The Tinshemeths

(This piece is about the Annual Theater Fest 2007 of our college and hostel)

One has heard of Mossad-yeah Mossad and not Mozart. It is the Israeli secret service that trains even CIA. Smallest in terms of numbers, its members are virtuosos in the craft of stealth and espionage. There is virtually no lock they cannot break, no code they cannot crack and no ruffian they cannot tackle. In pertinence here, there is no role they cannot don. Their agents are known to have donned a gamut of garbs ranging from a New York executive to a Bedouin nomad. Thus it comes as no surprise that one of the pre-requisites to qualify as a star mossad agent requires –Histrionics (the skill of dramatics). The Israeli have a term for it – TINSHEMETHS (Hebrew for Chameleon). General knowledge suggests that the chameleon can assume any hue to match its environs. History suggests that the mossad tinshemeths have acted varied roles with panache. So when the actors of the institute faced a gauntlet as Inter-House Drama competition they switched to the ‘tinshemeth’ mode just as fishes take to water.

‘The Rising’ and ‘The Last Hour of a Prisoner awaiting execution’ were the themes that the UG and PG houses were confronted with. UG house D commenced the proceedings with a plot in alignment with the theme. The Rising here was symbolic of a ‘good-evil’ tug of war where the resident piety scores over depravity. A village under a perpetual gloom receives the benediction of light. Siddhanth, Swagath and TUS hogged the lime light. UG House C’s act seemed to be propelled by the wisdom of veterans as well as a Girish Karnad play. A prisoner’s life hangs in the balance with a lifeline of an overnight tale. If the tale wins the sympathy of the king’s sympathy, the prisoner secures his release. Else, the morrow could usher sepulchral sorrow. The Rising here connotes the morrow’s sunrise coupled with a beautiful hidden meaning about the true Rising within man by means of sacrifice in perfect harmony and in sync with Vedas. Natesh, Anmol, Chandan along with the supporting cast (especially, the playwright !!!!!) put up a stellar show.

PG house A began with a ‘bang’ (literally & figuratively). Fear trudged in fearlessly triggering ‘phobophobia’ in the school kids among the audience. Mr. Malhotra’s metamorphosis from a super cop to a living corpse under fear’s grip was ‘point-blank’ thrilling and had a strong flavour of the flick ‘Phone Booth’. Ignorance in the cop, fear employs to execute the prisoner. Divij was a class act with Saptarishi enlivening and Giri at his menacing best. Hitting a chrono-reverse gear can be highly tricky issue to portray. PG House B strove to drive us back to early 1950’s to a ghetto housing two prisoners awaiting execution via electric chair. The electric chair, connoisseurs will recall, was used to telling effect in the all time classic play ‘The Other Side’. Time en-familie with death, fear and attachment pull strings at will to trouble Dimitrov who is already tormented beyond measure by the gloom of his impending death. Add to that two merciless cops and poor Dimitrov’s hell gets defined. Using death as an escapade to mortal suffering was a downright winner. Jaideep’s protean performance, Chetan’s antics, Dinesh’s finality, Hemanth’s ice and Shyam’s svelte at once enthralled and entertained. Last heard, Mossad is said to have amended their recruiting policy with the insertion of a special clause- get these tinshemeths before Hollywood gets them. The price – Oops! The Oscars!!!