 Theatre Nisha’s ‘The Curse of
Urvashi’
Theatre Nisha presents ‘The Curse of Urvashi’ from the July 6 to 9, 2006. This play has been compiled from the English
translation of the Mahabharata by Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the play ‘Brihannala’ by Anupam Kumar. This will be the third
Theatre Nisha production for 2006, after ‘Three - a collection of short stories’, and ‘Mob Story’ (an adaptation of Bertolt
Brecht’s ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui’), says V Balakrishnan, artistic director, Theatre
Nisha.
Brihannala is the name under which Arjuna, the Pandava hero, guises himself during the crucial 13th year of exile. The curse
of Urvashi affords him to change his sex to that of the third nature and he serves his time as the dance teacher of
Uttara, the princess of Matsya.
Uttara, the nubile princess, falls in love with the overwhelming personality of the son of Kunti. Rejected by Arjuna, her passion is only inflamed. At this juncture the armies of Hastinapura attack Matsya. The braggart prince Bhuminjay is led to battle by Brihannala, who acts as the young prince’s charioteer.
On the battlefield, Bhuminjay loses his nerve and attempts to flee. Derided by Brihannala he agrees to drive the chariot while Brihannala fights. Brihannala reveals his true identity to Bhuminjay. The Kauravas scattered, the prince returns home to a great reception, but his sister Uttara guesses the truth.
The next day, the Pandavas reveal their true identities and the proud Matsya offers Arjuna the hand of his daughter Uttara. Arjuna, in keeping with the codes of ethics, refuses, but accepts Uttara as his daughter-in-law and has her married to his warrior son Abhimanyu. Uttara, dejected, confronts
Arjuna.
The other major characters are Krishna, the charmer, who keeps visiting Arjuna in the dancing hall to offer him advice and have a few laughs at his woman-like appearance, and Draupadi the wife of the Pandavas who survives a rape attempt by the commander-in-chief, Kichaka, who is later killed by
Bheema.
The play begins with a dialogue between an older Uttara and Krishna who is awaiting his final destiny in the forest, and moves to reveal the attempt by Urvashi to seduce
Arjuna.
Production details:
Dates: July 6 (at 7 p.m.)
July 7, 8 and 9 (at 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.)
Venue: Top Storey,
Alliance Francaise of Madras, 40 College Road, Chennai: 34
Tickets available at:
Landmark (Nungambakkam & Spencers),
Odyssey (Anna Nagar & Adyar),
Fruit Shop (Greams Road & Besant Nagar), and the venue.
Price of tickets: Rs. 100
Free seating.
For further details and bookings call 93810 17044/ 98400 98396
R Rangaraj
|
