Spandan Docu Theatre

ANTICLOCK : A bold production to unveil truth

Tapan Kumar Basu

The recent production "Anticlock" made by the Spandan,IPTA has already got wide response. This drama has an intense urge and effort to bring out the truth of the widely circulated incident of terrorist attack on 11th September 2001 at USA. The ugly form of imperialism has come out from the factual analysis of the explosion, caused six years ago. This ugly form is lying with the violation of human rights and barbaric attack on the people and organization that are going to unveil truth behind the incident. On the contrary this drama Anticlock will provide courage to the people who are investigating the truth and like to protect the human civilization. So this drama is never a drama of despair or divisiveness. Rather this drama deals with real life, cheers the life with fight and love. It is the celebration of life indeed. The people who risk their lives to throw light on the fact of Laden-Bush nexus, the heinous activities of U.S. spy agencies, unending greed for money of the arms trader run against oil supremacy etc., never live out of the periphery of the normal life. So there are dance and drama along with fight. This drama fulfills its extensity with the intimacy of life of U.S. people on the background of United States.

The drama starts this way. The place is a street at New York in the evening. A news flash on CNN. A dead body on a trolley. One lady named Lola Kardue is shouting. Peter Garrison, a lawyer of New York City civil court was viewing the incident that way. It was the dead body of Neil Fletcher who was a software engineer by profession. He was murdered in December 30, 2006. The man, mentally a full-fledged fighter was associated with an organization named Organization for Peace and No Terror World (OPEN). This organization was established in 2004 at Pennsylvania of U.S. This organization was busy in unveiling the mystery behind the collapsing of the World trade Center on September 11,2001. Naturally the U.S. administration could not take it very well at all. So more than hundred persons associated with that organization were murdered. Not only OPEN, but also millions of U.S. people are up in the protest against U.S. aggression at present.

Such a heinous and unpopular President Like George W. Bush is never found from time immemorial in America. The drama "Anticlock" has evoked intense hatred against U.S. imperialism and it has been sending a message that this fight is going on, on the basis of unity. Many people will join in the effort of revealing the truth.
"The historical dramas featuring anti-imperialism wars were not only the vehement protest against the deviation of history but a means of relating it with people also we want common mass with our theatre"-said Utpal Dutta while addressing a seminar at New Delhi.

The drama "Anticlock" at same time has been able to attract common people with its opposing spirit and technical experiments. The drama is enriched with its spectacular visuals expressions one after one. Spectators are overwhelmed with its new formation, and art of application, on the one hand and its linear and vibrant expression on the other hand. Its formation has always given importance to the fact. Because "Anticlock" was a documentary drama. The moments of ushering to one scene to another scene are in true sense aesthetic and stir the mind.

The application of background music and light are perfect. Thanks to Sangram Guha, the director of the drama. Distribution of stage in the foreground and background and a three tier central stage has got a multi dimensional form. It helps using space in the drama and proved worthwhile. It is a remarkable addition to the recent Bengali Theatre production. Sampa Sen has excelled in stage planning and costume designing. Uttiya Jana has made praiseworthy task of lightning.

The acting of Sampa Sen in the role of main female character Lola Kardue is excellent. Sampa has reflected the real character of Lola Kardue with her commitment to social awareness and theatre. The creative lighting during soliloquy has made acting more illustrative. The music used in this drama is unique one. Inclusion of acting, dance, freeze motion, video images in this drama has given birth to a mixed style. This drama will give impetus to the producers who think of producing a drama in greater form. Parthapratim Nag has proved its excellence by acting spontaneously in 5 different characters. The youngest actor Abhigyan Guha is unforgettable. His English pronunciation is distinct. He has ample scope to be more powerful actor in every aspect of acting. Jumbling up of many sequences in the drama, my be troublesome to the spectators. Contemporary thinking of U.S. life and economic crisis could be introduced. The effect of music score was high bit to some extent. If the drama is edited the statement will be more vibrant. This side should be checked in future.

Overall the presentation of such a positive drama to the spectator deserves a warm thanks and greeting for the director Sangram Guha and Spandan.