They are warriors of a different kind

A group of young theatre enthusiasts believe that art has to change the way you live life. Members of the six-year-old Theatre Samurai, say they owe much to their alma mater, Ninasam

May 21, 2015 07:03 pm | Updated 07:04 pm IST

Theatre Samurai members move from one place to the other staging plays PHOTO: G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR

Theatre Samurai members move from one place to the other staging plays PHOTO: G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR

Art can amalgamate and bring together distinct and varied people who are committed to its cause. Take for instance, Theatre Samurai. One cannot but marvel at the passion, commitment, and devotion this group has for theatre. Still nascent with a history of six years, they nevertheless are burning the track - maturing and evolving in their perceptions and experimentation – of theatre and its relationship to their personal life as well as the society around them. They were in Bangalore to stage their play – “ Hasida Kallugalu ”, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Hungry Stones’.

Theatre Samurai was started by a group of young graduates from Ninaasam and other theatre institutes. Basically nomadic in nature, the group is unique in its structure as it does not have any fixed group of members. Each year, the group reconstitutes itself dynamically with many new faces and sets out on a statewide theatre yatra. After performing across the state, each member goes his way, but is forever associated with the group. They may or may not return the year after, but the memory lives on and the learning grows. The family of Theatre Samurai has now grown to 30 members and this year, eight of them are part of the play – “ Hasida Kallugalu ”.

They were about to head out to Mulabagilu from Bangalore, but their show was cancelled at the last minute and well wishers quickly put together another performance in Bangalore. Nothing could dampen their spirits. The group sat around me, I, engulfed by their innocent enthusiasm and infectious dreamy eyes, listened on: “To be honest, this is the first time we have been approached for a story by the media, and we honestly don’t know what to say!” Siddharth, starts off.

Explaining the motive behind founding the group, Umesh, one of its founding members says: “We were youngsters who were keen to understand the nuances of theatre – not only in terms of acting, but also the end-to-end management. Starting a group of our own was one of the best ways for us to get such exposure.” Each member of the group has the freedom to lead the effort in staging a play and would be the main co-ordinator for that particular period. There is exceptional fluidity in the roles taken up within the team and no one member is really considered as the leader as the baton keeps changing hands. Even though this dynamism and fluidity is the hallmark of the group, it comes with a price. “Financial constraints are always there, ” explains Siddharth. “We have not set aside any funds as such for the future years and none of us come from financially comfortable households. Each year, the group members raise funds – either pooling their own savings or raising loans from well-wishers. By the end of our tour, we hope to atleast break even. There are many instances when we wouldn’t even have earned enough for our food. But somehow, eventually we ensure the lenders get their money back.” I wonder out loud about the sacrifices that the members may have to do in this pursuit. Siddharth shares his perspective on that – “I guess we are rather bullish. We haven’t ever bothered. We just surge ahead. Hence for an outsider, it may seem like we are struggling, whereas, it has never seemed like a struggle for us at all! If we don’t get any money for our plays, well atleast we had the pleasure of staging it!” The group breaks into a laughter that is pristine and unalloyed. One can see their genuine happiness burst forth.

When I wonder why they are so passionate about this inspite of its numbing challenges, the group replies unequivocally, “That’s the culture we’ve received from our Institute. Through this medium we have touched people, built relationships and learnt about life!”

Such management experimentation also leads to interesting experiences. “Once in a village, the organisers informed that there was no accommodation available for us. We immediately had to look for some contacts in the neighbouring areas to camp for the day. Performing in cities is also not easy. Our entire earnings would go away for our food and logistics. But on the flipside, it also helps us build lasting bonds with the local people. In Ujire, the theatre students at SDM College have been our constant supporters and have been raising funds to stage our plays. This year, they not only bore the expenses for the play there, but also gifted us a lighting set! These are some precious experiences for us. There have also been instances when we have staged a play for barely a handful in the audience!” This is where the group has come to rely on its unofficial spokespersons. Other theatre groups, contacts and word-of-mouth are the means through which people have typically been made aware of their work and plays. This year finally the efforts are seemingly coming to fruition looking at the responses they have received so far.

One of the biggest challenges when one sets out to experiment is the onslaught of self-doubts. Theatre Samurai is no exception here too. “Sometimes we wonder if we are living a world of fantasy! Inspite of our best efforts, there were moments when we have been criticized by many seniors. Those were unnerving moments. But the group always bounces back as one member or the other just perks up and says, ‘let’s just do it’.”

This year, the group embarked on a unique experience. They brought the famed theatre artist and director Heisnam Tomba from Manipur. Inspired by Jerzy Grotowski’s method of using the body as the primary means of communication, the group has brought to stage, a short story of Tagore by transcending the speech and showcasing the perspectives of feminism, illusions and the eternal quest for emancipation.

I wonder if the group, much like the stones in the play, is in a quest! Braving immense odds, personal challenges and doubts, what are they in search of? “We are looking to experience pure theatre – beyond our props, our makeup and costumes, the script and plots; we are trying to understand theatre in its pristine form. For three months, we suspend our life as we know it and embark on this experience. But towards the end of three months, we understand that we cannot distill this experience from our lives and remove it. Sometimes we feel we are also sucked into this modernization and rat race and we feel as though we are losing out. We aren’t against modernity, but sometimes we feel that it is waging a war against us and our beliefs. When the reality of life faces us, it unnerves us. But we know what we are doing is worth the efforts. And beyond that, right now, we don’t have an answer!”

Theatre Samurai is a troupe – passionate, committed and evolving. Their innocent passion and quest for unalloyed experience is their hallmark and one can be sure that it shall always remain so.

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