When seeing is not believing

The cast includes 12 actors, unlike the playwright's original cast of 13

Munshi Premchand, undoubtedly one of the greatest writers the country has produced, was also a glorious translator. He translated a selection of 23 short stories by Leo Tolstoy as well as George Eliot's Silas Marner into Hindi. In 1919, he worked on a translation of Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck's The Sightless in Urdu. Premchand's portfolio of translations only goes to show his interest in and acceptance of literature from around the world - a quality that the country seems to be lacking today. Maeterlinck played a fundamental role in the Symbolist movement, a French literary movement where symbols are used to depict ideas and emotions.

Tomorrow, the city will see the staging of Premchand's version of The Sightless, at a newly-launched acting school CLAY School for Actors. Launched by actor Om Prakash in September last year, the school's name is derived from the founder's desire to mould aspirants into discovering their true worth as artistes. It currently offers certificate courses but plans to introduce diploma courses in the furture. A National School of Drama (NSD) graduate who has played roles in films such as Talaash (2012) and Kaminey (2009), Prakash also taught at acting academies. "But I didn't find any satisfaction because I realised that such institutions were only teaching, not training. Learning diction and expression is good, but it's not the only thing required for acting," he says. And so, without any external funding, he decided to start his own venture as a proponent of method acting.

Om Prakash

Maeterlinck being one of Prakash's favourite playwrights, The Sightless has been in the making for over two weeks with a cast of 12 actors. It revolves around a group of blind men and women who have been led on a trip by their leader, a priest, to an unknown island. But instead, they are left helpless as the priest seems to have fled. Prakash speaks about the process of fine-tuning the play for Mumbaikars, "We've cut out the complicated Urdu. So, even though you are unfamiliar with the language you can grasp the overall story. It will force you to think and look up words - like 'khanqah' that means 'asylum'. I want my work to disclose new things."

On January 5, 5.45 pm to 7.45 pm
At CLAY School for Actors, Adarsh Nagar, Oshiwara.
Call 9819688569
Email clay.schoolforactors@gmail.com
Cost Rs 50

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