Robinson & Crusoe - Play By Ranga Shankara

Hopelessness is the mother of philosophy. And so it is with these enemies of each other, finding the true meaning of life in the middle of a rather hostile nothingness.



As part of the annual Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival from 29th October to 8th November, an English play "Robinson And Crusoe" by Ranga Shankara Production from Mumbai, will be staged on the 1st of November, at the Taramati Baradari outdoor auditorium.



The play was written by Italian playwright Nina D'Introna and Giacomo Ravicchio, and this production has been directed by Gracias Devaraj, who starred in the original German production by Schnnawl which played at Ranga Shankara in 2006.



"Robinson And Crusoe" has nothing to do with Daniel Defoe's novel, "Robinson Crusoe". The canvas is the same, but the details are different. It is a modern fable of 2 young soldiers marooned on a roof-top surrounded by nothing but a vast ocean. The two protagonists from two different parts of the world neither understand nor speak each other's language. They fight and suspect each other, and are even out to kill each other. On a place to which neither of them belongs, they stake ownership over everything they find, not even sparing a piece of thread.



The two soldiers rediscover the small pleasures of life. They love the smell of the sand, the clear waters of the sea, and the blue sky, and dream of having a beach holiday as well. They have been pitted as enemies in a larger game of warring nations, but as fellow beings they share the same pangs of hunger, pain, and the need to be loved. When the time comes for them to part ways, they throw their military fatigues away, embracing a larger, human identity.



The festival is a tribute to the Hindustani theatre personality, the late Qadir Ali Baig. It forms a part of the Foundation's initiative to revive theatre in town, and was designed by Mohammad Ali Baig, son of Qadir Ali Baig.



Entry is by tickets of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 500 & Rs. 100 per head for each play, available at A A Hussain (Abids), Music World (Rd. 1 B'Hills), Walden (Begumpet), Ofen (Rd. 10 B'Hills), Sangeet Sagar (Paradise Circle), Shoe World (Pathargatti). Please contact theatrefoundation[at]cineworksindia[dot]com.