Theatre @ WCC..:

Women's Christian College, Chennai, played host to the staging of two brilliant plays – Mahesh Dattani’s "Where there is a Will" which revolves around improving interpersonal relationships, and the other, “Jokumaraswamy” which centres on the superstitious life and schemings of a village zamindar named Gowda. The fund-raiser plays were staged on three consecutive days (26 Sep. to 28 Sep.) to a packed hall of enthusiastic spectators.

Both the plays were directed by our former professor Dr. Rajani, whose ‘director’s touch’ was palpable not only in the brilliant performance of the actors but also in the carefully made-up stage props as well.  

Both the plays were fine(time)-tuned to 50 minutes duration each, and the characters made themselves endearing to the audience by their passionate performances which led to thunderous ovations and applause all along. 

“Where there is a Will” deals with the lives of Hansmukh Mehta a ‘well-off’ businessman and a male chauvinist, his wife Sonal, son Ajit, daughter-in-law Preeti and mistress Kiran Jhaveri. The play centres around the will of the businessman which kept their family together. Even after his death, he tries to control the family through his ‘will’ that had been wisely framed to avoid unwanted misgivings. Eventually, this results in the wife and mistress coming together, with the participatory presence of the ghost of Mehta, pervading the entire play, adding subtle touches of humour and also bringing out the power politics that pervades patriarchal households all over. The contrast in the characters of Mehta and Kiran the mistress is well brought-out. While the former tries to dominate his family through his will, in contrast, Kiran forges an alliance with the family and thereby improves on her relationships.

“Jokumaraswamy” was equally powerful, with Gowda dominating the proceedings all the way, by ‘his’ splendid costumes, and quirky mannerisms, in stark contrast to Basannya, who, is a victim of Gowda’s scheming. Gowdti, the neglected wife of the Gowda, shows tremendous potential, and the minor characters endeared themselves by their near-perfect-sense of comic timing, which left the audience in splits.

The students of WCC deserve a standing ovation for their brilliant portrayal of the multifarious shades of feelings in all their minuteness, and thereby enthralling the hearts of the spectators. The lights committee did a splendid job, by their fine sense of timing, which enhanced the enjoyment of both the plays in all its splendour.