[ ACTOR P.O.V VII ] Mataji and when I read 'Begone Godmen'

It was the time when I found myself standing in the temple in a long queue with my mom holding a flask of milk. I should've been in school instead I was there at the temple on my mother's command.. we were to go feed the milk to Lord Ganesha's idol as it was discovered earlier in the day that Lord Ganesh has miraculously began drinking milk .. and not just the idols but even the ones in the lockets hanging from people's neck. It was the time when I happened to see a lot of a guy named "Chandraswami" on TV claiming to posses immortality, he would appear in a religious outfit and a staff with a crystal ball on it ... he would claim fortelling the future, people would speak of his powers of healing... Chandraswami is now facing several trials for many of the scams that follow such characters.

It was this time, less than a decade ago that I helped myself to "Begone Godmen" a book from my father's reading collection. Curious to reaffirm the fact that we were simply being fooled by such figures I was happy to find my sanity restored as I indulged in Abraham T. Kovoor's encounters of Godmen and Godwomen around India and Sri Lanka.

He who does not allow his miracles to be investigated is a crook,
he who does not have the courage to investigate a miracle is gullible,
and he who is prepared to believe without verification is a fool.
- Dr Abraham T. Kovoor -

Like a detective he solved each case of a 'ghosts', 'magic', 'miracle',etc. chapter after chapter, with use of logic and scientific explanations. Kovoor had seen it all, ghosts, saints, shamans, godmen, etc. A Yale graduate Kovoor continually challenged any ghosts and Godmen to deal with him, he was ready to go through any ordeal to show how logic and reasoning prevails.

Kovoor did more than just solve the mystery, when possible he dug deeper to find out what in the person's life brought them to this stage. This caught my attention more than the tactics that unraveled the tricks. Kovoor often discovered common themes in the psychosis of these figures, the presence of all kinds of abuse, physical, psychological and sexual.

These figures whose disciples painted them as entities as untainted as the purest drop of elixir, strongest as the vigor of lightening, compassionate with overflowing forgiveness and powers of healing all calamities in the common man, were in fact broken, lost, defeated and most troubled among their own followers, only they had learned to hide it well and succumb to deceit.

I am excited about an upcoming production by Naatak that has caused me to reminisce and revisit the revelations put forth by Kovoor.

'Mataji' is Naatak's telling of what lies behind the mask of one such demigod and what happens when the mask is removed in the most unexpected of circumstances. While one might laugh at the specific exaggerations the play presents as it dvelves into the capabilities and powers of it's heroine 'Mataji (mother)', many might find it ironical that often worse is believed and fabricated to create such charlatans in the real world. 'Mataji' examines where the demigod stand in dealings of their own human emotions and adversities. The play portrays desperation experienced by both, the forces that feed the so-called 'phenomenon' and masses that feel the need for the 'phenomenon'.

From the playwright Sujit Saraf:

Mataji, born on the banks of the Ganga, has a simple gift to offer to the
world: a loving hug. Over two decades, she has travelled to sixty-five
countries, hugging thousands of devotees in one sitting, sending them into
raptures through the transmission of pure bliss that accompanies her hugs.
Her followers on five continents regard her as Krishna incarnate. Then, on
her sixteenth visit to California, she confronts a devotee she cannot
satisfy. Through him, she discovers much about her powers, and the world
discovers much about her.

Related Stories :
Interview with playwright Sujit Saraf
When the hugging mother is confronted. Click here

For more information on the play:
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MATAJI
A play in English
Written and directed by Sujit Saraf (http://www.sujitsaraf.com)
Produced by Sunil Ganu

SHOW TIMES AND LOCATIONS
Cubberley Theatre
4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
July 26 - 3 pm
July 26 - 6:30 pm
July 27 - 5 pm
August 1 - 8 pm

NOHspace
2840 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
August 2 - 7 pm
August 3 - 3 pm
August 3 - 6 pm

Front Row Theatre
17011 Bollinger-Canyon Road, San Ramon
August 9, 2008 - 5 pm
August 9, 2008 - 8 pm

BUY TICKETS
Until July 11, $15 general, $25 VIP
>From July 12, $20 general, $35 VIP
VIP tickets include preferential seating and complimentary refreshments.

Buy online at www.naatak.com
Or email tickets@naatak.com
Or call Asheesh, 949 394 8776

PLEASE NOTE
Children under 8 will be admitted ONLY to the July 27 show.
Child-tickets ($5 off the general price) are required for children under
8, including infants.
There are no VIP tickets for children under 8.
People accompanied by children will be asked to sit in "exit-friendly"
assigned seats.
While this is not a children's play, it does not contain language or
content inappropriate for children.
Proceeds of Naatak benefit non-profit organizations such as Asha, India
Literacy program, America India foundation, etc.

Naatak is a registered 501c(3) or ganization. For more information, visit
www.naatak.com.

[ ACTOR P.O.V VI ] Musical Theatre Conservatory

Tomorrow is a new day. I can't sleep, I'm nervous yet eagerly waiting. For next few weeks I will be in class for something I love, something I am passionate about. Next few weeks are gonna kick my ass and I can't wait. It's the beginning of the Summer Music Theatre Conservatory http://musictheatreconservatory.org . Let's read from the site:

"The Music Theatre Conservatory is an intensive, professional program of classes, rehearsal, and performance experience, offering training in the three disciplines of Music Theater: Acting, Singing, and Dance. The program is an educational/professional development project of Notre Dame de Namur University, offering college credit through the Department of Music and Vocal Arts, and Broadway By the Bay, an all-producing Bay Area professional musical theatre company. The core faculty and visiting master teachers are all established professionals with extensive resumes as performers, directors, and educators."

I remember around March I believe it was I saw the ad in the theatre bay area magazine and I thought man it would be great to do this program, to train for musical theatre. At this point, I'm feeling quiet comfortable with acting in general. I want to branch out try out other aspects of theatre. At this point, stuff like stage combat, miming, physical theatre, kabuki , etc., are adventures I want to pursue. I want to see performance through different aspects. I also apply to the San Francisco Mime Troupe and I consider applying to the ACT summer conservatory.

So I saw the ad in March when we were full swing with nautanki , which by the way I'm very proud of because it was yet another form of theatre, different from a simple play. So I decided I would get vocal lessons to prepare for theaudition. I put an ad on craigslist went through at least 3 dozen replies and finally I picked a coach and I am not disappointed in fact I am very lucky for someone who has tasted the professional world and who know what they are talking about and most of all someone who I can trust. April began lessons and within 3 weeks was the audition, this involved picking two songs... get the sheet music, get the accompaniment, get your audition practice, get your audition outfit, shoes and what not.

Audition day came. We started with the dance audition I was ready in my outfit clearly there are people far more experienced than I am, I somehow get through the routine and then comes the singing part. Change into dress for singing, get your music, sing, perform your monologue and then comes the part that I did not expect to be hard but was infact quiet testing. The interview. The questions they throw at you while you stand their unarmed on stage. How old are you? Will you able to invest time? Why do you want to join this program? Have you studied performing arts? For every single one I have nothing extraordinary to offer. I sum up with saying , I want to learn and train the right way. I want to acquire skills to make myself a better performer. I can sing I know that but I have not had considerable amount of formal training. I need to refine my dance skills, I feel very comfortable with my acting skills, but it is parts that I'm struggling with is what I want to improve and that this the program that will guide me in the right direction. I had overheard the other hopefuls answer to questions with following endings "oh .. so you toured with that?", "...was that a professional production?" I knew I hadn't offered material in my resume that required questions of that caliber. But this was an audition for a training program, they knew that right?

Weeks go by, I am hanging out with a bunch of friends who I know through my computer science classes.... we are chilling with the game called rock band. I ask for the mic since I would like to be the singer. They have never heard me sing before. Friend number 1 is on bass Friend number 2 on drums and I am singing to Roxanne from The Police. To everyone's surprise I have never heard this song before, I butcher it, I don't sing .. I pretty much scream the song till my friends beg me to stop.. it was my attempt to get out any frustrations I had felt as I had not heard back from the conservatory. I heard back from the San Francisco Mime Troupe, I was selected for that one.. I couldn't confirm what if, music theatre conservatory got back to me ? I couldn't say no to that. I would love to be involved with the Mime Troupe and I will some day but for some reason waiting for the music conservatory seemed like an intuitive decision. I answer my friends' request by setting the mic down. My sister calls..she speaks of a certain envelope that has arrived, I ask of its size.. it's big.. means good right? She opens and tells me the good news... I jump in joy I tell my friends that I am in I got accepted... they repeatedly ask me. .. "wait you are going to be training for musical theatre?" After listening to me howl.. they refuse to believe any of this ... they pass it as a joke.. I for one I'm ecstatic beyond belief.

And then this is today 40 mins before midnight, the day before the program begins, I am too excited to sleep. I have arranged everything, leotards and dance shoes and tights and sheet music and I'm ready. I am nervous but I can't wait.. coming this far has meant a lot. I want to make the most of the days ahead. It would be ideal to record each day here.