The women stride on stage

Nireeksha, the 30-years old all-women theatre group in Thiruvananthapuram, has been experimenting with social themes all these years. It has now tied up with State Kudumbashree Mission to form women theatre groups in all 14 districts of the state

Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram-based Nireeksha Women's Theatre group is perhaps is one of the oldest all-women theatre groups that has taken theatre out of the mundane to the level of activism. The group has now decided to organise monthly programmes of women's theatre performances and the first in the series was inaugurated on the World Theatre day on Wednesday with the staging of Avatar, the story of women who try to find out who she is in the times of cyber technology especially in the social networking sites.

The play, scripted by Rajarajeswari Easwaran and directed by Sudhi Devayani has Malu R.S. as Siji, Biresh K. as Navin, Ajith Lal as Troll along with Manu S, Shajeela Subaida and Reena on the stage.

"Avatar is a philosophical journey into the various identities-as a human being, as a woman in these times when cyber technology is pushing the boundaries of 'reality' challenging our senses," said Rajarajasweri who scripted the play.

The play begins with a woman in a frozen state-physically and mentally. As she slowly comes out of it she realises that she has lost her 'past'. Trying to find out who she is, she searches desperately in the cyber space, especially in the social networking sites. She comes across many people who seem to know her but whom she does not recognise. Each one appears to have a different version of Siji M. Kottoor, the name that bears her image in these sites.

The play develops mainly through her communication with a young Navin who she of course does not recognise but who interacts with her as her lover. Navin is working in an oil company and his life alternates between the desert and the sea. Their communication through the net manifests simultaneously the hard reality as well as the terrible loneliness of human existence. The play ends on a philosophical note on the confusions of one's identity.

Avatar's set and light were designed by Dr Shibu S. Kottaram while music and projection were handled by Praveen and Rajarajewsari. Avatar will also be staged at Navarang National Theatre Festival, Palakkad on April 19.

Kudiyozhickal is the dramatization of the famous poem of the same name by the well-known Malayalam poet Vyloppilly Sreedhara Menon. Produced in 2005, this play was scripted by Rajarajeswari and directed by C.V. Sudhi.

Pravaachaka supported with the production grant from the Union ministry of culture, was also scripted by Rajarajeswari and directed by Sudhi. It is a retelling of the myth of Cassandra-the Greek prophetess whose words were not believed.

Anungal Illatha Pennungal or Men without Women, based on an Iranian novel by Shahrnush Parsipur, another significant play of the group that won Sudhi the best director award from the Sangeeta Nataka Akademi.

The previous play of the group named Varthamanakam was about five women from different backgrounds and occupations. The social situations, religions and castes of these women aggravated their problems.

The play, which narrated how these women characters are united by their lives and sufferings, had brought into focus the social evils faced by women.

It had four women who meet in a laboratory like place for correcting their physical deformity. However, the machines there failed to detect deformity. Kavitha is a Dalit history professor while Sahira, a Bengali Muslim, is accompanied by her labourer husband. Jessy is a Christian nurse. It focused on the violence these five women faced in their lives.