While the origins of Marathi theatre is traced to the 19th century, we have evidence of Konkani drama existing in Goa in the 16th century by virtue of a letter written by St Francis Xavier to the King of Portugal that he witnessed a drama in the native language (Konkani) presented by the seminarians of St Paul's College, Old Goa
Tiatr is ethnically Goan even though it was not born in Goa. Tiatr is deeply rooted in Goan culture. Although social media, smartphone apps and television make their importance felt in our lives, it is tiatr that has survived their onslaught and makes its presence felt as an irreplaceable form of Goan art; thanks to the support and patronage lent to tiatr by Goans in Goa and those settled all over the world.
The form of tiatr was born accidentally to tide over the crisis of non-availability of artistes to act in the first tiatr Italian Bhurgo written and directed by Lucasinho Ribeiro, whom we can rightly call ‘The Father of Konkani Tiatr’. The first tiatr was staged on April 17, 1892, at The New Alfred Theater at Dhobitalao-Mumbai.
Before the birth of Tiatr, Goans were privileged to watch quality presentations and the Goan clergy promoted quality stagecraft in the parish. Ballroom dancing was introduced in Goa in the decade of 1830 and Konkani Mando sprouted in the 1940s. The Escola Parochial provided the imparting of good musical education and as a result, Goans were well respected for their musical skills all over.
The Portuguese evangelists, going ahead with the ‘Cruz e Spada’ policy of ruling the colonies, presented morality and spiritual plays besides passion plays during the Lenten season. While the origins of Marathi theatre is traced to the 19th century, we have evidence of Konkani drama existing in Goa in the 16th century by virtue of a letter written by St Francis Xavier to the King of Portugal that he witnessed a drama in the native language (Konkani) presented by the seminarians of St Paul's College, Old Goa. The Missionaries also presented spiritual/morality plays in Latin, Portuguese and Spanish which had an elite audience. The ‘Moteteo’ which were originally composed in Latin, were translated into Konkani by the church mestris which saw western music getting a firmer foothold in Goa.
The early tiatrists make mention that before acting in a tiatr, they were part of the ‘concerto’ presented in their childhood; the concert consisted of a variety of entertainment which included an instrumental ensemble orchestra, Mando, songs in variety like solo, duo, duets, trio, besides short plays in Konkani. However, these presentations were attended by the wealthy and the upper caste of the village.
For the lower strata of society, Zagor and Zomnivele fell were presented by their community folklorists. However, most of these presentations were at times crude and derogatory in nature, which alienated the educated and landlord class from these presentations.
In the year 1890, Lucasinho Ribeiro from Assagao (maternal house, his father was from the village of Soccoro-Porvorim), upon completion of his academic studies left for Bombay in search of employment as was the trend of those times. He studied music at the Escola Parochial (parochial school) and besides singing (concerts) and composing songs he was a fine violinist. His beginnings in Bombay coincided with the tour of an Italian Opera Company, that presented operas for the entertainment of the English Officials and bureaucrats employed in India. Lucasinho, through the good offices of a fellow Goan, managed to find a job as a stage help in the touring opera company and with this troupe, he toured Poona, Madras, Simla and Calcutta and when the troupe was proceeding to Burma, Lucasinho parted ways with the company after purchasing some second-hand velvet costumes discarded by the company, from the money he had earned working as a stagehand.
Back in Mumbai, Lucasinho adapted one of the operas presented by the troupe and wrote it down in Konkani. The play had 9 characters. Lucasinho had with him his friend Caitaninho Fernandes from Taligao in this endeavour. Caitaninho brought in Joao Agostinho Fernandes (Pai Tiatrist from Borda Margao) and together they began looking out for artistes. The search in the Goan ‘Kudd’ fetched them another two, Jose Mascarenhas from Mungul Margao and Fransquino Fernandes from Ribandar.
The play required 9 actors but when the search began getting futile, they decided to stage the performance with the available five and hence the concept of double role with changed costumes was introduced. To allow the actor to change the costume, the play was paused and songs (as sung in concerts) were presented in between the play. Thus a new form of art called Konkani Tiatr was born.
There is an attempt made to place tiatr in Goan folklore, claiming that tiatr originated as an improvement on the existing Konkani form of theatre; zagor and zomnivele fell. But there is neither any folk instrument like the ghumott ever used in the tiatr musical band, nor can it be proved that folklorists who earlier presented zagor and fells presented tiatr in the first fifty years of tiatr.
Tiatr was born and nurtured in Mumbai, but due to the patronisation it received from culturally rich Goans settled all over the world, tiatr got its roots strengthened, deepened and firmed its roots with tiatrs getting staged in Karachi, Nairobi Kenya during its infancy. Today we can claim with pride that though Konkani is a language followed by a minuscule populace, the Konkani tiatr is today staged wherever Goan communities are in domicile.
In the scanty Tiatr literature available for study, we learn that many tiatrs were staged in the African continent wherever Goans resided. However, there is no mention of other information regarding tiatrs that were probably written and staged by the Goans living in the area. Hence a clarion call to the authorities and tiatr enthusiasts to initiate attempts to chronicle the tiatr history in that distant land. This information will go a great way to place tiatr on a pedestal of pride and glory.
Konkani tiatr is today an amalgamation of western theatre, music and dance adapted to the Goan style. Tiatr being seen as a mirror; reflecting the Goan lifestyle and living, has stamped its authority as the most popular form of commercial theatre in India.
