Goa on stage

A scene from Amchea Gharant Tiatr

By Varad Diwate

Keeping with the undying momentum of theatre and live performances, Goan theatre enthusiasts have left no stone unturned in making an impact with experimental and novel forms of musical theatre, like tiatr (theatre in Portuguese), which traces its presence in Goa to over 122 years. Directed by Konkani actor Prince Jacob, the tiatr performance Sukhant Toxem Dukhant (In good and bad times) premiered on July 18 at Nehru Memorial Hall in Pune.
Typically, a tiatr performance includes three songs that comment on different social issues. The songs are embedded between pordhe or the acts and are performed by live bands that make use of western instruments such as trumpets, drums and bass guitars. “In Sukhant Toxem Dukhant, we have incorporated a song about the Goan ministers who wanted to travel to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup matches,” says Jacob.
The play revolves around a couple where the fickle-minded husband is involved in an extra-marital relationship and later discovers that his wife is terminally ill. In addition to Jacob, the cast includes Annie Quadros, Jacinto Gracias, Diana Fernandes and Comedy Supremo Humberto in lead roles.
“I see theatre as a platform to educate the audience on different issues. It is definitely a lot more than entertainment,” says Jacob. His first tryst with theatre was at the age of 13 and ever since, he has not looked back for the last 30 years. Some of his recent works include Pap Tujem Prachit Mhojem (2013), Teg Bhav Deva Pav (2013), Amchea Gharant Tiatr (2013) and Amchem Konn Chinta (2014).
Konkani theatre performances are not very common in Maharashtra. “We cater to the cultural needs of the Konkani-speaking populace in Pune and Mumbai. So far, our performances have received an overwhelming response in Mumbai and Pune, and we wish to carry forward with the same zeal and vigour,” says Jacob.