Table Of Content

The Plays of Tagore LILA RAY Oneandonlyoneideahasimperceptiblytakenpossessionofallmyworkuptothepresent. appearinginvariousguises,theideathatthefiniteisnorlimitedbyirsboundaries.thaIit ispossible/0perceiveandrevealdepth/essdepthsinthesmallestparticle. -c-RabindranathTagore 1 JilmikiPratibhawas writtenin 188I.Asong-drama,itwasthepoet'sfirstplay.Prakritir V Pratishodh, which followed four years later, dispensed with music. Both were per formed atthe private theatreofthe Tagore family atJorasanko.The history oftheBengali theatre isdivided by historians into two periods.The first was the era ofwealthyprivate theatres, and lasted from the beginning ofthe nineteenthcenturydown to 1872.Thesec ond dates from 1872 to the present day, and is the era of the public theatre. The private theatreswereinvaluableinthedevelopmentoftheatrebuttheycouldnotaccommodatethe growingaudiences,andwereclosed tothegeneralpublicintheearly eighties.Theydidnot gooutofexistence,however.and continuedtofulfilthefunctionoftittletheatresevery whereas groundsfor testing new works.Throughouthis life,Tagore had athisdisposal a well-equipped stage and a skilled group of performers to work with. His elder brother, Jyotirindranath,was awell-knowndramatistandwrotethirty-twoplaysofhisown.Andthe poet'shome was one ofthe centresofintellectual and artistic lifeoftheday. The last quarterofthenineteenthcenturywasfullofintellectualferment.Religiousand social reforms occupied the best minds, and political unrest, combined with growing nationalism.fosteredarevoltagainstallthatwasoppressive.constricting.orauthoritarian. The theatrewas intimately associated withthis stimulatingactivity,butthepassageofthe DramaticPerformancesActin 1876checkeditsgrowth.Privatetheatres wereexempt,and continued to developunhampered. Few ofTagore's playshave found popularitywiththe professional theatre, though atone time Bisarjanwas the best-loveddrama in Bengal. Thefirstthreeofthepoet'stragedies.Raja0 Rani,Bisarjan,andMalini, werewrittenin 1890, 1891,and 1895respectively.Thefirsttwoareinblankversewithsomescenesinprose, and the thirdisa musicaLTagore useddifferingtechniquesandforms,combiningthemin various ways-song-<!rama. blank verse,dramatic verse and dance-drama. Hishistorical plays and tragediesare, forthe mostpart. in blankverse. Raja 0 Rani(laterrewrinen as Tapati) is the poet's nearestapproacbtodomestic trag edy, although the chiefconcern ofthe play is the relationship between a ruler and his rebellioussubjects,athemewhichisfully workedoutlaterinRaktakarabiandMuktodhara. st~ry, As a domestic tragedy, the setting is too romantic to be realistic, and the though based on historical foundation, is largely imaginary. Sumitra, the queen, finding that the king'spassionforherissopossessivethatitinterfereswithhisdutyasaruler.leaveshim, Sangtet Natd Vol.XXXVIII. No.2. 2004 LILARAY 70 goingbacktoherownpeople,theKashmiris.Itisnotuntilsheisdead thatthekingcansee herand100eherforwhatshetrulywas. BisarjanandMaiiniare concernedwiththeconflictofincompatible ideals, aconflict whichinPrakritirPratishodhconcludeshappilyintheconversionofthesanyasi,buthere endsintragedy.InBisarjan,Joysingh,theadopted sonofthe arrogantandbigoted priest, isdriventosacrificehisownbloodatthealtarofthegoddessKaliinwhatisamagnificent andsymbolicactofatonement Inhisdoubt andhesitation,Joysinghremindsusalittleof Hamlet,buttheself-immolationofJoysinghisawhollyIndian wayofresolvingaconflict. Asaplay,Bisarjan showssomeofthefaultscommontotheBengalitheatre ofthetime. There aretoo manycharacters. too little stage action, and too many episodes. This is caused by a mistaken conceptof action. Increasing the Dumberof episodes does not necessarily increase theaction. norheightensthetension.Onthecontrary. itresultsina rnulticiplicitythatisconfusing.Whatisrequiredingooddramaismoreactionaboutfewer things. Itwas forthis reason that the Greeks restricted thetime ofa play to twenty-four hours.Theremustbeconcentrationupontheinevitabilityofasingleevent.Ifthecharac ters have to describe and comment too much upon off-stage action, they are, beyond a certainpoint,apttobecomeinvolved inaswirlofwords.In thetraditionalIndian theatre, actorstend tostand around and orate.This is a lesson whichTagore wasto learn very quickly,andthesefaultsareabsentinhislaterwork.He became, infact, amasterofstage action, andhis study ofsymbolic movement led him to develop the dance-drama, aform which he pushed tothe peak of effectiveness inNatlr Puja, Shyama, and Chandalika. TheactionofNatirPujaisconfinedtoa singleday,the full-moon day ofthemonthof Baisakh, when the birth ofthe Buddha is to be celebrated in the evening. But the king, Ajatshatru, has bannedtheBuddhist religion,and the altar marking the sacred spot inthe gardenwhere theBuddha oncesat hasbeendemolished.Worship is forbidden onpainof death.TheKingfurthercommandsShrimatitoprofanetheplacestillmorebydancingthere atthevesperhour.Shrimatiisadevotee,thenoli,ofthe Buddha.The climaxoftheplayis herimpassionedandawe-inspiringdance.Onebyonesheremovesherjewelsandcostly garments,castingeachintumonthebrokenaltarasanofferinguntilshestandsrevealed inthesimpleyellowrobeofaBuddhist nun,andpaysthe penaltyofher devotion. Chandalika tells the story ofan untouchable girl who falls in love with Ananda, the Buddha'sfavouritedisciple,whenheasks for adrink ofwater.She useswitchcrafttowin him.butissomovedbythesadnessandpalenessofhisfaceasheapproachesherthatshe repents and foregoes her triumph. Chandalika is perhaps the most fully psychologically realizedofallhischaracters.Forthemostpart, Tagore iscontentto showthroughasitua tion.with broadstrokes,howtragic forces work.buthepreventsemotionfromdegenerat ing into sentimentality by balancing it with wit. In Shya1TU1, a beautiful courtesan ofthe Buddhistperiod sends ayoungboywhoisdevotedto her tohisdeath inordertosavethe life ofthe manshe loves.Her loverdiscoverswhatshehasdone and finds himselfunable toforgiveher. THE PLAYS OFTAGORE 71 Inthese plays,thecrisis isinternal,andtheaction developsaround anemotionalneed or an inner change of attitude. Man is the centra] figurehere, andtheemphasis is on character.Inthissense, theyare modem moralityplays,forthepoetispreoccupiedwiththe developmentofthemoral man.ThisistrueevenofChitrangada. whichatfirstappearsto beonlyaromanticcomedycombiningsong.drama,anddancelikeaseventeenth-century masque. Its rea! theme, however, is the true nature of beauty. Chitrangada, the warrior princess who loves Arjuna, fails 10 win him because she lacks sensual beauty. Ather entreaty Madan, the god of love, grants her physica! beauty for a year, and Arjuna is delightedwithher. Heridentity isthennotknowntohim.However,beforetheyearisout, Arjunabeginstotireofher.andreportsofthefeatsofawarriorprincessgiveriseinhimto a profound admiration for her.Chitrangada then reveals herselfin her true form,and he lovesherallthemore,and the playendshappily.Thereisahinthereofatheme whichthe poetexploredfullyinArupratan,alaterversion ofRaja.Inthisplay,writtenwhenthepoet wasatthe heightofhispowers,theking isinvisihle;heisrepresentedonthestageonly hy avoice. His queen, Sudarshana, seekshimeverywhere butfails tofindhimand, inher impatienteagerness, garlands anearthlykingwhose beautyoffeaturefascinatesher.Inthe emotionalturmoilwhichfollows,warsarewagedandkingdomsplungeintoflames.Atlast, the proudqueen is forced to leave herpalaceand walksthe roadshumbly,happyatlastin thecompanionshipofthetruekingwho speaks toherfromthefire.Sudarshana'ssearchfor self-knowledge, aknowledgewhichisalsospiritualknowledge,providesthedrama. There isdilemmahere. andawrong choice is made from whichSudarshana extricatesherself through griefandsuffering.Thepresenceoftheinvisible kingasacharacter makesthisa mystery playaswell as amoralityplay. The invisible king ofArupratan is transmuted into the king behind the screenin Raktakarabi. The king rules ina most impersonal and authoritarianmanner. Ranjan. a young idealist,rebel" and the king'ssubjectsrallyaroundhim.Theconflictisrealisticand political. the crisisexternal.The inevitability oftheclimaxarises outofthesequenceof events,andtheaction,forallitssymbolism.isintheouterandnottheinnerworld.Ranjan iskilled,much asSupriyain Malin;iskilled.Incharacterandtype, heresemblesSupriya. The sympathyandattractionSupriyafelt forMa!inihas inRaktakarabidevelopedintothe passionateJoveof Ranjan andNandini.ThekinginMalini, whoisasomewhat negative though benign influence. takes on definition and strength in the screened king of Raktakurabi, who, afterRanjan's death, breaks through his screen to lead his subjectsin theirrevoltagainsthis vassals. Muktadharaisalsosymbolic.anditssubjectappearstomenotsomucharevoltagainst themachineascriticsdeclare.butmoreaprotestagainstthemisuseofscientificpowerby meninauthority.Initsharshness,itrecallsEugeneO'Neill,The KingofUuarkuthasadam built across the Muktabyhisengineersinordertocutoffthewatersupplytothepeopleof Sivtarai who have become restive and unruly. The people 0f 5i·vtarai·start a satyagraha undertheleadershipofthesaintlyDhananjaya.There isfamine inthecountry,theresultof 72 LILARAY watershortage.andtheyrefusetopaytheirtaxes.ThecrownprinceofUttarkutisordered to subdue them. Instead.he wins them over byhis concern for their welfare andbreaks open a pass throughthe mountains so thatthey may have access to the outside world. Embarassedbythisoutcome,thekingsendshisbrother-in-law toSivtaraiwhoseoppres sion, added to the hardship of the famine, quickly drives the people to desperation. The crownprince, disgraced andimprisoned, discoversheis afoundlingandbelongs, there fore,totheentirepeople.Heisreleasedbyrebelsandtheprisonsetonfire,butherefuses to flee. Instead,having come toknow ofa secret flaw in the construction ofthe darn. he destroys it, knowing that by doing so he will himselfbe swept away in the rush ofthe releasedwaters.Here,onceagain,wemeettheself-immolatingheroofBisarjan,drawnon amuchlargerscale.inwhosedeathhumanismtriumphs. If Muktadhara and Raktakarabi are the most political of all Tagore's plays, they are alsoperhaps themostEuropean inmanner. Raktakarabiis aplain-spokenprotestagainst regimentation. bureaucracy, andauthoritarianism. andMuktadharaprotestsagainstthe abuseofmechanicalpower.Theyaretragedies. Tagore attackedthesameproblemsinhis farces.Thelightnessofthisformenabledhimtobeevenmoremerciless.InBisarjan, weare made tofeelacertainpityfor thepriestRaghupati,whoinhisfrenzycausesthe deathofthe onepersonhereallyloves.Hissuddenandruthlessawakeningistherealclimaxoftheplay. AndtheunrepentantstrengthofKshemankarinMallniarousesacertainawe.Butwhatcan bemorebarbedthanthewitofTasherDesh, thefarceinwhichthepoet'scomicpowersfuse with his fantasy and the symbolism ofhis mature years? Partfairy tale, partfantasy, and partly acomedyof manners, itdescribestheadventures ofayoung andchanningprince and hisfriend in akingdomregulatedby rules so absurdlystrictthatthe inhabitants,from thekingdown,havebecomeasstiffandartificialasfiguresinplayingcardsanddresslike them too. There is no pity here. The young prince is frightened by no shibboleths, he respectsno personsor things,andtakes nothingseriously. laughing at inconsistencies andsuperficialities.His triumphiscomplete. Sheshraksha isacomedyoferrors, writtenwithoutmusicinplainlively prose;itssub jectis the fate ofseveral young couples in love. Anotherplay ofthe same kind, equally delightful, is Chirakumar Sabha, the subject being a bachelors' club. Both of these are products ofthe poet's youth, Sheshraksha being a revised version ofGorae Galad, and are written for sheerfun. In these plays, the poet takes people as they are and finds them interesting. Hereis realisticcomedy atits best. Generallyspeaking. the love interest is lackinginTagore'splays.buthesucceedsinrousingandholdingtheinterestoftheaudi enceremarkablywell withoutit. IsTagoredidactic?Isthedramaticspiritlostinhissymbolism.mysticism.anddesireto preach? Tagore definitely does use thedramaas an instrumentof social andreligious change. He leavesthe spectatorinno doubtas to wherehis sympathieslie. His attitudeto societyiscritical,andheisquicktoperceivefolly.Hischaractersrepresentideasandideals throughthe conflictofwhichheconstructshis drama. Ofthe twobrothersinAchalayatan, THE PLAYSOF TAGORE 73 forinstance,one is thesymbol of revolt-the iconoclast-and theotheristhesymbolof truetradition-thebuilder-whosetstoworkafreshamongtheruins.Ofthisplay,thepoet writes, Thesensethrough whichoursoulcomestoknowitself,transcendsconflict.breaking throughthewallsofourcomfort,convenienceandhabit.Theadventoftherealization whichsetsusfreeisannouncedtothebeatofdrumssoterrifyinguntilwehavefought withit. Tagore wasfondofstorieswithreligiousassociationsandretainedtheirreligiousinter estandsignificance,interpretingthemintermsnotoforthodoxdogma,butaccordingtothe new,enlightenedhumanismthatgrew tobe suchapowerful formative forceinIndian intellectuallifeduringthenineteenthcentury.Itwasahumanismwhichregardedsympathy, pity, mercy, love,tendernessandfriendlinessasthenaturalreligionofman. Arehischaracters mereabstractions, nothuman enough? No,theyare human enough, lovinglyso. Tagore sawinthechildthesweetembodiment ofhisideal religion, and its symbol. Theclimaxof Valmiki Pratibha forms around achild's innocent, unoffending figure. InPrakritirPratishodh, alittleorphanedoutcastegirllostbythe waysiderecallsa sanyasi toaworldofbeautyhehas scorned. InDakghar,apoignantlyrealistictragedy,the child dies, stifledby the weight ofadult ignorance andstupidity.Achildworkingatsums onabeautifuldayinordertopayhisdebttoaheartlessmerchantisthestoryofSharadotsav. InFalguni. agroup ofchildrensetoutinsearchoftheoldmanDeath.Whentheyfindhim, they discoverthat he is no otherthan their own boyleader,Life.Aboutthisplaythepoet said, "To know life truly one must make its acquaintance through death." The littlegirl growsuptobe,inMalini, theprincess whoturns toBuddhism, thereligion ofmercy, in revoltagainsttheancestral custom of hercountry; tobe Nandini inRaktakarabi;and to dancetoherdeath inNatir Puja. Aparna, inBisarjan, isthesymbol ofallthegentleness andcompassiondailyoutragedintheanimal sacrificesheldinthetemple. Another familiar character inTagore's playswehave met inDhananjaya, the saintly bairagiofMuktadhara.HeappearedforthefirsttimeasthejollygrandfatherinSharadotsav; then in Prayaschitta, Dakghat; and Achalayatan. Sometimes, asinFalguni, heisabaul. He is always happy-hearted, wise, the friend and counsellor of the oppressed, the gay enemyofinjustice,thecomforter,thecommentator,thesharerofburdens.Heactsoftenas thepoet'smouthpiece, instructingtheaudienceandinterpretingtheaction.Heisacharac terwho is dramatically veryeffective and hascometobeinseparably associated with Tagore's work. He develops into the guru before whom walls crumble and atwhose ap proachdoors and windows fly open. Tagore'sversatility,bothintechniqueandsubjectmatter,asthisrapidsurveymakesplain, wasextraordinary. Themystery play,themoralityplay,thehistoricalplay,romantictragedy, realistic tragedy, realistic comedy, romantic comedy,farce,thesong-dramaandthedance- 74· LILARAY drama-heMotethem all.Whatismissing?Burlesque.Vulgaritywasrepulsive tohim.But hischaractersare lessvaried,and rolesinhisplaystend toberepeatedthoughthe circum stances change. There is no doubt thathe absorbed all the influences, Eastern and Western, that came his way and made something out ofthem which is entirely his own. He shared with the popular Jatra and Kathak narrative traditions-as well as the sophisticated Calcutta the atre-alikingforstoriestakenfromthescriptures.and hesharedhisinterestinsymbolic actionwiththeformer.TheinfluenceoftheSanskritdramatictraditionismostnoticeablein hisplaysofthe seasons,where arapport is established with nature thatis found nowhere outsideShakunra/aand Meghadutam. For him, man's world and the world of nature are identical,and he gives expression to this feeling with great delicacy and suggestiveness. "My work", he says in Falguni,"is notto be understood so much as heard, like a flute", Thatisto say,without seeinghisplays,withoutlistening tohis characters sing and talk, it isimpossibletoeitherunderstandorenjoythemeaning andpleasureheconveys. Adramacan bejudgedonly bydramatic tests, for no play iscomplete untilit hasbeen performed.Tagore, as Ipointed out in the beginning, had his own stage to testthem.He neverhesitated toreviseorrewritehisworkandmany versionsofhisplaysexist.Onthe stagethey are,whenperformedwell, eminentlyeffective. Is his work likely to be accepted as a model by future Indian dramatists? I think his influencewillcertainlygrowashisworkismorewidelyunderstood.Alltheimplicationsof hissymbolism and his subject-matterare still very far from beingunderstood. Fewofhis seriousworks have beentaken upbytheprofessionaltheatre. Imitation, inthecircum stances,will bedifficultand dangerous.Tagoreisfirstand last apoet, and all his dramais poetic drama. And he is also amystic.Thisgiveshis work an illusiveness and adelicacy thatisinimitable.Hestrives,ashe says in the passage quoled atthe head ofthis paper,to maketheinvisiblevisible,torevealtheinfiniteinthefinite.Howcanoneimitateaperson who sings: Notwithbeautyshall Icharmyou; Ishallwooyouwithlove. S"otwithmyannsshallIopenthedoor; Ishallunlatchitwithsong. DISCUSSION lilaRay:MyBengali friendshave protestedagainstmystatementthatnotvery manyof Tagore'splayshave been put onthe professional stage. I wish 10say now that they have been taken up by the professional theatre, just to correct any impression that the profes sion has neglectedTagore. But I think that sinceTagore wrole forty-one plays, my using the word 'several' isalsojustified. THE PLAYSOFTAGORE 7S SachinSengupta: Shrimati LilaRay'sstatementcannotbewholly rejectedasincorrect when we considerthefact thatoutofforty-one plays writtenbyTagore, only seven have ever been staged by the professional theatrein Calcutta. Seven out of forty-onedo not makeverymany-Ihopeweallagreeonthat.Now,pleaseallowmetomentionthetitlesof Tagore'splays whichhavebeenstagedbyprofessionaltheatres inCalcutta. They areRaja oRaniandits revised version Tapati,Bisarjan,Sheshraksha, ChirakumarSobha,Shodh bodh, andGrihaprabesh. Besidestheseoriginal plays. dramatized versions of someof Tagore's famous novels and short stories have also been played. They are Naukadubi, Gam,Jogajog and MaktirUpay. Our friend Sombhu Mitra'sorganization [Bohurupee] is notaprofessional concern. Ithas,asyouare aware, produced oneofthemostdifficult plays of Tagore, Raktakarabi. andalso a dramatized version of Tagore's novelChar Adhyaya.Thenovelhadraisedaterrificcontroversyatthetimeofitspublication.Charges werelevelledagainstTagorethathehadwrittenitwithintenttolowertherevolutionariesin the estimation ofthe public, at the instance ofthe then ruling power. The Little Theatre GroupinCalcuttahas givensevetalperformancesofAchalayatan,oneofthestiffestplays ofTagore. Thisgroupisalsoanorganizationofnon-professionals.SomeofTagore'sdance dramas arebeingplayedbynondescript amateurtroupeseverynowand then. ButImust say in supportofShrirnatiLilaRay that plays ofTagore which beartheexactTagoretraits andthedistinctiveTagoreflavourhavenotreceivedattentioneitherfromtheprofessional orfromthe amateur theatre, excepting, ofcourse, Raktakarabi and Achalayatan. These distinctive plays areDakghar, Falguni,Malini, Arupratan,Sheshbarshan, Basanta, Sharodotsab,Sundar; andseveral others. While Tagore wasalive,hepresented them be forethepubliconappropriate occasionsbywayof object lessons and alsoforhisown satisfaction. SuccessiveSantiniketan troupes havemore orJess maintained the tradition. Butthese playshave virtuallyremaineduntouchedbyprofessionalsandamateurs whocall themselvesprogressive, becausetheyhavefailed tofixtheseplaysintheframework of dramathey are familiarwith. ButIfeel that those arejust theplays togive usaclearidea about the synthesisTagore hadachieved, yet theyseemtobepre-eminently Indian in texture,colour,andspiritualexperience. SareshAwasthi: Iwanttoknowwhetheranydifferentmethodandpatternofproduction, other than the usual method of presentation generally adopted, are necessary when pro ducing Tagore's plays? Lila Ray: Well, in my paper I have not touched upon techniques because they wee: outsideitsscope.ButatSantiniketan,wehavedonesomeexperimentalworkledby.Ta~ore s family. Severalgenerationsofthisillustriousfamilyhavedevotedthemselvestothiskindof work. I have seen themworking, and Ihope Iwill be ableto tell you something thatwill interestyou. Theyhavebuiltamarvellousexperimentaltheatre there..OnlyTagore'~plays areexperimented withatthistheatre forthetime being. Thetechmq~e adopted.IS very simple.Thestageisequippedwithacompletesetoflightingparaphernalia.Thesettingsare managed by students ofart. Youknow there is a school ofart and aschool ofmusic at Santiniketan.Studentsfrom thelatterschoollookafterthemusicalsideofproducnons.Our audiences sitonthegroundatalittledistance from thestage. 76 DISCUSSION Mulk RajAnand:Do I understand you to mean that nospecial technique is necessary forthepresentation ofTagore'splays?Is thatnot what you want, Mr Awasthi? SureshAwasthi: I want to know if we need any particular methods of production in respectoflighting,music.anddecor ingeneralwhicharedifferent from those requiredto produce other plays? lilaRay:PerhapsMrsShrimatiTagore willbeable topresentabetterpicture. ShrimatiTagore:Tagorealwaysaimedatonething,andthatwassimplicityinproduc tion. By referring to this quality, I do not mean to convey that he denied altogether the necessity of creating the physical conditions a play demands. On the contrary, he was almostmeticulousaboutthem.Light.music,movement,recitals.background-hewanted everything10 beinperfectharmonywiththeinnerspiritofhisplay.What hedidnOIwant was theintrusion of any external agency to frighten away the tender spirit that throbbed inside hisplays.He used to keep offalldisturbing elements sothat the soul ofhis plays couldfindacongenialatmosphere.AllowmetoillustratewhatImeanbycitinganexample. LetustakeBisarjan.Whenheproduced the play.he never fora moment thought itneces sarytocreatea settingtoshowthetemple. Hesimply placed some stone steps toindicate thattherewasatemplethere.Thosestonesteps werenecessary for theuse ofthe players. Buttheinteriorofthetemple wasneverintended to be usedinthe play.ThereforeTagore did nOIcare torepresentthelemple itselfOnthe stage. That there was a temple wouldbe known to theaudience when theyheard the linesofthe play.He wanted his audience to listen to hisplay and not merely to see the surface ofit.And although he eliminatedthe templeinBisarjan,hedidnotneglecttoshowtheplayoflightinthisproduction-fromthe settingofthesun10darkness,andthen tothefullbloom ofthemoon.The soulofhisplay demanded it;he could not let it go. He liked songs to be well sung but disliked tobe disturbed by what isknown asbackground music. particularly when his lines demanded raptanention.Nowifyoutakeallthesefeaturesintoaccount,youwill,Ihope.realizewhat his technique was. And then you will know what particular technique is necessary to represent aplayby Tagore. Ahindra Chowdhuri:Tagore had produced so many different types of plays in such various styles that it is almost impossible for anybody to say- this is the technique he usuallyadoptedandhisplayshavetobeproducedinaccordancewiththistechnique. Ifeel such an approach to technique is not sound, if not altogether wrong. After all, what is technique?It is.asMrs ShrimatiTagore hasnicely put it,the use ofvarious skillstohelp releasethe spiritthat liesdormant in thedrama. tohelp it lake a shape.Ifthatis so,then every drama needs adistinctivetechnique totake shape on the stage. Andas amatterof fact Tagore has, we know. adopted techniques quite different from one another in his productions.AftergettingbackfromJapan,hetried hishand atsomeofthetechniquesthe Japanese use. Returning from Java. he tried Javanese techniquesofdance.And I believe nobody herewoulddeny thathehasusedEuropeantechniquestoo tobring outthesoulof hisplays.Ihadtheprivilegetoassistinthe productionofthreeplaysofTagorewhileIwas working with theAnTheatre.Weused different techniques to producethosethreediffer- THEPLAYSOFTAGORE 77 enlkindsofplays.Tagore sawtheplaysand wasnotshocked10seewhatwehaddone.He blessed us. SombhuMirra: Ihad the privilege ofwatchingpeople producing some oftheplaysof Tagore whenI was atSantiniketan. Onthesurface. aproduction presented byTagore locked very simple, but I have rarely seen any producer more keen on details-and the mysteryofdetails-thanTagorehimselfwas.Ihaveseenhimconductingarehearsalatan initialstage.Whiledoingit,hereadoutthelinesofeachindividualcharacteroftheplayand actedthem.Hereadthelinesinsuchawaythatbykeepingmyeyesclosedforsometime. Icarne to feelas ifIwas listeningtotheplayperformedbyafullcastWhen Iopenedmy eyes.Ifoundmathewasnotmerelyreadingoutthescriptasitwouldsuitthedifferentroles me buthe wasalsodemonstratingthemovements.Hewasemphasizing intonationsothat theplayerscould,byobservinghimminutely,understandhisconceptionof thecharacters. Hewasverymeticulous,asMrsTagorehassaid.Andhehatedanythingmechanicalabout aperformance.Thegreatestpossibleinspirationfromwithin.andthegreatestpossiblecare ingivingexpressiontoit,werewhatheusedtoinsistOn.Hewasamasterinthetechnique ofdramaticproduction.Hisplayscannotbeproduced simplybygettingthelinesbyhean. Theyrequireatremendousstudy.andmucheffort andhistrionicabilityareneededtogive them thatsimplelock. MulkRaj Anand: Will Mrs Rayplease tellus whatshethinksaboutTagore'scontribu tionto Indiandramaasaplaywright? Lila Ray:That is a difficult question to answer. He has written forty-one plays.That itselfisacontributiontodrama.andtherearesomanyfacetswithinthatbodyofworktobe considered.ButthemoststrikingcharacteristicofallhisplaysistheirIndianness.Itwashis convictionthatthere wasnothingwrong intakinganygood thingfoundanywhere.There is stilla tendency among ourwriterstoavoidborrowingfromabroad.Theyfeel thaiit humbles them.Tagore never suffered from such a complex. He hasshown a way tothe writers ofour generation bykeepingan open ntind.AndthatiswhatIcallhisIndianness. Snehlata SanyaI:I agree with MrsRayontheopennessinTagore'soutlock.Hisplays leadus onoverthewalls weourselves haveraised.andinviteusto acloserassociation withhumanitystriving 10 attain freedomfrombondage-notonlyphysicalbutalsomental andsupramental.Thatis hisabiding contribution toourdrama. Hisplays revitalizeour traditionbybringingtousfromtheWestthelifeforcethatwaslanguishingforcenturiesfor politicalandsocialreasons. Shrimati Tagore: Anothergreatcontributionhemadewastheintroductionofdanceon the stage through his fascinating dance-dramas. Dancing had become almost a vulgar display ofthe female bodyincertain parts of the country beforeTagorecame forwardto saveitandgive ititsownrespectableplaceinsociety.