May 04 '05

I happened to get the drama tickets of S.Ve Shekar's drama, "Vaal payyan" at Narada Gana sabha. This is the second time, I am attending such stage plays. Though, I have seen the recorded version of this drama and listened it umpteen times on the tape, still seeing it live had only added to the enjoyment.

One of the things that is to be noted, is the turn out of audience. It was not sparse but at the same time, it cannot be graded as a better one too. When people pay more attention to all soaps, which uses the maximum amount of glycerin, it is really disheartening to note the poor turn out for the dramas. Infact, S.Ve Shekar thanked the audience to have spared some time for such stage plays, inspite of the dominance of such monotonous melancholic daily soaps.

This blog is not to review the play but rather delve into something else viz. the repeated mention of lack of women artistes in such stage plays. I know it is a harsh truth that women don’t pursue their interests inspite of the talent. Infact, when Srini asked me jovially, if I would be interested in it, it made me think why did I not pursue it or rather why my sis who has ensured that she is on the stage for all the school plays, did not make it big… I don’t know why I curtailed all my extra curricular activities in college inspite of the avenues available to vent out the talent. I am sure it is absolutely not stage fear. I don’t know if the cliched – “a male dominated society” holds good here or is it the mind set to pursue success in the “road most traveled by the middle class”???