Kala Academy's contribution to Tiatr

The 38th Tiatr Competition organized by Goa Kala Academywill begin from September 24 at the DMK auditorium, Kala Academy Panjim. Thereare thirty dramatic troupes participating in the competition this year. Theyearly tiatr competition attracts many dramatic troupes especially since lastyear, due to the financial support given by Tiatr Academy Goa to the participatingtroupes. For me, the true success of this competition will lie not in thequantity of participating troupes but in the quality of tiatrs staged.

Kala Academy first organised the tiatr competition in May1974. Since then Kala Academy has regularly organised the competition on anannual basis. These Tiatr festivals give ample opportunities to amateur tiatrartists to bring innovations and new ideas to the stage. During the last 37competitions, it has been observed that the standard of some of the tiatrsstaged during these festivals was exceptional. The scripting of some of thesetiatrs showed originality and richness of thought, the stage settings could becompared to any of the developed stages, light effects were of superb qualityand the direction of some of these tiatrs showed the imaginative andobservatory depth of the amateur artists. On the whole, these tiatr festivalshave helped in revolutionising the tiatr stage.

There is no doubt that some of the tiatrs staged in thesecompetitions, particularly the award winning ones, are of a high standard. Butpopularity and academic creativity are two different things. Therefore there isan urgent need to see that the award winning tiatrs of the competition arestaged at different places like Margao, Sanvordem, Mapusa, and Vasco, so thatthe tiatr loving people from other parts of Goa also will get an opportunity towitness these tiatrs.

This task cannot be only shouldered by the Kala Academy.Tiatr Academy of Goa, other institutions working for the cause of Konkanilanguage and corporate houses in Goa must support the award winning troupes.This will enable them to stage their performances in other parts of Goa. Ifthis is done, the award winning tiatrs of Kala Academy’s competition will behelpful in changing the mind-set of tiatr lovers in Goa.

Another very important aspect of Kala Academy organisedtiatr competitions is that the Academy has succeeded in bringing Christians,Hindus and Muslim artists together on the tiatr stage. A marvellous featindeed! It is a known fact that by and large, tiatrs are generally performedand witnessed by the members of Christian community. But Kala Academy’s tiatrcompetitions have changed this scenario, as one finds numerous artists fromHindu and Muslim communities participating in the productions and performancesof tiatr. This is a great achievement in the progress of tiatr, in the truesense of the word.

Goan tiatr has a 120 year old history. However, the last 38years have been very crucial to the development of tiatr stage, as KalaAcademy’s competitions have brought forth numerous innovations that have helpedthe scientific development of Goan tiatr.