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'Vaidehi' at the Chautauqua Institute
July 2007
Every
year, the Chautauqua Institution---described by one regular as a
"Disneyland for the mind"---stages a summer series of
talks, readings, concerts, dances and plays. Each week of the season
has a theme, and the Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC) pays special
attention to the themes of Week Three and Six.
The CTC selects one play to match each theme for
its annual New Play Workshops, the goal being to provide writers
with a nurturing environment in which to develop their scripts.
In 2007, Gautam Raja's play Vaidehi was selected by artistic directors
Vivienne Benesch and Ethan McSweeny for the week themed "The
Meteoric Rise of India and China". Other events during these
seven days included a talk by Shashi Tharoor, author and former
UN Under-Secretary-General, and Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatama
Gandhi.
The
beautiful Bratton Theater on the grounds of the Chautauqua
Institution, home of the Chautauqua Theater Company
The script was discussed and workshopped over
four intensive sessions and then presented at the Bratton Theater
on July 11, 12 and 13. These staged readings featured complete blocking,
light and sound cues, costumes, properties and a basic set. Each
reading was followed by a feedback session with the audience.
The play was directed by Pamela Berlin, an NYC-based
director who teaches in the MFA programme of Rutgers University,
and is the president of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
From left: Charlie Murphy, Corey Jones
and Manu Narayan as the
"little girls" during rehearsal
Jolly Abraham as Vaidehi, and Corey Jones
as Imran during rehearsal
The eponymous main character was played by Jolly
Abraham, whose Broadway credits include Coram Boy and Bombay Dreams.
Vaidehi's cousin Varun was played by Manu Narayan, widely known
for his role as Akaash in Bombay Dreams.
The roles of Varun's friend Imran and the mysterious
college student Nikhil were played by CTC conservatory actors Corey
Jones and Charlie Murphy.
Other credits are: stage management by Emily Glinick,
scenery by Jason Simms, costumes by Nicole Wee, lights by Melissa
Mizell, sound and original music by Scott O'Brien. GR
Corey Jones as Imran, and Manu Narayan
as Varun
during tech rehearsal at Bratton Theater
The view from the stage of the Bratton
Theater
Manu Narayan as Varun, and Jolly Abraham
as Vaidehi
during tech rehearsal at Bratton Theater
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'The
Invisible River'
A play for Theatrescience India
that explores the religious and scientific issues behind bacteriophage
therapy.
'Vaidehi'
at Chautauqua
A workshop and performance at
the New Play Workshop by Chautauqua Theater Company at the
Chautauqua Institute, New York.
'Vaidehi'
at the Lark
Vaidehi was one of eight plays to be presented at the
Playwrights' Week at the
Lark Play Development Center, New York City.
'Damini
the Damager and Other Plays'
A collection of plays published by Unisun Publications.
Press quotes
'He has wit and an ear for the spoken
word.'
- CK Meena, The Hindu
'Every passion is scripted with restraint and more significantly,
bittersweet humour.'
- Ramjee Chandran, The Bangalore Monthly
'He has all the ingredients of a good
playwright---an imaginative mind, keen observation, a feel
for the language, a great sense of humour and an intimate
knowledge of the stage.'
- Laxmi Chandrashekar, The Hindu
'In an appealingly blunt, no-frills
tone, the play perceptively looks at the often directionless
yuppy. Given the subject, the play [Pub Crawl] comes
across as surprisingly unstilted and non-simplistic.'
- The Times of India
'Hard-hitting stuff.... He takes a
knife and cuts the cake of life. Day-to-day life. Depending
on how you have understood the cuts, or how close to you he
has cut, you react.'
- Ponappa, The Ponappa Missive (The Bangalore Monthly)
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