A Celebration of community and theatre, brought from the formal stage to Goan homes

Goa Khabar : Bringing the magic of theatre from formal settings to Goan homes, two plays, ‘Jhund’ and ‘Sakal Jaani He Naath’, that offer timely narratives on contemporary society and human experiences, were held across seven Goan heritage homes and cafes. 

This initiative was a part of the recently concluded Serendipity Out and About, the Serendipity Arts Festival’s (SAF) arts outreach programme that aims to take theatre to people’s homes. This offers immersive, unconventional experiences to both performers and audiences, in the intimacy and informality of these performance spaces.

“The epitome of the Serendipity Out and About programme, is that performances can take place in unusual venues, and we can surprise audiences with powerful performances that they otherwise would not have encountered in these spaces. Drawing rooms, homes, cafes suddenly became spaces for theatre and art,” said Quasar Thakore Padamsee, co-curator of Serendipity Out and About, 2024, with Sananda Mukhopadhyaya, and Theatre co-curator for SAF 2024.

In the recently concluded second phase of the programme, seven venues across the state – one each in Dona Paula, Aldona, Parra, Moira, Divar Island, and two in Benaulim – opened their doors to host the performances of ‘Jhund’ and ‘Sakal Jaani He Naath’, a dark comedy and tragicomedy, respectively. With eight nights of celebrating the joy of theatre and showcasing the true spirit of Goan warmth and hospitality, the initiative was a reflection of multiculturalism that forms Goa’s heart.

“As Goa is now a multicultural hub, with people from all walks of life considering the state a loving home, events like Serendipity Out and About are meaningful for locals and people from other states and countries to mingle, creating a harmonious community,” said Meena Varma, whose Aldona-based Goan heritage home was one of the hosts to the play ‘Sakal Jaani He Naath’ – a folk musical that satirically revisits the mythological fable of Lord Krishna and his friend Sudama.

Dina Ferro, a guest who attended the play ‘Jhund’, at the home in Dona Paula, called the experience “unique, as the actors, who performed in the living room, adapted themselves to effectively utilise the smaller space with both their physicality and facial expressions to engage with the audience”.

The plays’ directors, too, discovered a pleasurable challenge in adapting the plays and performances to an intimate setting. Chanakya Vyas, director of ‘Jhund’, said: “Our play, which has two people stuck in a room with a mysterious authority giving orders, requires the placement of wings to the side of the stage to create the illusion of an external world. Adapting this element in intimate spaces was something new, and we sometimes utilised the walls of the homes to achieve the same effect”.

“We were happy to have ‘Sakal Jaani He Naath’ selected for Serendipity Out and About, where the entire Goa-based community gathered to watch the performances freely, making the experience heartwarming for all. Our play was created with the intent of exploring ‘har ghar theatre’, which is a sheer reflection of SAF’s concept of transforming the living spaces of individuals into a performance area,” said Srinivas Beesetty, director of ‘Sakal Jaani He Naath’.

The warm reception to the outreach programme by the Goan and Goa-based audiences has rendered Serendipity Out and About an endeared initiative of the festival, widely showcasing SAF’s commitment to popularise the arts across all sections of society in Goa.

“The hosts’ and audiences’ connection with the performances and performers was extremely positive and heartwarming, and we are glad that Serendipity Out and About achieved the goal it was created for,”  said Smriti Rajgarhia, director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Serendipity Arts Festival.

The Serendipity Out and About programme spanned July to September, with 52 workshops and performances taking place across 27 venues across the state comprising government schools, orphanages, old age homes, community centres, and Goan heritage homes and cafes.

Serendipity Out and About is designed as an immersive lead-up to the upcoming ninth edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, which will take place from December 15 to 22, 2024.