Anthony de Agassaim began his sojourn with tiatrs as avillage tiatr contractor. He staged tiatrs in the village of Agassaim on feastdays and otherwise on contract basis. As a contractor he would stage tiatrs ofall renowned playwrights including those produced by Prince Jacob too. As aresult of this he befriended Prince Jacob and the bond grew stronger with everypassing tiatr season. “Once Jacob asked me if I could join his troupe as atroupe manager, I instantly jumped at the offer because I had developed a goodrapport with him,” recalls Anthony.
When asked what his responsibilities as a manager of thetroupe are, Anthony spells out the list of duties with gusto. “Beginning withthe booking of the halls in all the towns after the dates of the shows arefinalised, to the staging of the shows at every venue, I have to closelymonitor all the functions backstage. I arrive at the venue half an hour beforethe commencement time. I then verify that the arrangements are in place forsnacks, refreshments and food for the artistes. I see to that the stage is setwith all the needed props, curtains in place, and keep all the stagerequirements needed during the show ready including the additional articles. Icoordinate with the sound system and lighting in-charge. During the peak showsat Panjim, Margao, Mapusa and so on, I also monitor the crowds at the entrancepoint, and assist the door keeper to ensure that everything runs smoothly, sothat the shows starts on time without any delay. Jacob is a disciplineddirector and is particular about punctuality,” Anthony fineshes and takes amuch needed breath.
His boss Prince Jacob whom he affectionately addresses as‘Baba’ is confident about Anthony’s abilities, and has offered cameo roles inhis various productions to him. He has performed multiple small roles in PrinceJacob’s show last season, titled ‘Dusmanak Pasun Nirminaka’. In his latesttiatr ‘Amchea Gharant Tiatr’, Anthony is once again seen on stage. He has alsoacted in the celluloid film ‘Padri’.
Finally expressing his true feelings, Anthony says, “I amhappy to be in Baba’s troupe, I enjoy every moment of it. Baba treats me like afamily member for he is a great human being himself’. I would love to continuewith him as long as my health permits.”
