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Dheepa Ramanujam
Krea Director |
Krea, an Indian theatre group in the US,
presents its first English play, 'Seeds and Flowers', in Chennai
on July 7, 2007. The play at the Music Academy is in aid of
Jeeva, Udhavum Karangal, with the troupe members having come all
the way from the US at their own cost, said Dheepa Ramanujam,
Krea director.
Dheepa said their group had staged Tamil
plays in the past but this had reached out mainly to people of
south Indian origin. Its earlier productions, in Tamil, 'Sruthi
Bedham', 'Thanimai', 'Kadavulin Kangal' and 'Maya' were
successful yet there was a request for an English play. That was
how the concept of 'Seeds and Flowers' was born. After a
successful premier at the Silicon Valley on April 28, the group
has planned an India tour.
 The
play will be staged in Chennai on July 7, on July 12 in
Bangalore and on July 14 in Mumbai, Dheepa said, adding that
tickets had been priced at a nominal rate of Rs 100.
In this play, the characters live in the US,
facing the pressures pf day-to-day existence which are similar
whether one is in Silicon Valley, New York, Tokyo, Mumbai or
Chennai.
 'Seeds
and Flowers' basically portrays the life of Indian immigrants in
the US in current times. The play provides a glimpse into the
current challenges, lifestyle, pressures and the conversations
in an Indian household in the US. It contrasts
the story of Raj and Priya struggling to live, with Raj's
frequent lay-offs, and Jay and Charu making it successful in the
new land only to find out that the gap between them has widened.
Raj and Priya constantly talk about relocating to India only to
reverse the decision within the next few minutes.
 Kari,
the ego-maniacal, power-hungry CEO drives Jay to do an M&A,
which impacts not only Raj but also Jay, as Charu leaves him.
Jay, unable to focus at work, looks for help from his mentor,
Kari. Life in the US is not easy especially
for those coming from India, Dheepa says, and points out that
there can be a huge mismatch between an average Indian's dream
of life in the US and ground realities. R
Rangaraj
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