On 6TH of this month at Kala Academy in Panjim, I saw the Tiatro “LION KING” starting at 7.40 PM, written and directed by the young and energetic man Franky Gonsalves who has been acting since a long time now for some of the leading Goan directors and earning a name and fame for himself.
This being his first Tiatro, it was assumed before hand only that it will be just an ordinary Tiatro of ordinary Tiatrist but when seeing this Tiatro it was proved to be an extra ordinary Tiatro of extra ordinary Tiatrist with something new introduced on the Konkani Stage purely in a Prem Kumaran style. In fact after a long time some “novidade” has been seen on the Konkani Stage and this Novidade was the short stature of the director himself potrayed in a very intriguing way of his size as half, that means he is shown on the stage as dwarf since his both the legs from the knees are shortened, he is shown even wearing his shoes and walking as normal man walks. In this pose Franky Gonsalves looks excellent and the role that he plays is also excellent.
Seen above is innovative director Franky Gonsalves with short stature
Also purely in a C.Alvaresan style, the playwright Franky Gonsalves introduced a few beauties on the Konkani Stage not of cosmetic value but of real worth as they proved to be very good singers and excellently excelling in acting too. The director deserve high compliments for training them nicely and thus tuning them to face the audience and play their roles perfectly well. During those days the late father of Duets, was responsible to introduce new – new female faces in our Tiatros and because of this the base of our Tiatros has been enhanced.
One Scene of the Play
However, the base that was so strongly put from the time Lucazinho Ribeiro intiated the Tiatro and staged it first time about 150 years back, is now received a big jolt that due to its impact I am afraid that this art which was protected and promoted and patronised by the innumerable Goans and other Konkani people, I am afraid it may suddenly collapse like a pack of cards due to vulgarity introduced by a few vulgar Comedians who are backed by their equally guilty directors. And those who admire them among the audience are also equally vulgar. Earlier, because of such audience, decent people never used to be a part of audience. During those days, elite Goans never used to patronize Tiatros because the “Mattou” used to fill with the third class audience. This dirty and hoi-polloi audience was the support of all the Vulgar comedians who are nothing but a curse on the development and promotion of Konkani Stage.
Xavier Gomes sings his solo
Coming back to this Tiatro, the comedy was not fully clean, usage of the word “Pad” “Farting” is not proper in the public platform, it sounds not palatable, using the word “Pad” lowers the dignity of the Tiatro, the director should not make use of such words from the stage. Even at few places double meaning words were used. This is the work of stupid comedians. The director how he tolerates this unpalatable actions is itself a big question mark. Not only in this Tiatro, if the vulgarity is flourishing is so rampantly nowadays it is only and only because of those few Directors who are inducting the vulgar Comedians into their Tiatros knowing that they are degrading their comedy roles and the Tiatro as well. The great directors of yesteryear namely JP Souzalin, Saib Rocha, Prem Kumar, Alexinho de Candolim, Airestedes Dias and many others like them first of all will never induct these comedians into their Tiatros and even if they get a chance to act in the Tiatros of the great Directors, they would never be allowed to use vulgarity in their Tiatros. This is the diifference between those directors and the current tin-pot directors.
Marcus Vas sings his solo
It is my suggestion to the directors now that when they write the play, they must also write the comedy roles as it was done till recently. Nowadays the current directors are not full fledged writers of the Tiatros because they are not full fledged writers, they are ‘LANDDE” writers because they lack intelligence to write comedy also which is the part of the Tiatro as well. Many of the current script writers are buying the comedy part from the unfit "Baddeache" Comedians, it is like that they getting “Baddeachi Comedy” .
Francis de Tuem
The side show songs were excellent but the main ones are mentioned here namely “Zantteank Eksure Sanddinakant” by Lawry Travasso a very matured and wisdomatic solo; “Aum Hospitalan” by Marcus Vaz who indicated thru this high calibre song how matured he is become; “On Biblical Statements” by Rosario de Benaulim who has been seen since a long time now promoting Biblical philosophy.
Marcus Vas on his Duet
Seen above in one Scene are all the latest beauties of konkani stage
Seen above are singing their Quarter
It is to be noted that what in one song based on Biblical teachings he gives the lesson of Christianity even a Roman Catholic priest cannot give on one sermon during the Mass he offers. The song that Francis de Tuem on Citizenship Act. Amendment was excellent with a deep study of the subject like a Professor of Political Sience lecturing the College students. I don’t think anyone else goes so deep in giving detailed explanation of the subject. Xavier Gomes solo on “Ghorabo”. The duet Marcus Vaz rendered with T. Fernandes was not onloy well composed but more than that very well rendered by the female partner of Marcus especially when sang it in a melodious “Segundo”.
Lawry Travasso seen singing his excellent solo
Seen above Franky holding his friend in protection
The story of this Tiatro is based on Franky who plays the double roles first as handicapped with his short legs and later on as normal. Since this Tiatro is going on all over Goa, I will not touch the subject but request the audience and Tiatro lovers to patronize this Tiatro which is the first of the young director. While on this topic, I must give best credit to Vashal Gawas for playing the eole of the villain so excellently.
One more Scene is seen above
Well done Bab Franky Gonsalves and your troupe including the musicians who played their part very well. Let me now wish you all the best while concluding.
A.Veronica Fernandes.