Yesterday in Calangute, people from the Agarvaddo, celebrated their annual Feast of Santa Cruz. In the evening, the Agarvaddekars under the leadership of their dynamic leader and philanthropist Isidio Fernandes organized a Tiatro “SOPON” written and directed by the well-known Tiatrist Pascoal de Chikalim.
Seen above is the prominent member of Agarwaddo Isidio Fernandes
Mr. Isidio Fernandes is a well known person in Calangute who seems to be bent on doing social work for the cause of humanity. This Tiatro Sopon according to my information is organized by him and also financed by him only and as such it was a free show. I heard from many of the attendees after the show saying “BESAO PODDONK BABDDEACHER AMKAM FUNKOTT POLLOUNK DILO MHON KAI BORO TIATRO”.
A group of members of Agarwaddo along with Jerry Cal
Though Isidio Fernandes doing so much yet he is ably supported by his group of people who are ready to assist him in anything at anytime and at anywhere. So also he too is ready to assist his colleagues. He is the son of once a good footballer Victor Fernandes playing for Calangute as defender who was good in both the legs and also in the aerial duels. A very muscular man, Victor was dependable defender who helped Calangute to win innumerable matches. I still remember how I played against him as a young boy in so many encounters.
Seen in the picture above is Jerry Cal singing his solo
Attended by the capacity crowd not only from Agarwaddo and Calangute only but even from the neighboring villages since it was already known that this Tiatro is a good and worth seeing. Though it started rather late at about 8.30 PM yet nobody got up from his or her chair till the final scene ended because the secret of the entire story is unfolded in the last scene only. Earlier it looks everything is suspense but in the end the whole secret is disclosed. What was the secret? It was the secret of both the children and mother were kept at an undisclosed location for Pascoal de Chikalim as a top cop to bring them back.
One of the scenes
The role played by the director was excellent but due to his screaming so loudly he was not very audible. Even some of the other artistes including the females were expressing themselves so loudly with their raised voices that it looked like a war. This type of screaming is not required, Directorsaib must see that some moderation is brought about. The system of shouting used for Khel Tiatro is not suitable for our Tiatro.
Seen above singing a trio song
The Side Show songs were good and for this the singers deserve the compliments. However one thing must be noted that the Side Show songs carry heavy weight on the Tiatro to accept as well performed. The song rendered by the local singer Jerry Cal on the death of their Ghaum-Bhau Peter Gomes the great yesteryear footballer of Goa who played for Calangute, Salgaocar and Goa XI as goalkeeper and also a top Tiatrist of Young Stars of Goa troupe. It was so well composed and so well rendered without any flaw. It was well accepted by the audience.
Seen above singing a duet
Comedy part carried some vulgarity which is not palatable, at moments it looked chaotic. Gone were the days, when Jacinto Vaz by just standing without even uttering a word would create peals of laughter among the audience. Those yesteryear comedians never used vulgarity and double meaning words to make the audience laugh. And what is the quality of such audience who enjoy the cheap comedy enacted thru using vulgar words? I pity this class of audience who if they don’t change their liking for vulgarity then this same vulgarity will kill our Tiatros.
The cheap vulgar and double meaning comedy is performed by the many new comer comedians because they are bankrupt to think high and perform high. It also depends on the upbringing of these comedians, their home discipline, the uprightness of their parents to inculcate a sense of discipline in their children and many other factors. But the min person responsible to control this vulgarity is the Director himself.
Recently, I have been noticing some of the top directors are become addicted to the vulgar comedy and if their fault is highlighted they become furious as if they are omnipotent. They must know that Konkani Stage is not their fathers’ property to use it the way they want. If they feel they carry the liberty to use it the way they want then persons like me will be entitled to use our Pens to oppose it. You take your freedom but don’t stop me from using my freedom to oppose you. Some of the so called Tiatrists used the freedom of Stage not only to showcase their talent but also to disgrace it. For this reason, the Pai Tiatrist once called these third grade Tiatrists as ROSTAD.
A. Veronica Fernandes.