Oh! my Ganesh

The elephant-headed God seems to be the popular icon home and abroad. Recently on a visit to Kathmandu one found the young set saying 8220;Oh! my Ganesh8221; instead of 8220;Oh! my God8221;. And American playwright Terrence Mcnally on a playing on the Indian experience chose to call his play A Perfect Ganesh. This is the play which is being premiered at the Sri Ram Centre by the New Delhi Community Players on April 8 and will run through till April 11. It is directed by Valerie Thomas who spent a decade in the capital teaching at the American school and contributing in a big way to theatre in English as actress and director.

The play tells the story of two American women, Katharine Brynne and Margaret Civil, who set out on a two-week vacation in Northern India in search of A Perfect Ganesh: the God of good fortune and new beginnings. Valerie who is returning home a day after the play closes, says, 8220;Had it been a play which spoke of westerners attaining spiritual fulfillment in India, I would have rejected it. But in this play the women are enriched but they do not realise it. And that8217;s the beauty of the play.8221;

Ruth Maxwel, producer, says, 8220;The play is special to us for in a way valerie bids adieu with it. The community players started as a theatre group for expatriates but grew to encompass all lovers of theatre in English.8221; The cast of the play includes Beth Ann Moskov, Rosemary parker, Cecil Qadir and Suhel Seth.lighting for the play is designed by Roysten Abel, set by Fred Glick and the choreography is by Navtej Johar. 8220;Working with this script has reminded me that I8217;ve responded to India like the women, Margaret and Katherine, and ultimately in my pown way.8221;