A new-age tiatr with a musical touch

The tiatr was released in the UK on July 29 with two shows at Southall, and another two on the following day at Swindon. Thereon there was a show each at Readings and Wembley on August 11 and 13 respectively. After which, the show came to Goa to be received well by the audience if numbers are of any indication.
The drama is uniquely presented with no curtains or stage setting but with an LED projection as a background for various scenes and acts. There is also digital sound and a different musical set which projects this tiatr uniquely.
Mariano through his current tiatr talks about loving and caring parents, characterized beautifully by Mini Mario and Annie Quadros who send their three children overseas to better their future. But their hopes turn sour when their children adopt Western influences or vices which have a negative impact not only on themselves, but when they return to India, on their parents as well.
The tiatr opens with a trio sung by Maggie along with Mini Mario and Jr. Reagan who in the course of their cantaram introduce with a bit of innovation and style the cast and singers to the audience.
The first scene is of the family played by Mini Mario and Annie Quadros as parents and Maggie, Anil Pednekar and Junior Reagan as the three children. The day is an occasion to celebrate for the family as it is the youngest of the three children's Jr. Reagan's 21st birthday. It is also the last day the family is together before the eldest child and daughter, Maggie, who has an MA in Microbiology flies to London to further her career.
It is also revealed that the head of the family (Mario) has taken pains and made sacrifices to the extent of being miserly to save up money to send first his daughter and then his two sons abroad to secure their future. He also dreams that once he sees to their children's settling well overseas, along with his wife he would migrate to Australia. But then he learns that someone has been trying to sabotage his plans by overwriting on their visas.
One day, the daughter returns home with an unknown man which shocks her parents. She announces that she is civilly married to the man (Englebert) and they are in a live-in relationship. While taken aback, her mother, Annie tells her to get married in the church and have a reception otherwise the society will talk behind their backs. But her daughter does not agree to the proposition and thereby fails to adhere to the matrimonial ethos that the Goan Catholic culture adheres to. Meanwhile, her two brothers who were sent to America to further their studies return home one day lost in the world of liquor and drugs. Much to the chagrin of their parents, they reveal that they have spent their parents' hard-earned money not on education but on enjoying the fast life. As the story moves forward, the daughter returns home stating that she needs her rightful share, the fixed deposit that her father once revealed that he had kept for her. The daughter in her self-interest who has now moved on to another man in a live-in relationship says if she does not get the money, her future with the new man in her life will be ruined. When her mother asks her if her father who has suffered a heart-attack and is wheel-chair bound is not more important to her, and the money they now badly need could be utilized on him in lieu, the uncaring daughter blatantly retorts that her father is counting his last days anyway and he might as well die. Why waste money on him?, she counters. With a threat to commit suicide, the mother eventually gives in and signs on the papers thereby giving the daughter access to the money in her name.
Meanwhile, the sons who are up to no good and who are taken to the dark world of drug addiction badly are in need of money and come back home looking to earn a fast buck. They snatch away their mother's gold ornament around her neck, a testament of her togetherness with her loyal and loving husband.
The characterization by the parents is very poignant with Mini Mario playing the loving father and husband with Annie Quadros as the wife and mother essaying her role which will touch the emotional chords of the audience. Maggie as the unruly daughter fits in well, and Anil Pednekar and Jr. Reagan as the brash, spoiled sons do justice to their character. Towards the end of the tiatr, when gloom befalls a family, three faiths, namely, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam step in to exemplify the unity of Goem Goenkar Goenkarponn.
Despite powerful characterization by the main cast, there is something essentially lacking in the tiatr. The absence of curtains and a normal household scene for example, is difficult to connect with the connoisseur of the tiatr form. Also, the glitz of colourful lights on an open stage for a few songs does not always help. The saving grace is the return of Ben Evangelisto to the Konkani stage after five years who through a song spoke about his suffering and how despite people giving up on him, he staged a remarkable recovery and despite partial paralysis is now back to entertain his endearing masses. He underlines the value of the Holy Bible on his road to recovery. His duet with Mangalorean multi-lingual actress Ester Noronha debuting on the Konkani stage is also entertaining. While he introduces Ester, they combine well for a medley with Ester rendering vocals for a part song on Chris Perry's hit cantar, Pisso. Ester is accepted well by the audience when she comes on stage with a solo, Chedum Mogachem with her charming persona, grace and aura. Olga - the Queen of Political Songs is at her hard-hitting best as one would expect. Late Alfred and Rita Rose's children, Englebert and Alria's introduction to tiatr is a welcome sight. While it was a pleasure to watch the siblings come together for a duet, the solos rendered by Englebert with his showmanship on stage and mingling with the audience was quite something else. Alria who came down from the stage as well to blend in with the crowd leaves one with a thought to ponder. Is this a new trend beginning in tiatrs? Will we see the New Gen singers come down from the stage more often to sing?
The comedy acts have its fair share of rib-tickling comedy led by Comedian Luis Bachan as the hen-pecked husband and ghor-zavoinn who bears the brunt of a dominant wife played by Comedian Reza with endearment. Along with them, Luis' father, Comedian Dominic stays in the household. Ben Evangelisto also fits in well with his comical acts.
Director-writer Mariano Fernandes who also acts plays a small role in the drama, tells this paper that he has hiked the rate of his tiatr at Rs. 200 for a reason. "If we do not increase the ticket rate, then how can we improve the standard of our show? If the audience comes in large numbers and thereby supports us, only then we can go a step ahead. I request people to come and watch this show and realize for themselves why we have doubled the ticket rates," he appealed.

(The forthcoming shows are on August 27, 3.30 pm, R.B., Vasco, August 29, 3.30 pm, K.A., Panaji, August 30, 7.30 pm, Pai Tiatrist Hall, Margao, September 1, 3.30 pm, Pai Tiatrist Hall, Margao)