In the Port town of Vasco, the Natraj Theatre which isopposite the Port Institute and Damodar Mandap which is opposite the SBI, werethe two venues for staging Tiatrs. The above two places were not auditoriums assuch, but the thatched roofs called ‘Mattov’ (temporary covered hall) whichwere operating during the fair season. There was a sizeable populationpatronising this performing art.
The Damodar Mandap was demolished for a bigger structurenamed Vidyadheeraj Bhavan. The staging of tiatrs at this venue was then stoppedsince it was not found suitable for tiatrs. Later when the tiatrs were on adownswing in the mid-nineties, the Natraj theatre which was hitherto cateringto tiatrs gradually stopped doing so, since there were no takers for tiatrs.The number of shows dropped drastically. Moreover, by the turn of the centuryTiatr lovers became a little choosy and comfort conscious. The so called‘Mattov’ did not provide basic comfort amenities, hence the audience kept away.Tiatr lovers preferred to drive down to Panjim and later to Margao to seetiatrs in the comfort of anair-conditioned auditorium. The staging of tiatr inVasco came to a standstill,except for those tiatrs which would be staged by a parish or chapel committeeduring feast times in their open air premises. The MPT Sayantara auditorium atHeadland Sada also catered to tiatrs. Limited seating capacity, and because itwas an inconvenient location, people were reluctant to attend tiatrs there dueto lack of public transport etc.
This was the reason why tiatrs which were vibrant at onetime in Vasco, slowly but surely began to die a slow death in the Port town.However the great revival of tiatr in Vasco began with the arrival of Rev. Fr.Jose Anton da Costa, the new parish priest of St. Andrew’s church in Vasco inthe year June 2006. A lover of tiatr, art and culture, and an establishedplaywright himself, Rev. Fr. Costa began staging tiatrs in the church compoundat regular intervals, attracting many tiatr lovers from far and near.
Fr. Jose Anton da Costa not only staged the tiatrs in thechurch compound to support the activities of the parish as well as its numerousassociations and organizations, he also encouraged other institutions as wellto use the church premises to stage tiatrs by offering them the facilities ofthe stage, chairs, lighting etc. Its thanks to him the tiatrs in Vasco receiveda new lease of life and the people came back to witness one of Goa’s oldestperforming arts. It’s thanks to Fr. Costa and his unstinted support that it wasa win-win situation for both tiatr lovers as well as the tiatrproducers/directors alike. Today the tiatrs staged in the church compound drawhuge crowds and a majority of the people don’t have to travel to Panjim orMargao to see their favourite actors in action.
