National School of Drama graduate Lapdiang Syiem on developing contemporary theatre in Meghalaya
THEATRE IN Shillong is a word that at first glance would not generate much interest. Apart from the no longer existing Rympei Theatrical Club or the famous biria group Sbuk, it may be said that in the recent years nothing significant has been established in terms of contemporary theatre in the city.
The National School of Drama in New Delhi is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India. It was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1959 with the aim of training young artists and equipping them with a practical and theoretical knowledge of different theatre art forms.
A week-long theatre appreciation course organised by the NSD in collaboration with NEHU and the Shillong Forum for English Studies last month was the first of its kind in Meghalaya. The main objective of the course was to acquaint participants with theatre in the Indian context, its institutional history and its evolution in the contemporary global context.
The course also demonstrated a connecting link between how theatre had evolved in different parts of the country and simultaneously examined the performance tradition in Meghalaya. Therefore lectures were also included on Khasi folklore, Khasi and Jaintia performance tradition, a play from the Garo Hills as well as a discourse on Khasi folk and traditional music. Around 100 students, research scholars, teachers, lecturers and enthusiasts took part.
The inauguration took place at NEHU with H Kanhailal, a renowned theatre practitioner, founder-director of Kalakshetra Manipur and a Padmashree awardee, as chief guest. With him was his wife, a renowned Manipuri theatre actress H Sabitri, also a Padmashree awardee, and Gargi Bharadwaj, the course coordinator from New Delhi.
Kanhailal encouraged Meghalayans to go back to their roots and look at their own performing tradition to find a base from which contemporary theatre can emerge. The first performance was by members of the Aroha Choir – Ellerene Diengdoh, Lam Syiemlieh and Arki Persara Langstieh – in a soulful rendition of “The Prayer”.
Later, Sabriti staged “Memoirs of Africa”, a solo performance by the 69-year-old actress inspired by the Manipuri poem Africagee Wakhalda by eminent poet L Samarendra. Sabriti, a popular child star of Manipuri theatre in the 1950s, joined Kanhailal in the cause of experimental theatre in the 1970s. She is the embodiment of resilience, displaying a physical agility and an emotional capacity that surpasses that of any young actress. Through her expression we caught glimpses of a disturbed reality. The performance had no set design nor was it accompanied by any other technical support except for basic stage lighting.
The sessions that followed through the week included those on stage design, history of Khasi folk theatre, acting, modern Indian drama, theatre architecture and contemporary theatre.
Professor Helen Giri, through her lecture on Music, Ritual and Performance, spurred us towards examining our culture and traditions and ka tynrai ka jinglong khasi. Kong Helen is a pioneer in her field and has laid the foundation for progress of art and culture in Meghalaya, proving that it plays a dynamic role in shaping the progress of the state.
Meghalaya does not share a common theatre history with the rest of the country and as various states witnessed a development in this field, we are still grappling with the idea of an existing theatre tradition. However, the idea of performance is not far removed from our cultural vocabulary.
The Jaintia Hills is considered to have an active contemporary theatre scene where plays are performed on a weekly basis. Amongst the Khasis and Bhoi, examples are Ka Thep Mawbah, the performance ritual of the former concerning the rites of the dead and Jabulo, a community-based tamasha from the Bhoi region where masks are a part of the getup and are a reminder of the rich oral traditions that are a goldmine of folktales, myths and legends that are the main contributing source to Khasi literature.
The other live performances that were staged were Pebet, a second performance by Kalakshetra Manipur. A play directed by Kanhailal, Pebet is a world famous performance based on a Manipuri folktale. Kanhailal’s physical theatre focuses on using the body, the breath and the voice in performance and is rooted in Manipuri martial arts as well.
The final play that was staged was by the Achik Theatre group from the Garo Hills, who, as an amateur group, have generated interest among the youth in theatre as a social medium. They performed the play Du-kon, which depicts the contemporary social environment and issues affecting the youth.
From this entire session, one got an understanding of how theatre has been redefined according to the times. Theatre is meant to reflect the existing social condition as well as drawing from its tradition, thereby creating performance styles and languages that the contemporary audience will relate to. It is both a powerful social medium for change as well as for preserving the culture and identity of a community.
We cannot alienate ourselves from the progress in art and culture and it is imperative to identify and connect to the broader social environment. Meghalaya has the capacity to contribute to the national and global cultural platform. So why should we not let theatre be a part of our lives and begin to experiment with it according to our own understanding? It only requires a little more effort to come out of our closed doors and begin to question our reality.