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The Fool and the Saint
 Alliance Française of Madras presents 'The Fool and the Saint' (work in progress), a dance and video performance by the Leitmitov association on 16th April 2004 at 1900 hrs at the
Alliance Française Auditorium in
Chennai.
Inspired by the book, 'The fool and the saint, written by Sudhir Kakar and Catherine Clement, this play is about a French lady, Madeleine and an Indian man, Sri Ramakrishna, living in their respective countries at the end of the XIX century. Both characters with a similar mystical behaviour, living in ecstasy, meditating and others practices, all in a spontaneous way.
What is interesting or probably shocking is the way these two personalities with common behavioural symptoms were treated: the Indian man, who learnt yoga and different techniques to control his spontaneous visions, was to later on become none other than Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, one of the most influential gurus in India.
The French lady, confronted by the French society, at that time a very positivist and scientific one, was to not only be jailed but also undergo many psychiatric tests and confined to an asylum for twenty years during which time, a psychiatrist, fascinated by her, studied and researched her
behaviour.
With the help of a stage, transparency and a screen, this show will be a meeting of two different societies, French and Indian at the end of the XIX century. On the stage is Madeleine (the fool), on the screen is Ramakrishna (the saint), and the transparent one is a filter of these two realities.
With humour, certainly not mockery, this is an attempt to show mysticism in a lively manner.
RR
Published on 15th April, 2004
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