PANAJI
Tiatr completed 133 years of its existence on April 17. The founding father of tiatr, João Agostinho Fernandes, popularly known as Pai Tiatrist is remembered for his contribution to this oldest form of entertainment. In a theatrical career spanning more than five decades (1892-1947) João scripted 30 tiatrs out of which 26 were original in nature and four were adaptations.
João started his own drama company 'Dom Carlos Dramatic Unity' and staged his tiatrs all of which had a moral background and good comedy with no place for vulgarity. He was a very generous person who would stage his tiatrs in aid of many charitable causes. He ensured that his artistes were adequately remunerated, at times even sparing no thought for his own share. He regarded personal integrity very highly. The tiatr fraternity called him 'Pai Tiatrist' during his lifetime.
João was foresighted with a vision for tiatr. He was meticulous in maintaining his literature for posterity by printing some of his tiatr manuscripts in book form. From the various articles that he painstakingly cut from the newspapers and stuck on his tiatr manuscript books, the tiatr handbills and other clippings that he preserved, it has been possible to trace the origin, history and development of Konkani tiatr.
João was a cultured and well-read man as is evident from the vast array of references in his tiatrs. He toiled to bring respectability to the Konkani stage. He was a great thinker and creative writer who painstakingly and tirelessly worked to always keep Konkani tiatr high on a pedestal. He kept on revising his tiatrs in a bid to improve the vocabulary to suit the changing times.
Born in Margao, João completed his elementary education in Portuguese and then attended classes at the Seminary of Rachol. He completed his matriculation in St Xavier's School at Dhobitalao in Mumbai (then Bombay) and worked as a chemist at Philips & Co.
Through a common friend Caetaninho Fernandes of Talegão, he met Lucasinho Ribeiro and they decided to go ahead with the idea of staging the Konkani tiatr 'Italian Bhurgo' penned by Lucasinho. João was an artiste of repute. In the beginning of his theatrical career he enacted comic roles and gained popularity. Referred to as 'Comic Fernandes, he later took up enacting character roles.
Lucasinho Ribeiro left the company of João to start his new Dramatic Company in 1895. João brought onto stage the best of the existing talent from the Konkani speaking populace. Tiatr performances were greatly enhanced by the participation of artistes of high calibre who were revered and highly applauded by the audience. A R Souza Ferrão, Minguel Rod, Anthony Mendes, Jacinto Vaz, Kid Boxer, A M B Rose, Alfred Rose, Anthony Tooloo, Dioguinho De Mello, J P Souzalin, C Alvares, Anthony De Sa, Saib Rocha, Karachiwala and many more acted under his direction.
João set the record right when he ventured to celebrate the golden jubilee of tiatr, by writing an article in the Konkani weekly 'Ave Maria' on November 28, 1943, pointing out that Lucasinho Ribeiro was the founder of tiatr, whom he regarded as his Master, and at whose tomb he bows his head with respect. João breathed his last at the Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital, Bombay on August 29, 1947.
