VASANTH NAGAR: In the most popular Manipuri production of Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, Macbeth and his lady’s descent into madness signals the entry of white-clad nurses pushing wheelchairs.
The reason: director Ratan Thiyam sees Macbeth not merely as a tragic hero, but as a disease that present-day civilisation is stricken with.
The veteran was in the city for a show of Macbeth that opened Poorva-Uttar Rangotsava, the North-Eastern theatre festival organised by National School of Drama, New Delhi, in collaboration with Department of Kannada and Culture, held at Guru Nanak Bhavan. He said, “This is a disease that’s raging across not just India, but the globe.”
The rate of technological growth disturbs him. “Humans took millions of years to evolve from the homo erectus to the homo sapien. But over the last 50 years, the technological development we see is so much.”
This makes people seek more comfort and sources of artificial energy, he believes. “We forget about our own energy. And it makes civilisation furious. Unlimited desire and greed lead to violence, giving birth to terrorism,” he said. In the final scene too, the body of Macbeth represents the disease. Pierced by multiple blades, it lies surrounded by more infected material -- red cloth -- that women, their noses and mouths covered for protection, sweep up with long broomsticks.
Like in Macbeth, war and violence are recurring themes in most of his productions. “The world is witnessing only that, nothing else,” he said when City Express caught up with him for a quick chat.
He’s a pioneer in Manipuri theatre, weaving in martial arts, music and other performing art forms as well. His Chorus Repertory Theatre has nearly completed 40 years and 50 productions, with no state government support, he said with a touch of pride.
“Time is changing, so is theatre. But some things remain the same — the discipline, the working method. If not, we (the repertory) wouldn’t have been able to sustain. We started off as a professional theatre repertory, and that’s what we are even today,” he said.
The Manipuri youth is enthusiastic as ever about theatre, he added. And this, despite the economic problems that theatre faces, not to mention the challenges of keeping it alive in a conflict-ridden zone.
“The youngsters take it as a challenge. It could also be because even in the era of technological advancement, the performing arts are very much a part of our (the Manipuri) lifestyle — in everyday life, in celebrations, in funerals.”
Well, what does he think of the city? During a hectic evening, he had just enough time to murmur, “Bangalore is great.”
Poorva-Uttar Rangotsava: Assamese play Joymati, directed by Anup Hazarika, today; Assamese play Chitrangada, directed by Abinash Sarma, tomorrow; and Manipuri play Chakpa Makhao Ngambi, directed by Chinglen Thiyam, on Thursday, at 7 pm, Guru Nanak Bhavan, Millers Tank Bund Road, Vasanth Nagar.