. What is seen now, is the script is given tothe actors and they read their lines. A director should ensure that the tiatris directed in a professional and organised fashion. Also, tiatr currentlyfollows the traditional form – it has seven porde and contains songs that arenot related to the story. Though people are happy with this form, the times tocome will see a change in the tastes of the people and we have to keep thatchange in mind by writing scripts for modern times and of modern ideas. Again,to take tiatr to a more professional level, we need to introduce formaltraining for all involved – from the actors to the directors to the light men.The professionals in the tiatr industry should keep themselves updated andeducated at all times by attending workshops and training sessions. Ask atiatrist where he was trained and he will tell you it is a God-given gift. Butthis gift needs to be polished. If there is a workshop in singing and actinghappening in Kala Academy for children, I attend it. People ask me, you are theNo.1 writer, director, why do you want to attend this workshop? I reply,learning never ends.
We also need youngblood for our tiatrs. Though my tiatrs have youth acting in them, the TAG hasplanned an initiative in this direction – we will be opening a school that willoperate in the months of April and May. This school will cater especially tostudents as they have summer vacations during that time. There will be asyllabus that will educate students on all that goes into the making of atiatr. In addition, to make this venture more inviting, we intend to provide astipend for all trainees. With formal education, the standard of acting will goup. Times have changed. Working in tiatr is no longer considered below one’sdignity. I am of the opinion that schools too should compulsorily introduce asubject of theatre and music. This way, children will have a taste of actingand singing from early on.
And as for the audience, they are the reason why we arehere. The rates of the tiatr tickets have been kept affordable so thateverybody can avail of this form of entertainment. From my side, I believe thatdiscipline has helped me go a long way. My shows start on the dot. People comeand tell that I am the only one who starts on time. To be on high standards in2020 we have to value time now. Give importance to time, the artist andeverybody in society. My wish is to see Konkani tiatr rising to the level ofthe Marathi stage, which is currently the No.1 in the world.
Prince Jacob, popularly known the world over as the King ofComedy, began his career in tiatr when he was only 13 years old. His firsttiatr was Pinzrem and there was no stopping him after that. In 1985 he beganproducing tiatrs and has produced 54 tiatrs till date. His endeavour to createa Guinness World Record by writing tiatrs whose names begin with the alphabet‘P’, is an unique obsession. One such very popular tiatr is Padre. Prince Jacobalso hosts a radio show and he believes that this way he is in people’s homes.He is the President of the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG)
