While in Kuwait I was promoting Tiatros along with my other colleagues. Many times we used to bring Tiatrists from Goa to participate in our Shows in Kuwait and while in Kuwait they used to stay at my place in Kuwait City. Among these Tiatrists there were males and females and couples too. There was during one particular time a Tiatrist couple and as per my knowledge it was a legally wedded couple because they already had one son. During their one week stay at my place I gave them all the facilities and treated them with high respect befitting their marital status. Thinking that they are a married couple I even gave them one full independent room of my Flat.
Within a few hours of their going back to Goa, somebody a Tiatrist only told me that they are both unmarried adulterous couple and giving them a shelter in my house I realized that it was a sinful act. But this sin I committed without knowing the correct fact. I knew that there are such rackets rampantly flourishing among Tiatrists and precisely because of this in the past the image of Tiatrists was affected. Even currently the image of Tiatrists in general is not very good even though on the Stage they are adored by the people including the rotten apples. This does not mean that there are no good character Tiatrists. Some of my best friends are Tiatrists males and females whose character is excellent and I am proud of their friendship.
Coming back to the adulterous Tiatrist couple stayed at my place, with a heavy burden of guilt on my head, I approached a Priest in Kuwait Church explaining the entire episode and requested him to bless my Flat with special prayers and Holy Water which he did. Then only I felt relieved of the guilt burden lying on my head because of this adulterous Tiatrist couple. For them it is nothing because their “Khandan” is like that but for me having my character and discipline it was something unimaginable. What a disgrace is it for a wives deserter Tiatrist to live with a “Ghanttin” concubine and produce an illegitimate child; moreover still acting on the Stage and moving in society shamelessly? What good this type of Tiatrists impart to the audience from the Stage? What role model such Tiatrists will be for the public? Such artistes are a disgrace on Tiatros and Tiatrists. It is these sinful Tiatrists who are creating a bad image of Tiatros and Tiatrists.
Saib Rocha was boycotted by the decent Tiatrists for keeping a concubine and then the image of Tiatrists was brightened. Saib Rocha was such a mighty tiatro figure once, finally died a poor death in the Provedoria Azilo, unsung and unknown. In the same manner all the bad character tiatrists should also be boycotted by the decent directors and tiatrists. By the way, how many morally upright directors are existing now? I was told that almost every second or third director is keeping a concubine from his own troupe either by deserting his own wife or by harassing his wife. One such persecuted wife already confided in me of her agony.
In order to create a good image of Tiatrists we must boycott the Tiatrists living an immoral life otherwise they will create a bad image even of the morally upright Tiatrists, as it happened in the past.
One of the reasons for the Portuguese government in Goa to apply censorship for Tiators was to check the vulgarity and indecency displayed on the Stage by the Vulgar, indecent and morally bankrupt tiatrists. If vulgarity is to sop in Tiatros then Censorship will automatically come in.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.