| Username |
Post |
| ashu |
Posted
on 08-Jan-01 12:18 PM
One of the privileges of living in Cambridge
is the easy and regular access to good
theatrical productions all year round.
It was in Cambridge I learnt to appreciate
musicals, classic productions, experimental
plays, improv comedies, numerous a capella
jams and much, much more.
I remember many an evening spent at Sanders, or
the ART on Brattle Street or the Agassiz Theater
or elsewhere at the Harvard campus and in Boston
to see both student and professional productions.
Fortunately, Kathmandu, too, seems to be gearing
up to put on a few theater productions on a regular
basis. Young but well-established directors such as
Sunil Pokharel and Anup Baral (both trained at the
prestigious National School of Drama in India)
are leading troupes to put on good plays.
Anup's recent presenation of "Jaatai Sodh.noo Jogi ko",
a play adapted to Nepali from Marathi language,
was a stunning achievment: I was impressed with
the leel of sophistication Anup used in
directing that play. It was a tour de force, indeed.
Even C K Lal, a writer who does not get easily
dazzled by anything, had nothing but great praise
for Anup in a Nepali Times write-up.
Sunil, too, together with the group Aarohan Sanibar,
has been presenting fine productions. His new
play "Dr. Kanak" -- an adaptation of a French
play to Nepali -- just finished playing at the
Royal Nepal Academy Hall. Though Sunil's choice
of script seemed a tad weak, his direction
was creative, especially in his using the stage
in novel ways.
I am told that you can't find serious drama actors
in Nepal because for them, the lure to join the
Kollywood Film Industry is just too hard to resist.
After all, if you can sing and dance around the
tree, and have half the country recognize you,
why work hard to play some obscure character
in some Bal Krishna Sama's play?
But Kathmandu needs good theaters that turn
out good, solid productions on a regular basis.
Anup and Sunil tell me that their greatest challenge
is in finding capable people to MANAGE and MARKET
their productions so that they can concentrate
only on finding actors and directing plays. Because
theater groups are poorly managed and their
productions poorly marketed, the future of theater
in Kathmandu is poor.
People like Kanak Dixit at Himal and others are
interested in helping create a fund for the
development of Nepali theater. Perhaps an informal
group calling itself "Friends of Nepali Theater"
can be formed, and that group could use its
expertise and contacts to attract the audience
to the Nepali theaters.
One sad thing in Nepal is that those who have
cultural capital do not have financial capital,
and those who have financial capital do not
have cultural capital. Meantime, independent
artistic inititiaves like those of theater
and others languish for lack of funds, managerial
skills and financial savvy.
oohi
ashu
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| just another observer |
Posted
on 08-Jan-01 07:34 PM
Ashu, would you comment about what the poster in the earlier thread mentioned about while you were living in Cambridge? Is any of those reasons why you now chose to live in Nepal? I am troubled as to why I keep hearing about your portrayal in US as one of a wolf in a sheep's clothing.
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 08-Jan-01 09:19 PM
Just another observer,
I think it's the Chinese who have a
saying: "Beware of a man without an enemy, for
he is just not living the TRUE life."
I want to take the risks to live the true life
with the rainbow of emotions and multiple
thought processess it offers.
And so, One of the privileges of my life has been to
collect a lot of friends and a few interesting
enemies.
My enemies, under various names and disguises,
are FREE, FREE and FREE to attack me in any way
they can.
I fully support their right to attack me.
I can respond to them at the level of ideas,
for that's what I learnt at the university
in Boston. But I need not spend my life worrying
about responding to their about non-ideas issues.
That's because there's a lot more to do in
the world -- whether in Nepal or in America
or wherever -- than worry about what a few
people, in disguised names, think about
Ashutosh Tiwari. :-)
So, let the attacks continue. Together
with th world, I'll have my fun too: reading
and smiling.
It would be a pity if this GBNC Bulletin Board
STOPS being an entertainment medium as well.
oohi
ashu
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| ashu |
Posted
on 08-Jan-01 09:26 PM
I forgot to add that I still apply the lessons
learnt from Dr. Dinesh Nath Gongal's rich
and varied life.
That is: No matter how fierce the attacks,
be polite, be humane and be compassionate.
oohi
ashu
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| ashu |
Posted
on 08-Jan-01 11:04 PM
Let me also add that you are free to guess, to your heart's content, as to why I have chosen to live in Nepal. But the truth is I have never been fired from a job.
Hope that answers the observer's question and keeps you entertained.
oohi
ashu
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