Tiatr Day (May 2001)

Tiatr Day
AT a simple function to mark the Tiatr Day, tiatrists C D’Silva, Socorro Fernandes, Diana Fernandes, Clara Dias, Anita Dias and Robin Vaz were felicitated, for their substantial contribution to the Konkani tiatr, at the Kala Academy, on April 17. Robin Vaz and Anita Dias could not be present at the function because Vaz is not keeping well and Anita had to attend a family function.
Tourism Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues was the chief guest on the occasion. He praised the tiatrists for enriching Goan culture and said that the tourists who come to the State not only come drawn by its beauty but to sample the culture of the people. Rodrigues also said that once upon a time the tiatr was considered to belong to the Catholics alone but over the years several young Hindu artists perform in the tiatr, which are also seen by people from the majority community.
Socorro Pieadade Fremiot Fernandes, popularly known as Socorro de Verna, is a veteran playwright, director and actor in the field of khell tiatr. In 1962, he peformed "Jungle King" and "Bhattkarachi Choli" in Bombay besides scores of others he staged along with his troupe, particularly at the time of Carnival and Easter. Several of his plays have been broadcast by All India Radio, Panjim. He has two Konkani novels—"Amchem Noxib" and "Ghatki Bhoinn"—to his credit. When the cassettes came in fashion, he recorded two dramas "Tannem Mhaka Sambaulem" and "Meutelem" in 1996 and 1997 respectively.
Lidvinda Anastasia Clara Correia e Dias, known as Clara on the Konkani stage, was born in Mumbai on April 14, 1946. While she was singing for the Cuckoo Band, she was spotted by a tiatrist Domnick Vaz. Soon the talented singer began performing in the plays of renowned Konkani tiatrists. She also acted in Konkani films "Zababdari" and "Moriad". She has been consistently acting for Roseferns for the last 21 years. To date she has performed in more than 150 plays. While adressing the audience on behalf of the artists who had been felicitated, Clara thanked the tiatr audience, which she claimed had spurred her to give better pefromances. She said that she was thankful to her understanding parents, who allowed her to participate in the tiatr, at a time when few parents encouraged their daughters to take to acting.
Ubaldina Fernandes (Diana), who was born on May 17, 1942 at Navelim, made her debut in Minguel Rod’s tiatr "Open to Close". Since then she has never looked back and has enacted a variety of roles in various plays and three telefilms. He has been performing in Prince Jacob’s plays for the last 16 years and has toured Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Muscat and England, with his troupe. Besides producing here own cassettee "Savllli", she has lent her voice to three more audio albums.
To Anita Pereira goes the credit of being the first female to act in the khelltiatr. She was ushered on the Konkani stage by Antonio Moraes in his play "Mundolkar Noris" in 1962. Born on August 9, 1944, with a flair for singing, Anita began performing with Saluzinho D’Costa and Jepshis Hitler and their Kunbi duets were par excellence.
The Man with Many faces, Pedro Caetano D’Silva (C. D’Silva) as born in Per-Seraulim on March 26, 1936. C. D’Silva took off with the song "Khadd Mixeo" of famed tiatrist Young Menezes. Besides acting in the plays produced by other playwrights, he also staged his own much acclaimed plays. At the age of 65, having sung over 1000 Konkani songs, C D’Silva still commands a vast fan following.
Who has not heard of Robin Vaz, the giant on the stage by physical proportions as well as prodigious talent? Born on October 20, 1932, at Cuncolim, Robin Vaz has written and directed as many as 27 tiatrs, most popular among them being "Agente Monteiro" "Put Konnacho", "Opinion Poll of Goa" and religious dramas like "Adaum ani Eva", "Our Lady of Fatima", Barabbas’, etc. Even today we hear his folk songs on the All India Radio in Mumbai and Goa. Being a freedom fighter, he enacted the main role in plays written by Mussolini Menezes, based on the freedom struggle—"Rauji Ranno", "Padrichem Bond", "Martyrs of Cuncolim", etc. Robin Vaz has acted in virtually every important Konkani film to date and has three audio cassettes to his credit.
Vishnu Vagh of the Kala Academy traced the origin of the tiatr and praised the foresighted persons, who had laid the foundation of the Konkani stage, some time in 1892 in Bombay, with "Italian Bhurgo" by Lucasinho Ribeiro of Assagao. He said talented people like Caitan Fernandes from Taleigao, Joao Agostinho Fernandes of Margao, Agostinho Mascarenhas and another person, helped him form a theatre troupe. He also said that it is unfortunate that many tiatrs have been performed in Goa and Bombay, but few of the playwrights have published their scripts. In this context, he mentioned that Tomazinho Cardozo is among the few playwrights, who have published the scripts of their plays. He also said that the "kantaram" or songs in the tiatr have the capacity to influence people, which should be groomed further. Wagh hoped that more an more Hindu artistes will join and strenghten the Konkani stage and help it flourish.
Tiatr "Nissor"


The felicitation was followed by tiatr "Nissor", an engrossing play staged by the Sao Gonsalo Dramatic Group, who had bagged the first prize at the 26th Tiatr competition. It was definitely among the few well directed plays that I have witnessed so far. The acting by the principal characters was superb and most of the credit for it goes to the creativity of the director.
Even the songs in the side-show were excellent, each of the singers exhibiting their best performance. The song which I liked most is the one which sought to appeal to people not to send their parents, who have sacrificed everything to the wellbeing of their offpsrings, to the old age home. Lot of educated people have settled abroad while the parents who helped them so much are left to spend their time in loneliness in old age homes.
Unfortunately, the Kala Academy auditorium was practically empty and many missed to witness the tiatrists being honoured as well as the fantastic performance put up by the producers of the play "Nissor".
JD

CONNIE FELICITATED Well-known Goan drummer Conceicao Diago D’Silva of Per-Seraulim, Colva, affectionately known as "Connie M" by music lovers, was felicitated by his friends and wellwishers at a function at the Mabai grounds.

"TEHELKA" TIATR The trial performance of the Konkani tiatr "Kodelachi Ass, Dudvanchi Rass" (Greed for Chair, Lust for Money), written by Anil Kumar and produced by Buyao Theatre, was staged at Chandor on April 22. The story of the Youth Congress promoted tiatr is based on the Tehelka revelations and the cast includes Anil Kumar, Fatima, Thomas, Jack de Colva, Ortencio and Ulhas Buyao.

SHARON SHINESTiatrist Sharon Mazarello bagged the first prize of Rs.3,000 for her script "Illixi Chuk", while the second prize of Rs.2,000 went to Agnelo Fernandes for "Oxem Ek Lhar", while Michael Gracias got the third prize of Rs.1,000 for "Moronn", in the Tiatr Writing Competition held to commemorate the memory of Tiatristancho Pai, the late Joao Agostinho Fernandes.

RODIL MOURNED Rodil Rodricks, a wellknown Mumbai-based Konkani playwright from Tiracol in Pernem, passed away on April 25 in Panjim. Famous for his plays "Shambu" and "Xirapani Buddlolo Ghorabo". Rodil was in Goa to plan the staging of his new tiatr "Soitan". He leaves behind his wife and two school-going kids.