Myths, popular literature, and contemporary events often become the raw material for theatre groups to structure and build their plays around. But for the Valiyathura Fisherwomen Collective, a theatre group of women fish workers, the happenings in their own lives have become the subject of their street play Ith Engala Kadalu, the opening play of the three-day National Women’s Theatre Festival, organised by the Nireeksha Women’s Theatre, which began in the capital on Wednesday.
It all began when 53-year old Jermi Roy, hailing from a family of fish workers in Valiyathura, started speaking to the women in the locality, with an intention to stage a play for the World Fisheries Day celebrations on November 21 this year. Ms. Roy, who has the experience of performing with youth groups and other organisations, was successful in roping in quite a few of them to be a part of the play, although some of them had to drop out due to practical issues.
An opportunity
“Activist Mercy Alexander told us to use it as an opportunity to raise the myriad issues that the coastal population have been facing over the years,” says Ms. Roy. “We started with asking them to speak about all the things that bothered them. They spoke about coastal erosion due to which a large part of the coast and even playgrounds were eaten away, the debt trap that they have landed in due to the system of dowry prevailing in these regions, the alcohol and drug addiction of the men and even the children, and the displacement due to developmental projects,” she says.
“The play evolved out of these conversations. The founders of the Nireeksha theatre group also gave us a lot of input. But, in the end, our play is not something anyone taught us, but the expression of all our pain,” adds Ms. Roy, who directed and acted in the play.
Once a week
Most of the women who are part of the group start their day early, heading to the shore to collect the day’s catch at around 4 a.m. After the day’s sales, much of it in the city, they head back home by afternoon and appear promptly for the rehearsal which happens once a week at 3 p.m. “Although they are speaking about these issues from the heart, they still need to have a proper rehearsal so that they don’t lose touch with the play,” says Ms. Roy.
Some of them had to drop out because they had to take care of a lot of other things at home, and could not set aside time every week for this. But we have decided to continue with this and raise issues which are close to us, she adds. “Hardly anyone is aware of or cares about the perennial problems that we have been facing. Even the developmental works happening in the coast have led only to our displacement, with many of us forced to settle away from the shore and travel so much more for our work daily. Theatre is an outlet for us to speak about all of this,” she says.