Every month, Tiatr Academy of Goa organises a programme, ‘Somplolea Tiatristancho Ugddas’ to remember the late tiatr artistes who were born in a particular month and are no more with us today. This month the programme will be held on January 30 at 4 p.m. at the Conference Hall of Tiatr Academy of Goa, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji. Konkani writers Brazinho Soares ‘Kalapurkar’ and Alvaro Gomes will speak on the occasion.
The artistes of tiatr stage, who were born in the month of January are:
Lucasinho Ribeiro
Constancio Lucasinho Caridade Ribeiro, popularly known as Lucasinho Ribeiro was born to Vicente Rosario Ribeiro and Maria Aurora de Souza on January 2, 1863. Hailing from Sokolvaddo, Assagao, Lucasinho had love for music and used to play violin very well. At the age of 27, young Lucasinho migrated to Bombay in search of a job, as most of the Goans did. Luckily he was offered a job of a backstage artiste in the touring Italian Opera Company. The troupe was staging an Italian Opera entitled ‘Italian Boy’. With this troupe, he travelled to Poona, Madras, Simla and Culcutta to stage the Opera. When the company was preparing to travel to Burma, Lucasinho quit his job and returned to Bombay. He also purchased the used costumes from the Italian Opera Company. On Easter Sunday, April 17, 1892 he staged the first tiatr ‘Italian Bhurgo’ which was an adaptation of the Italian play ‘Italian Boy’ at New Alfred Theatre, Mumbai. Hence he is called the ‘Creator of Tiatr’.
Mary Vaz
Mary Vaz was an excellent character artiste who has performed numerous roles in almost all the tiatrs directed by stalwarts of Konkani stage including her husband Jacinto Vaz.
Alex Piedade Fernandes
Alex Piedade Fernandes, popularly known as ‘Alex Mestri’, has done a yeoman’s service to tiatrs by directing music for innumerable tiatrs in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s.
Tony Friend
Amarald Minguel Antonio Fernandes, popularly known as Tony Friend, was a superb singer with a melodious voice and an actor who has influenced the tiatr audience in the past. Besides tiatrs, he was a phenomenon in Khells or Zomnivoilo Khell. He has enriched the Goan Kantar with his valuable contribution.
Shrirang Narvekar
Shrirang erected makeshift pandals in Mapusa and Panaji. The Mapusa pandal was named as Shri Shantadurga Natya Griha and the Panaji pandal as Shri Mahalaxmi Natya Griha. On the Konkani stage, Shrirang has acted as a ‘professor’ in the play ‘Tachi Koramot’ written by Pundalik Narayan Dande.
Xavier Fernandes
Hailing from Cortalim, Xavier Fernandes was born on January 29, 1952. He was a versatile writer-director of Konkani tiatr stage. Along with renowned tiatrist Rosario Rodrigues, he staged many khell tiatrs all over Goa.
Since the actual birthdates of J R Fithna, Assis Joao Afonso alias Affonceka and Sebastiao Gabriel D’Souza (Karachiwala) are not available, they will also be remembered in this month.
J R Fithna
J R Fithna was handsome and very talented young lad who naturally fitted into a female role. He was also a good composer and singer. As he grew older, he did the role of an old lady so perfectly that most of the directors preferred him for an old lady’s role.
Affonceka
Assis Joao Avelino Afonso was known to people by the name of ‘Affonceka’. He was born in Corjuem, Aldona. He was a great writer, director and actor who contributed immensely for the development of tiatr in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s.
Sebastiao Gabriel D’Souza
Hailing from Aldona, Sebastiao was one of the greatest tiatr artistes in the history of tiatr and was known to tiatr lovers as ‘Karachiwala’. He adapted Shakespeare’s numerous world classics to Konkani tiatr in the early years of the existence of tiatr. He also wrote his own tiatrs. He was also an exemplary lyricist and also published his tiatrs and songs in book form.
(The event is open to all.)