'Twelfth Night' is back in town - be there!

Put on your laughing hats and be prepared to be floored with a dose of humour and satire

for the renowned Filter Theatre's Twelfth Night

@ Phoenix Marketcity, 142, Velachery Main Road, Chennai Tamil Nadu 600042

On Tuesday, 08 December 2015, 7 pm to 8.30 pm

Olivia’s melancholic, puritanical household clashes head on with Sir Toby’s insatiable appetite for drunken debauchery. Orsino’s relentless pursuit of Olivia and Malvolio’s extraordinary transformation typify the madness of love in Illyria: land of make-believe and illusion. 

This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into one of the most exciting and accessible Shakespeare productions of recent years. Experience the madness of love in this heady world where riotous gig meets Shakespeare.

Filter approach this show with their trademark fusion of sound, music and narrative drive, creating live chemistry between actors, audience, text and sound that explodes into a vital and exhilarating theatrical experience. 

Duration: The production is for 90 minutes. No interval.

There’s no entry fee. Register yourself for free by mailing lisa.adhyapok@britishcouncil.org

 Admission on first-come-first-served basis!

Impactful Interventions with Students!

They say a little warmth goes a long way! So it was, that the moment I alighted at Kollam Railway Station at around six in the morning today, I was eagerly on the lookout for a chaai shop! After a hot cuppa chaai to bolster my spirits, I indeed, literally went a long way…... got into an omni bus [‘dolby’ing out tamil songs by the dozen!] and alighted at Ezhukone, some 20 kms from Kollam, where I was lodged at a good hotel (Nila Palace).

Once you find yourself in totally new environs, the instinctive ‘call-a-friend’ option comes to mind and, yes, there I was, calling up my good friend and going on and on and on, only to be interrupted by Mr. Vineesh, who came and gave me my itinerary for the day. So I had to cut short on my ‘live commentary’ and soon got into ‘get-ready’ mode! My cordial host Mr. Vineesh had a lot of interesting things to tell me about Kollam, and I was pleasantly surprised to know that I was in the land which is called the Cashew Capital of the World, and that a whopping majority of the populace in and around Kollam are involved in the cashew industry. Coincidentally, Nila Palace where I was lodged, is one among the popular cashew exporters here. Their Residency, in fact has an exclusive duty-paid shop which sells their brand of cashews of all hues and shades. One rarely comes across such splendid varieties of cashews!

Aqua tourism or backwater tourism is yet another specialty that Kollam offers! Interestingly, Vineesh also told me that Kollam is fast becoming a Cherrapunji, as rains have started battering Kollam too in equal measure, and true to his words, in no time there was a heavy downpour which lasted at least four hours into the night! The next morning, it was astonishing to see that there wasn’t any visible sign of the previous day’s ‘cats and dogs’ spell anywhere on the roads, thanks to their locale!

Vineesh drove his Wagon-R with such alacrity and ease through the highs and lows of the hilly terrains in and around Ezhukone, and when at last we reached Musaliar Hills, it was indeed a fascinating sight to behold! A breathtaking panoramic view it was, through the hilly terrain over the lushy mountainous landscape ensconced in such pristine environs!

TKM Institute of Management, Ezhukone is housed in such a salubrious and envious locale and I was told by my hosts that, it was one of the premier B-schools started as early as in 1995.

Professor Anju, of TKM was our cordial host, and in my interactions with over a hundred students at TKM, I was bowled over by the ease and conviction with which they’ve opted for a course in Management, and their passion for the English language was evidenced in their effective and impactful interactions! One could see a sincere conviction coupled with a passion for excellence in all the students with whom I had the opportunity to interact with!

After a fruitful and memorable time at TKM, and a comfortable stay in Kollam, I geared up in all eagerness for the next day’s (Saturday) itinerary. Travelled a distance of around 60 kilometers from Kollam to Trivandrum by Mango Cabs [much akin to our Fast Track!, and yes, OLA has not been a success story in and around Trivandrum at least till now, mostly due to local taxi operators threatening and intimidating OLA drivers, and/or because of problems galore in payments].

Theatre: Theory and Practice @ Thrissur - A Report

Thrissur has the privileged sobriquet of being the ‘cultural capital of Kerala’, and so visiting Thrissur has always been a top priority on my academic go-to places. It’s little surprise then, and a coincidence too that this semester I had the opportunity of visiting three prestigious colleges in and around Thrissur, starting with Mar Dionysius College and now in Sree Kerala Varma College!

From my interactions with the Professors here at SKV, I came to know very interesting facts about the college. Sankaran Nambiar, a literary giant, [known for his renowned Malayala Bhasha Charitram,] was the first principal of this college. Moreover, greats like T. Balakrishna Menon, G. S. Ramakrishna have also worked here, they said. Quite interestingly, the college got affiliation to University of Madras, and it was inaugurated on 11th August 1947.  For the first time in Kerala, a course in Music was offered only in this college, I was told.

The three-day National Seminar on Theatre at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur got underway today (25 Nov) at 10 a.m. Mangai from Stella Maris, Chennai [Currently Visiting Professor, Centre for the Study of Law & Governance, New Delhi], gave the key-note address on “Theatre as Transformative”.  Elaborating on the primal texts like Aristotle’s Poetics, Bharatha’s Natya Shastra, and the golden text of the Sangam Age – Meypaatiyal of Tolkappiyam, she said that humour is much more subversive than tragedy, but “Aristotle doesn’t give us much of comedy – it’s quite truncated”. Silappadikaram translates the tenets of Natya Shastra and the Poetics, and this unique epic literature [Silappadikaram] deals extensively on music and dance, and also describes the various grammatical and technical rules that define music and dance, she added.

The weight of being a great and a ‘heavy’ tradition is a burden, she said, and so the very ancient nature of theatre can also be a burden, at times! Theatre is a discipline, and what they call experimental theatre in the West is actually our traditional theatre, she opined.

The very ephemeral nature of theatre makes it a perfect medium for capturing the raw emotions of the moment. In other words, the ephemerality of ‘Hold that Moment’ gives theatre its significance. So every single space that you occupy makes a huge difference!

Love Adventure...? Then Join Us...!

Interested in Adventure? Explorations? Join us for the wildlife camps at Pulicat Lake, Kattupalli, Palaverkadu and at Venadu, near Sulurpettai in Andhra Pradesh. Dairyam, a platform for explorers gives you a wonderful chance to bring out the explorer in you! For details write to sylvan@prakcen.com or call 9940355521. 

Seminar on Publishing @ Anna University

Seminar on Publishing @ Anna University Campus

A seminar on the topic “Publishing – Exploring New Horizons” will be organized at Anna University on 28 November 2015.

The publishing landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift in terms of content distribution and delivery and it is imperative for the publishers to keep offering something new to the readers in order to sustain in business.

The programmes intend to highlight the various avenues and technological innovations happening in the field of e-publishing. The session will explore how people involved in publishing space need to adapt to the emerging trends and which would open up new avenues in content delivery.

Essay Competition

Nandini Voice for the Deprived and Rajaji Satsangham are conducting an Essay Competition for College Students on the Topic – “Is Rajaji’s Advocacy of Alchohol Prohibition Feasible in Tamil Nadu in Today’s Condition? 

Last Date for submission is 10 December 2015.

Essays can be written in English or in Tamil without exceeding 1,500 words. The articles can be sent either by post or by email to the following address.

Nandini Voice for the Deprived, M 60/1, Fourth Cross Street, Besant Nagar, Chennai – 600 090.

Email: nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com

For more details, 044-24916037

NET Preparatory Classes - December 2015

Sathurangam - Tamil Play in Chennai

Sathurangam: Play

21st Nov - 27th Nov, 07:00pm - 09:00pm

@

Narada Gana Sabha Trust, 314, TTK Road, Near Sankara Hall, Alwarpet, Chennai

Director: G Krishnamurthy

Written by Anand Raghav, the Tamil play deals with a hardcore subject taking place in Manipur. Based on an award-winning short story, it describes a game of chess played between two soldiers of the Indian army stationed in Manipur. The play’s narrative moves between the Chess game and various other characters who represent the Manipuri society – a father who is in a desperate search for his son whose whereabouts are not known, a Journalist who is a sympathizer for the separatist cause and a militant who was inspired by the journalist, a youngster who is prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of a peaceful life, and a girl who strongly believes in the fight through peaceful means. Sathurangam’s theme assumes importance in the context of India’s continuous efforts at fighting insurgency within its border states that seek an identity of its own.

Tickets available on Eventjini for Rs 150 and Rs 300.

Please note there are shows on 21st, 22nd, 25th and 27th November 2015

Budding Photographers Watch out..!

Travel Photo Exhibition

16th Nov - 22nd November 2015, 10:00am - 07:00pm

Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre,

4, Greams Road, Near Apollo Hospital, Thousand Lights, Central, Chennai

The popular photography group of Chennai Weekend Clickers will be showcasing their 6th year annual photography exhibition for 7 days. They will be showcasing an exhibition of old as well as modern and contemporary photographs of travel across borders, that are noteworthy for their subject, the message and its quality. There will be important sessions and workshops conducted by professional photographers in the industry which will be valuable as a platform for the budding photographers.

There's No Entry Fee.

Stand-up Comedian Neville Shah @ Chennai

We Should All Kill Ourselves: Comedy

21st Nov, 08:00pm - 09:30pm

The Raintree Hotel, Plot No. 636, Anna Salai, 

Opposite Appollo Speciality Hospital, Teynampet, Central, Chennai

The popular writer Indian standup comedian Neville Shah will be performing a live comedy gig at a premium hotel in the city. 

The regular comedian at Canvas Laugh Club performed extensively in India and abroad. Neville is half-Parsi and half-Gujarati and his one-of-a-kind view on life with insightful wits, and harshly honest views is hilarious and thoughtful at the same time.

We Should All Kill Ourselves is his special skit that has been written over 35 years and explains why Neville is the way he is, why he thinks what he thinks and why he does what he does. 

The story is told through stories and observations, that are often deprecating. 

Explore the various moods of his humour and laugh your guts out.

Price: Rs 750 including Rs 500 redeemable.

Come, Let's Clean Up!

On the occasion of World Heritage Week Celebrations (19th-25th November, 2015) there will be a Cleanup around St.George Gate and surrounding areas in Fort St. George coming under the Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle.

The Fort came into existence with the arrival of Francis Day and Andrew Cogan on 20th February 1640, the fort was named after St.George, the patron saint of England. It took thirteen years to complete the first form of the fort and the oldest surviving British building is the St.Mary's Church added in 1680. The hectic construction activity between 1756-1783 saw the fort to its present shape. Spread over 42 acres significant buildings include The Secretariat, Exchange Building (Fort Museum), St. Mary's Church (Oldest Church East of Suez), Clive House, Grand Arsenal and Kings Barracks.

The Cleanup includes clearing of partially covered wild vegetation, collection of scattered litter with the cleared wild vegetation around the St.George Gate and the surrounding area, disposal of the waste in the designated dumping area.

CLEANUP & RIDE PLAN

Heritage Site Cleanup (Ride) Fort St.George

Date: Sunday, 22nd November 2015

Start Time: 5.00 am - Finish Time 9.00 am

Clean and Green Mogappair & Nolambur - Updates

For those of you in the city, who've missed out on the news and photos related to the mega event of the month "APJ VISION 2020 - Clean and Green Mogappair & Nolambur", you may now check out the same in our JJ Nagar Times HERE. It contains two of my articles too. You may also contribute your articles for the future issues of JJ Nagar Times. For queries contact Sam @ 9884859066

The World Needs Your Novel...

Are YOU Ready to Write a Novel?

The World needs your Novel

Nov 1 – 30 – National Novel Writing Month

Committed to writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November?

Then, follow these easy steps to get started:

1. Fill out your profile.

2. Create your novel.

3. Start writing.

Join rightaway

CLICK HERE to SIGN UP

Essay Competition

Nandini Voice for the Deprived 

is conducting an Essay Competition 

on 

‘Does Age by Itself Give Wisdom?’

Participants must be less than 25 years of age.

Essays can be written in English, Tamil or Hindi and a maximum of 1500 words. Email nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com or send to

Nandini Voice for the Deprived

M 60/1, 4th Cross Street, Besant Nagar, Chennai – 600 090

Last date is 05 December 2015.

Contact: 044-24916037

PC: equinecanada.ca