Joaquim Santan Fernandes, popularly known as Jack Ferns, isa respected senior citizen of Vasco. He followed in his father’s footsteps andis a businessman in his own right. His business establishment ‘Natalia Stores’,situated along the Swatanthra path, has been a meeting place for tiatrist ofall shapes and colours for the last several decades. He is not a tiatrist byany count, but, his association with tiatrs goes back to the sixties.
He had a fascination for tiatrs from a very young age.Recalling the exact moment, Jack Fern says, “It was somewhere in the 1969 thatC Alvares’ tiatr was to be staged in Vasco, and the contractor was a man fromChinchinim, known as ‘Sat Lakis’ in tiatr circles. It was here that I was firstasked to help in selling the tiatr tickets at Natalia Stores in Vasco. I tookthe opportunity only with the aim of assisting the tiatrist fraternity, as Ihad a high regard for them. I never looked at the monetary benefit or at myselfas the contractor, but more of a promoter. I did not even demand for anycompensation or commission.”
From then on, Jack Ferns has been one of the biggestsupporters and promoters of tiatrs in Vasco. It was purely a voluntary servicethat he rendered to tiatrists, since he had a centrally located shop in Vasco.Recalling one such incident he says, “Once, I handled the ticket sales of MBoyer in Vasco. At the end of the show, I handed his son the account and the entireproceeds, including the cost of five tickets I had purchased for my family.Boyer had seen me attend the show with my family members. On realising that Ihad even paid for the tickets for my family, M Boyer instantly refunded thecost of 5 tickets to me. On another occasion, when I handled the ticket salesfor Alfred Rose’s musical show, I went backstage to hand him the account andthe proceeds much before the show could actually begin. He was surprised that Iwas settling the payment much before the show began and said, “It is rare tofind a promoter like you. Generally we have to wait patiently until we receivethe payments (grudgingly) much after the show has ended.”
In later years, the directors would offer him one entire rowof seats. Of these, Jack Ferns would give complimentary passes to some civicauthorities, police authorities, and other functionaries, out of courtesy,while distributing the remaining amongst his family and friends. In thenineties, when tiatr began to lose its popularity and the temporary theatres inVasco shut shop, his involvement with tiatr automatically went on the decline.He rues the absence of a full-fledged modern auditorium in Vasco, and says,“Once upon a time, Vasco was a testing ground for the success or failure of anynew tiatr that was released.”
Jack Ferns has been instrumental in guiding many aspiringyoung tiatrist to the stage. Mario de Vasco, Comedian Domnic and Luis Bach’chanand Manuel Pereira are the beneficiaries of his philanthropic efforts. Thoughage is catching up on him, he still has the spirit to promote tiatrs in Vasco.
