Stage set for Princess Maya,her jumbo

Much has changed since January 28,when the show was last scheduled for staging,the most important being the change of government in the state.

When the play was first set to be staged,BSP head Mayawati was chief minister and the play’s protagonist had several resemblances with her. For one,they both shared the same name. Also,the protagonists favourite pet is an elephant,which is the BSP;s election symbol.

The play is set some 500 years ago. Maya whom sycophant ministers always try to please with expensive gifts. In preparation for her birthday,the ministers buy a pair of expensive sandals,and deposit these where the state treasure is kept.

The princess favourite elephant was called Eravat,who feeds only on gold and silver. The mahout unwittingly feeds it with the expensive sandals,mistaking it for part of its gold diet. Realising the blunder,the ministers rush to a vaidh who treats the elephant with laxatives. In the dung comes out all the riches that the ministers had collected through corruption and fed the animal to please the princess. Seeing this,the people of the kingdom rise in revolt and attack the palace.

The rebellion wakes up the princess,who was unaware of the goings-on. One by one,the angry Maya beheads the sycophant ministers and appeals to the people to choose their king “It is inspired by real events but the play does not target anyone,” said Mukesh Verma,playwright and director who has staged about 15 plays.

“Earlier the play was denied permission because the model code of conduct was in place. Now that the elections are over,the permission to stage it has been granted,” said OP Pathak,ADM (West),Lucknow. Verma had again applied for permission for staging the play on March 16,a day after Akhilesh Yadav was sworn in as the new chief minister of the state.

“Now that they have granted me permission,we will stage the play on April 9. The actors have been rehearsing for the play for the past four and a half months now,” said Verma,adding that the Rai Uma Nath Bali Auditorium is yet to be booked for the play.

“We had booked it last time but the booking was cancelled at the last moment. We still have to complete the formalities this time,” he said.