The Kala Academy’s annual tiatr competitiongenerates a lot of interest and enthusiasm from among the amateur andnon-commercial segment of the tiatr fraternity. There is a doubtlessly huge amountof performing and singing talent prevalent in the recesses of Goan villages whoconsider the Kala Academy tiatr competition as a testing ground to displaytheir talent and get noticed by big time Konkani tiatr stage playwrights anddirectors. Many of the artists who participate in the tiatr competition do notget regular assignments with commercial groups. However, if the artistsperforming in the competition show excellence and promise with regard to theiracting or singing talent, they are immediately picked up by other seniordirectors and playwrights of the Konkani stage. These competitions are like thescouting grounds for playwrights to scout for new talent and new faces.
A few directors of the Konkani stage including Prince Jacob scout for talenthere and pick up the best of the lot and thereafter fine tune their talent soas to match commercial requirements. A few names that come instantly to mind thathave been the products of this Kala Academy tiatr competition and have beenpicked up by Prince Jacob and given a bigger break on the commercial stage areMithun Mhambrey, Eddie, Sonia, and Alice.
TAG on their part has been supportive of groups and institutions and has beenmotivating them to participate in the tiatr competition organized by the Kalaacademy. This is one of the reasons why the last two years have seen asubstantial rise in the participants at the competition. From an earlierincentive of Rs.10,000/- for an institution, the same has been enhanced to Rs.15,000/- this year. Apart from this, the TAG will do video recording of all thetiatrs who receive their incentives and hand over a copy of the VCD toplaywright and keep two copies for themselves in their library for futurereference.
Speaking to The Goan, the Presidentof the TAG, Prince Jacob said, “From next year onwards, the TAG has imposed afew norms and pre-conditions by virtue of which the incentives will be given toonly those institutions who engage professional services of professional suchas light man, background musicians, musicians, directors, stage set designersfrom the tiatr fraternity alone for the competition”. It looks to be a win-winsituation for both the sides.
