Posts Tagged Shakespeare
“Taming of the Shrew” by NAATAK Co. (in Bundelkhandi) – Play Review
Posted by Darshana V. Nadkarni, Ph.D. in Play Reviews on March 19, 2015
How to make a comedy written in 1590, come alive in 2015? Actually that is not even the full challenge tackled in this production by Manish Sabu and Juhi Mohan. The main challenge here is how to adapt a Shakespearean comedy to a community at the other end of the world and still retain its beauty, its sharp wit, and colorful dialogs.
Bay area’s NAATAK company rose to the challenge and exceeded all expectations in its theatrical production of “Taming of the Shrew”! There are absolutely no other words to describe but to say KUDOS for such a fabulous adaptation of Shakespearean comedy to Bundelkhandi, set in India. Don’t balk if you did not even know such a language existed in India. The language is a close cousin of Hindi and appropriately coordinated translation in English appears on two close circuit monitors on both sides of the stage. I can guarantee that the audience could not have enjoyed as fully this production in Hindi, as they can enjoy it in Bhundelkhandi. It is the difference in watching Shakespeare’s play in regular English versus watching it in Shakespearean English. Somehow this play in Bundelkhandi feels like it was originally written in Bundelkhandi. Yes, it feels that natural!! The production in fact begins with couple of little challenges thrown at the audience, to get them thinking in Bundelkhandi – which is also awesome!
Bundelkhandi dialect is earthy, rich, and beautiful.
Consider how rich this dialog feels in Shakespeare’s English. Gremio is questioning Baptista about his quieting his good and patient daughter Bianca and making her bear the penance of his “fiend” of a daughter Kathrina.
Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
In Bundelkhandi, Kathrina, the shrew, fiendish, evil, wicked one is referred to as “karkasa”.
Petruchio marries Kathrina and then insists they leave, without partaking in the feast. Kathrina resists and seeks help from others and Petruchio says
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;
And here she stands,
Kathrina is now Petruchio’s “amanat”.
Petruchio then lovingly manipulates Kathrina, and masterfully takes on the nearly impossible task of taming his new bride, as Tranio explains to Bianca
Petruchio is the master;
That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,
To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.
and Petruchio himself boasts
hum jo padhat hai, vo hi hum sikhaut hai, pirem ki kala
Finally, Petruchio succeeds in taming his shrew, and Kate learns not to argue with him, and she says,
And be it moon, or sun, or what you please:
An if you please to call it a rush-candle,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
In Bundelkhandi, Kathrina says,
Chahe to suraj he, chahe chandrama, aur tum kaho to mombatti.
Some Shakespeare’s plays depart moral messages, whereas some are just humorous ones to be enjoyed for the sharp wit. Obviously, there is not moral message that would be applicable in this century, in Taming of the Shrew. But in regular English or in Hindi, it would seem preachy. Whereas in Bundelkhandi, this is a beautiful production, with marvelously talented cast, and perfectly suited staging. This play is full of sharp wit, performed in an Indian language that is ancient and earthy, yet easily accessible and enjoyed by all.
Every theater season, I share for my readers, not-to-miss-play of the season in South Bay area. For my Hindi speaking readers, without hesitation, I choose this NAATAK production as not-to-miss-play in this theater season. Please get your tickets before it is too late at www.naatak.org .
“Othello” (Presented by Shady Shakespeare Co.) – Play Review
Posted by Darshana V. Nadkarni, Ph.D. in Play Reviews on August 13, 2014
Shady Shakespeare company is presenting “Othello” at Sanborn Park in Saratoga (see more information below). Written around 1600, “Othello” is a tragic love story that revolves around four central characters: Othello (Michael Wayne Rice), a Moorish general in the Venetian army, Desdemona (beautifully played by Anne Yumi Kobori), Iago, Othello’s ensign (Robert Campbell is superbly devlilish in the role), and Othello’s lieutenant, Cassio (Alex Draa).

Othello Relating His Adventures – Steel engraving, approximately 7.5 x 10 inches (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Othello, a moor who is also lower in rank, is accused of alluring Christian Desdemona, a senator’s daughter, with his “cunning” and “foul charms”, and is asked a crucial question in the senate, “Did you by indirect and forced courses subdue and poison this young maid’s affections? Or came it by request and such fair question as soul to soul affordeth?” Othello succeeds in convincing the Senator that he did not lure beautiful Desdemon by “witchcraft” but instead their love was mutual and she was drawn to him and fell in love with him because of his sad and compelling stories as a general who fought many wars. “She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d, And I lov’d her that she did pity them”, he says.
Iago hates Othello for previously promoting Cassio, and is jealous of Cassio, and plots to get him drunk and then persuades dissolute stammering Roderigo to draw Cassio into a fight. (Special shoutout to Erik Browne for doing a fantastic job in his role as Roderigo). Othello blames Cassio for the disturbance and strips him of his rank. Cassio is distraught and mourns the blemish on his fine reputation and Iago says, “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.” But Cassio wants his reputation and rank restored and seeks the favor of Desdemona and implores her to persuade her husband on his behalf, to reinstate him.
Iago takes this as a perfect opportunity to persuade Othello to be watchful of Cassio and Desdemona and the seeds for suspicion are planted. Iago masterfully works to create proof of Desdemona and Cassio’s alliance and Othello’s suspicion is strengthened. Herein, where the “green-ey’d monster, jelousy” raises its ugly head that the beautiful story of Othello and Desdemona’s love sharply transforms into a disturbing tragedy that in the end, wreaks havoc and creates mayhem. Despite Othello’s ill treatment of Desdemona, she tells her maid, Emilia (Melissa Weinstein), “his unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love.”. And thus Othello who loves deeply, “not wisely, but too well”, sets himself on a path that defeats her life and ultimately breaks his heart. Director Dawn Monique Williams has done a fabulous job and also great kudos to Caitlyn Nichols (Stage Manager) and Jennie Rodriguez (Costume Designer). I call “Othello” a must-see performance of this theater season.
Shady Shakespeare Theater Company makes Shakespeare accessible and entertaining by maintaining the richness of the language while also making it less challenging to understand it by creating a beautiful historical context, with enticing consumes, beautiful staging, and through awesome performance by talented artists. Shady Shakespeare will be presenting “Othello” and “Pride and Prejudice” on alternate weekends at Sanborn Park in Saratoga, until August, 24. For tickets, go to www.shadyshakes.org.
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