KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Make sure you enter the Shilpee theatre with a curious mind because the play ‘The Ants Rolling on a Ping Pong Ball’ is certain to raise numerous questions. Directed by Dutch playwright Lima Rood, the play is an adaptation of the one-act play by Austrian dramatist Peter Handke.
The play is based on the theory of absurdism which is a philosophy based on the belief that the existence is irrational and meaningless and that the search for order brings the individual into conflict with the universe.
As suggested by the title itself, the essence of the play highlights the emptiness of life. Unlike every other drama, it dismantles the elements that are supposedly required in the making of any play with the presence of props, costumes and effective plotline. Otherwise, a silent play, the musical pieces performed by some of the characters adds originality to the performance. Absurdism, although just an experiment in Nepali theaters, managed to express the concept of the play through sharp emotions, irony, and metaphors.
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Those familiar with the theory of absurdism are likely to have a vivid idea of what the play is trying to portray. However, to the rest, the entire show is a hard nut to crack. Meanwhile, some scenes draw close connections with Samuel Beckett’s one-act play ‘Krapp's Last Tape’. Wandering around back and forth, chomping on a banana without purpose and carrying out some action repetitively are some instances that portray the purposelessness of human life.
“In this play, we talk about subjects such as gender, the suppression of women, homosexuality, patience, love, and hate. I wanted to bring something different to theaters in Nepal. We start the play from a street and slowly move into the different stories of diverse people,” wrote director Rood in a leaflet distributed to viewers.
“The performance is a bit different from what spectators are used to seeing. What we will be showing is a different way of perceiving human being,” wrote acting coach and dramaturge, Carlijn Van Straten.
“With the players, we have tried to disclose the chaos existing in the urban world and the identity crisis that people from different walks of life seem to go through in their daily lives,” said play production controller, Ghimire Yubaraj.
‘The Ants Rolling on a Ping Pong Ball’ is scheduled to be put on display until October 6, at 5:30 pm, in Shilpee Theater, Battisputali.
