BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO
Tracy de Calangute with her first tiatr, ‘Fulanchea Sangatak Kantee-I Apnnaiyat’ debuted as arguably the youngest commercial tiatr director-writer in the State on September 1 in Calangute.
A versatile stage artiste, the 24-year-old can sing, act, and now even compose songs, direct and write tiatrs with élan. A very gifted actor, her vocals are par extraordinaire. She can command a presence on stage while rendering her vocals to cantaram articulately, expressively and from deep within.
Tracy’s biggest support and motivation to staging her first tiatr was her boyfriend, Denzil. While he was in Kuwait, he used to encourage her via video calls mid last year to expand her horizons. So in September 2017, while she was doing Milagres de Chandor’s shows, whenever free time availed her she took to writing her maiden tiatr which she completed in April this year.
On her new endeavour she says, “‘Fulanchea Sangatak Kantee-I Apnnaiyat’ is based on a true story that I came across on the internet. It is about two couple whose stories are inter-linked and I have brought a suspense element to it.”
For the first time in a tiatr, she has composed her own songs both of which she features in (opening trio and a duo). To prepare for her role as a cancer-stricken patient, she looked up the internet to come up with the right make-up for the afflicted look.
The currently running tiatr brings out a message of true love. It cries to attention that couples should support one another, in good as well as bad times.
Tracy took to the stage as a young 10-year-old girl in her church parish. While attending catechism classes, she became a familiar face in participating in skits.
“On Mother’s day, I enacted a role of a mother and all were appreciative. While in mid-school, I essayed the role of Veronica after the Way of the Cross. I sang while playing her role in the procession for three straight years. And the parishioners were very encouraging,” she recounted. Admiring her sister who was part of the church choir, an inspired young Tracy joined the choir as well.
Her first tiatr opportunity came her way when the lead actress dropped out and she took up the challenge within just eight days of preparation. This was for LIC directed by Kistu de Calangute in April 2016 at a village show for the chapel feast. Seeing her performance, people encouraged the talented Tracy that she can do better, and to move ahead and enter in commercial tiatrs.
It was not long after she made the grade to commercial tiatrs with Conception de Tuem’s tiatr, Answer in June 2016. Incidentally, she got the break when a well-wisher showed the tiatr director a video clip of her acting in LIC. “Conception de Tuem liked my acting so much so that he gave me a call and expressed interest I act in his tiatr. I told him I would ask my parents and let him know,” Tracy revealed.
Her parents were little wary that she take it up as the shows mostly go on until late and she would have to travel also a long way from North to South. But then they consented hoping for the best of their daughter to further her talent. In Answer, she not only acted but sang as well, and there has been no question of her looking back since.
Since entering commercial tiatr, Tracy got an opportunity to act for khell tiatrs as well. Last year and this year as well she has acted for Anthony de Ambajim’s khell tiatr. For the khell tiatr competition organized by Tiatr Academy of Goa she won the second place last year.
Tracy first entered competition tiatrs with ‘Moronn’ by Joaquim Dias in 2010. She has had the distinction of winning Best Choral in two consecutive ‘A’ Group competition tiatrs, in ‘Prachit’ (October 2012) by Joaquim Dias and ‘Nyay Vo on’nyay’ by the same director the following year. Last year, she earned merit for a quartet in ‘Borem Korit Borem Bogit’ directed by Jose Evon.
In the third week of July, on the occasion of the Feast of St Alex, Tracy brought out her first music video, ‘Bhagevont Sant Alex.’ She has also been a part of four CDs till date. She now plans to come up with a music video based on a love story.
While Tracy is more than happy to take up any good role that comes her way, she is not averse to acting in Konkani films as well. Apart from being a tiatrist, Tracy is a fashion designer by profession as well.
