BANGALORE LITTLE THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH VIBGYOR ENTERTAINMENT

PRESENTS

THE PROPHET AND THE POET

A NEW PLAY BASED ON LETTERS AND ARTICLES EXCHANGED BETWEEN

MAHATMA GANDHI AND RABINDRANATH TAGORE

DESIGNED & DIRECTED BY VIJAY PADAKI

FOR DETAILS CALL ANIL RAMACHANDRA @ +91 98456 02265 / +91 98863 70614
 TITLE OF PLAY: The Prophet and the Poet

ABOUT THE PLAY

The Prophet and the Poet is based on a compilation of letters and articles exchanged
between Mahatma Gandhi and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore over 25 years, with the
Indian freedom struggle as the backdrop. The letters reveal how the two personalities
differed significantly on the form and content of the freedom movement. The differences
widened over the years. However, the maturity of their personalities maintained genuine
respect for each other in spite of deep differences on ideological grounds.

The duration of the play is about 90 minutes. There is no intermission.

THE SCRIPT: A new and original play

The script is developed from a manuscript authored by Shailesh Parekh, the Tagore
scholar-translator, based on the archival research by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, former
Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University. The task of suitable adaptation for the stage
was entrusted to Bangalore Little Theatre. It is well known that BLT has a strong
reputation in translations and adaptations, and in promoting play writing activity since the
‘seventies.

THEATRE ORGANIZATION: Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT)

BLT was created in 1960, and is the city’s oldest and widely respected theatre society. It
is a membership-based organization, with a highly participatory form of management. BLT
is preparing to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in 2009-10. BLT has maintained a strict non-
profit status since inception. However, the society is managed in a highly professional
manner – reflected in the group’s track record of over 200 plays produced in its history.
The totality of the institutional set up is as follows:

• Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation is the encompassing institutional body,

registered as a Public CharitableTrust, with Income Tax exemption for donations
under Section 80 ( G )

• One programme Division is BLT, with its emphasis on performance related activity

• Another programme Division is the newly created Academy of Theatre Arts, with
its emphasis on theatre development activity

ABOUT VIBGYOR ENTERTAINMENT

vibgyor entertainment is a non-profit performing arts production house that was

launched in May 2005, to cater to the growing professional needs of the theatre
community. It consists of young spirited theatre enthusiasts sharing a common passion for
theatre. The sudden deluge of opportunities with stage crafts created a need for
supporting and nurturing new talent with infrastructure and finance. vibgyor
entertainment mission is to form a gateway to these resources for the modern urban
drama movement. vibgyor entertainment activities aim at celebrating theatre across
boundaries and provide professional theatre exposure to new artists, groups and directors
and hence contribute to live proscenium through delivering and fostering growth of
indigenous production.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Vijay Padaki is a psychologist and behavioural scientist by training, and founder-director

of The P&P Group, a management resource centre that has programmes of consultancy,
research and training in the areas of Organization and Institutional Development. A good
part of the work of The P&P Group is devoted to the effectiveness of non-profit
organizations, especially in development programmes. Among his earlier assignments he
headed the Human Resources Division of India’s oldest co-operative R&D institution,
Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA), which also helped set up the
first Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. Later, he was a member of the
founding faculty at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, the founder of a Centre for
Management for the textile industry in Ahmedabad, and a Visiting Professor at Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore, to initiate a programme in R&D Management. He has been
a Senior Associate at National Institute of Advanced Studies from its earliest years.

Vijay bridges the realms of Management and Theatre in a lot of his work. For instance
–

- He is a Trustee of Sanket Foundation, which has built a new theatre in the city of
Bangalore, Ranga Shankara.

- The India Foundation for the Arts invited him to be a “mentor” in management for
theatre groups supported by them.

- His work in developing the field of Theatre-in-Management is recognized

internationally. His continuing interest in training methodology has led to a great deal of
innovative cross- fertilization between theatre training and organizational / management
development.

- He is currently spearheading a new programme in management development for

organizations in performing arts in India and developing countries.

Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation has requested Vijay to provide the leadership to a
newly created Academy of Theatre Arts in its formative years. The Academy is developing
a long term programme of work in Theatre Education.
PRODUCTION PLAN AND AUDIENCES

The play was invited to premiere at Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram on January 30, 2009.
Subsequently BLT was invited by both Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan and
Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata to perform at their institutions.The Kolkata
performance was rather special. Thanks to the interest taken by the Governor, Sri
Gopalkrishna Gandhi (who also attended the show), the play was performed at the
courtyard stage of Tagore’s home in Jora Sanko, now a heritage site.

On May 7, the occasion of Gurudev Rabidranath Tagore’s birth anniversary, the play was
staged at the Raj Bhavan, Bangalore, with the President of India in attendance.

PRODUCTION TEAM

The production has adopted a minimalist design, emphasizing the dialogue between two
great personalities, rather than realism in stage décor. In line with this approach the
actors emphasize the content of the letters, rather than any attempt to portray Gandhi or
Tagore.

An institution wishing to host the play will be given a note describing the technical
requirements at the performance venue.

CAST

A GROUP OF THREE ACTORS DISCOVERING INDIAN HISTORY

• NARRATOR APARNA NORI | KSHEMA SHIVAKUMAR

• ACTOR EXPLORING
THE LIFE OF GANDHI ANAND RAMPRASAD | SANJEEV IYER

• ACTOR EXPLORING
THE LIFE OF TAGORE ABHIJIT GANGULY | SHASHANK PURUSHOTHAM

CREW

• MUSIC AND AUDIO PREETAM KOILPILLAI

• STAGE MANAGER PRIYALAKSHMI RAO

• PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT ANIL RAMACHANDRA | VIBGYOR ENTERTAINMENT

The play is DESIGNED and DIRECTED by PROF. VIJAY PADAKI, a Life Member of BLT since its
inception in 1960. He is currently Honorary President of the Academy of Theatre Arts.