Shakthi Ramani in Why she did, What she did
Through the years, Euripedes’ famed Greek tragedy Medea, has been tailored and brought on a number of various avatars onstage. When actor Shakthi Ramani talks about Medea, it’s exhausting to overlook the awe in her voice — there may be wonderment for the complicated play and its central character.
“We reside in a world that celebrates the binaries extensively, and all the things must black or white, or good or unhealthy. Medea for me, lands someplace in between this, and that’s very highly effective,” she says.
Shakthi is all set to deliver alive Medea on stage via Why she did, What she did, a play by Theatre Nisha based mostly on Euripedes’ Medea.
The thought to stage this play got here from Theatre Nisha founder V. Balakrishnan who has been eager to deliver Medea’s story onstage for over three years now. Balakrishnan traces the historical past of Euripides’ play again to 431 BC when it was first carried out within the Metropolis Dionysia competition in historic Athens.
Based mostly on the parable of Jason and Medea, the play focuses on the previous princess of the Colchis kingdom, Medea, who finds her world upturned after Jason leaves her for the Greek princess of Corinth. Medea units down the trail of vengeance and murders his new spouse and her personal two sons earlier than she escapes to Athens. Whereas based mostly on the unique play, Balakrishnan says that their articulation is new.
For Shakthi, who has directed the play, Medea and her shades of gray permits the viewers the area to really feel like they’ll interact with the character simply as who they’re. “She actually speaks to who we’re. To observe that is superb, however to have the ability to carry out and convey this alive on stage is even higher,” she says.
The play may have percussions by Vishwa BharathWith Why she did, What she did being her 49th play, she says that she is immensely enthused by the concept of performing and staging the primary present of this play within the metropolis.
“You don’t actually put together for a particular efficiency, you put together, and the efficiency occurs,” says Shakthi, when requested about how she approaches a play that isn’t simply complicated equivalent to this one, but additionally has her because the solo performer onstage. She provides, “Getting ready and coaching has been taking place for twelve years now, and this may proceed since it’s a craft that you’re going to should be taught each single day for the remainder of your life.”
Why she did, What she did will probably be staged on December eight and 9 on the Alliance Francaise of Madras., Nungambakkam. Entry for 16 years and above. Tickets are priced at ₹300 and out there on insider.in.