07 December,2010 08:11 AM IST | | Priyanjali Ghose
Playing games takes a new meaning in the English play Pizzazz by theatre group Dramanon
Irish dramatist Hugh Leonard described his play Pizzazz as 'a Chinese box in dramatic form, a toy that is simple to look at but drives one to near madness when played with.' Here is our chance to look at this Chinese box more closely as Dramanon, a city based theatre group will soon bring onstage the English play Pizzazz directed by Rituparna Bhattacharya and Sharanya Ramprakash. The play is a hilarious take on relationships and their various nuances.
One day, Marion and her efficient secretary Olivia, are stuck in a boat strike. Waiting at a jetty, Marion is bored to death and decides to play a game on relationships called Psychodrama. She invites the waiting Dr Conroy, desk clerk Rooney and the cleaning lady Mrs Hand to play with her.u00a0
As the game proceeds, the characters become more and more involved and some secrets are revealed followed by some unexpected consequences. A complicated yarn of humour and emotions, Pizzazz brings out certain truths that all of us try to evade.
We caught up with Sharanya Ramprakash, one of the directors of Pizzazz and asked her about her take of on the play.
Why Pizzazz? What attracted you to the play?u00a0
Pizzazz is just what the title says - it is full of energy, fun and packs in punches where you least expect them. It's a great script: witty, clever and crafted with a tongue-in-cheek tone that is dark, quirky and rip roaring hilarious - all at once.
How would you describe the play?
The playwright calls it a "Chinese box in dramatic form" - that would be the best description of it. Simple enough to look at, but drives one to distraction when played with.
How would you describe the characters? Which one is your favourite and why?
The characters of Pizzazz make the play. They are strong, clearly etched out and much like life, their latent motives and drives is what takes the play's action forward. Marion personifies Pizzazz. Nothing gets her down, nothing can stand in her way. She's a riot.
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Why would you think that the play works for Bangalore audience?u00a0
Pizzazz is an irresistible piece of dramatic action. When you watch the play, you are not an audience, you become a part of that boat jetty, part of those games, part of the character's lives. And that is the crux of it. People don't come to watch a play, they come to watch their own stories on stage. A good play is one that can reach out and grab you off your seat, chew you up and leave you feeling like you just took a roller coaster ride down memory lane. Pizzazz does that.
What were the theatrical challenges you faced while staging the play?
The play is a fast paced, volatile concoction. It's a bit of nuclear fission reaction that builds into a seething mass that needs to explode just at the right time. Getting the pacing of a piece like this right is a task.
At: Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar
On: December 9 and 10, 7.30 pm
Call: 99000 88432
For: Rs 150
