Naya Theater performances had an air of simplicity when you saw them. It seemed like a very linear story telling and there were simple stories being told. Nothing was such that came in the way of your viewing the performance and being with it. That is the hallmark of great work in theater.
The first ever production of Naya Theater I saw was in 1989. That was Agra Bazar. I was a young school going student. Agra Bazar is based on the poetry of Nazir Akbarabadi, a poet who wrote all kinds of poetry. He was someone who wrote on the concerns of the common people which was quite unlike the times when classical languages were more respected than someone writing on simple things like kites, vegetables, eatables. But the poet did go beyond just plebeian poetry. He also wrote in praise of the Hindu gods and also about holi- regarded as a Hindu festival. It was symptomatic of a syncretic culture. Thus the poet becomes extremely important. The narrative was simple. One vegetable seller wants to sell his vegetables by singing in praise of them. He wants someone to write some poetry. No noted or aspiring poet would do that but Nazir. The poetry came in quite seamlessly in to the play through a device of two 'faqirs' who sang at different points in the play. Or through the characters who came into the bazaar and left. At one point I asked Habib saab if I could be a part of the crowd which moved around on the stage- I thought it would be a lot of fun. Since my character only entered the play towards the end of the second half, I thought it would be easy. But the movements that looked quite simple were not so simple after all and I realized that it was not that easy to be a part of Habib Tanvir's crowd. The play which ran for about three hours had about sixty characters and since everything was being played out in the bazaar, timing was of essence. Well, quite a complex task made to look so simple when you saw the play!!!
The first ever production of Naya Theater I saw was in 1989. That was Agra Bazar. I was a young school going student. Agra Bazar is based on the poetry of Nazir Akbarabadi, a poet who wrote all kinds of poetry. He was someone who wrote on the concerns of the common people which was quite unlike the times when classical languages were more respected than someone writing on simple things like kites, vegetables, eatables. But the poet did go beyond just plebeian poetry. He also wrote in praise of the Hindu gods and also about holi- regarded as a Hindu festival. It was symptomatic of a syncretic culture. Thus the poet becomes extremely important. The narrative was simple. One vegetable seller wants to sell his vegetables by singing in praise of them. He wants someone to write some poetry. No noted or aspiring poet would do that but Nazir. The poetry came in quite seamlessly in to the play through a device of two 'faqirs' who sang at different points in the play. Or through the characters who came into the bazaar and left. At one point I asked Habib saab if I could be a part of the crowd which moved around on the stage- I thought it would be a lot of fun. Since my character only entered the play towards the end of the second half, I thought it would be easy. But the movements that looked quite simple were not so simple after all and I realized that it was not that easy to be a part of Habib Tanvir's crowd. The play which ran for about three hours had about sixty characters and since everything was being played out in the bazaar, timing was of essence. Well, quite a complex task made to look so simple when you saw the play!!!
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