Lights. Camera. Action.

 

Such a happy space, right? I mean, who would not want to be the centre of all attention; the lights and all eyes on that one person who's up there drawing everone in. Well, that is the result. When we talk about the process that goes before and behind the final output...it is not a very smooth phase.

 

Uncertain dates, back-breaking pressure, writing, re-writing, and writing and re-writing the script, sessions after sessions of practice and the final nervous breakdown at the last-minute inclusion of a whole new character (by 'last-minute inclusion' I am not exaggerating a 'week before inclusion', I mean 'a night before' one!) marked the making of 'MARTIAL LAW: The Liberation and Deliberation of Penelope', a play by the First Year students of the English Department for the Annual Department Assembly.

 

The plot was simple- Penelope files a divorce against Odysseus on the basis that he has committed the sin of polygamy and a pandemonium that ensues at the court as Miss Marple (lawyer of Penelope) and Poirot (lawyer of Odysseus) attempt to outmaneuver each other. However, transforming the basic idea into a proper plot was a daunting task for us as we wanted to incorporate as many elements as possible into a fifteen-minute play. Our only respite was the exciting line-up of characters; from Odysseus dragged from the depths Classical antiquity to roping in even Irene Adler, the BBC Sherlock version! A potpourri of quirky characters descended upon LSR from across the land of literature...the sombre Godfather (escorted by the mafia), the ever-faithful (or not) Penelope, Papa Poirot with his ittle grey cells, Miss Marple all guns (or was it knitting needles?) blazing out and of course, the mighty, strong Achilles who had to come to save his dear friend Odysseus!

 

A grand applause from the elite and the esoteric of LSR made our effort (great, huge, massive effort!) all the more worthwhile. 19 February 2014 might be just another day for you, but for us...it was THE day, the day when we finally killed it!

 

~CHANDRICA BARUA