BY ROQUE DIAS | NT

MARGAO: Tiatrs are a very popular form of entertainment in the state of Goa. Many people choose this mode of entertainment to lower the stress and strain of daily life and also to enjoy a few hours of entertainment.

Many tiatr lovers pay good money and go to the tiatr to enjoy the laughter, dished out by the comedians on the funny side of life and the current topics. The issue the tiatr lover often misses out on is that the comedian has one of the toughest jobs on the stage and even off it.

Comedy is the art of making others laugh, and the comedians are burning the midnight oil to script the comedy plot and story, which will not only fit into the plot of the tiatr, but at the same time meet the high expectations of the tiatr fans.

Professional comedians, who have split the sides of their fans over the years with their comedy, say that the audience today, like comedy in a story form, that is linked with acts throughout the tiatr. Many comedians agreed that in year gone by, audiences would be satisfied and happy with costume comedy and the on-the-spot jokes, or even the stand-up comedy.

Another facet of comedy that the comedians have realised and made attempts to fulfil is that the tiatr lovers prefer decent and thought provoking comedy, that delivers a social message that is quite serious.

Almost all comedians now agree that there is no place for vulgar and indecent comedy, with foul words, as presently it has been observed that this does not sell well with the tiatr goer. Another reason is that families along with their children throng the theatres and so vulgar and foul language has to be absolutely avoided.

Prince Jacob, who has been at comedy for decades now and has won every available accolade said, "We should not indulge in comedy with the aim of just making people laugh. Instead, the comedian should keep in mind that he plays an important and responsible role on the stage. He or she is a teacher and an educator too."

He agrees that the role of a comedian is a tough and challenging one and writing comedy is even tougher. Good message need to be sent across from the stage by the comedians and that is what is expected by the tiatr fans today, feels Mr Jacob. Prince Jacob who along with his brother Humbert, formed a team that made people laugh till tears came to the eyes, says that the comedy scene in Goa has changed over the years, with the audience becoming more mature.

A popular crowd puller on the Konkani stage today, comedian, Selvy Correia says that families, sometimes comprising of three generations, watch tiatr performances together, and therefore they dislike the comedy that is awkward or embarrassing, and also dislike pun comedy which has double meaning, especially with sexual innuendoes. He says the comedians have to be very cautious, especially when the directors and writers expect the comedians to write the comedy script of the tiatr.

Selvy, who resides at Velim said that as children watch what is done and spoken on stage and as they very often repeat what is said, the comedians have to be very careful in their choice of words and actions.

Comedienne, Ms Janet Almeida, who has served as a professional on the Konkani stage for the last 20 years, stated that there is a difference in the expectations of tiatr viewers today, and according to her observations, the tiatr lovers today prefer decent comedy.

She said, "As tiatrs are often being used as a medium to relieve stress after taxing busy schedules, viewers prefer more songs and more comedy in every tiatr, and this drives the comedians to produce quality scripts and plots."

Another comedian, Luis Bachchan, who gain popularity with the surname of the Big B, after mimicking the role of Amitabh Bachchan on the Konkani stage in the tiatr `Susegad’ written by another comedian Agostinho, says that comedy should scripted and performed on the stage and on the CDs, by the children viewers in mind. He said, "A lot of children nowadays watch Konkani tiatrs and films, and hence, providing them with good, decent comedy is our duty and responsibility."

Similar views were expressed by other comedians, Mr Selly Mascarenhas and Mr Ben Evangelisto. They said jokes as comedy in tiatr are outdated, as tiatr lovers demands story related comedy, which is decent and thought provoking.

Comedian turned director, Mr Agostinho Timoteo, along with Mr John D Silva, Mr Jesus Antao, Ms Joana and others, are known for their unique brand of self styled comedy, and having vast experience, they have been able to carve a niche for themselves on the Konkani stage.

Many writers of comedy agree that it takes about a month to polish the comedy plot of a tiatr. While some directors prefer to write the comedy of the tiatr, others just give the basic outline of the tiatr script to the comedians and ask them to write the script.

Prince Jacob said, "Comedian should be praised by those directors who depend on them for comedy." He said many a times when the director forgets or refuses to praise the comedian publicly, especially when the tiatr becomes a hit with the audience, cracks begin to appear in the director-comedian partnership.

Selly Mascarenhas said that comedians have a special place in the tiatrs and this becomes a big challenge when the tiatr is doing well and the comedian is working part time somewhere else. He said many comedians work at other jobs also as only acting sometimes is not able to help the comedian make ends meet.

He says CDs of tiatrs productions become a costly affair as there is no proper marketing and copies are made and distributed arbitrarily, with no rewards coming in to the actors and producers

Adds Luis Bachan, "New artistes has to be groomed to keep up with the standard of comedy on the stage, more so as tiatr lovers prefer to see new faces." He also expressed the hope that the Tiatr Academy of Goa would encourage village levels tiatrs, so that more talent can come to the fore and would be identified and nurtured.

They said there are many young tiatrists with their own brand of comedy and said that these artists should be encouraged and financed, so that the brand of comedy is improved with new ideas, as this will keep the tiatr vibrant and people laughing and coming back for more.