Watch an 18th century two-act opera by Mozart being recreated with puppets, this weekend
On her summer vacation to Vienna in Austria, Charu Prasad (46), founder of Iris Creative Education, got to watch a lot of opera performances. Opera is a part of the school curriculum there and a popular hobby. Prasad’s organisation conducts workshops for children and she hit upon the idea of hosting a marionette (puppet worked with strings) opera in Mumbai.
“I thought it would be a good way to introduce children to Western classical compositions,” says Prasad, adding, “Children, who are exposed to good music at a young age, can grow up to be attuned to the arts.”
The play she chose to adapt was The Magic Flute, a two-act opera which was Mozart’s last work. It premiered in 1791 and was such a success that it was performed over a 100 times that year. The Magic Flute alternates musical numbers with spoken dialogue, a style called ‘singspiel’. A fairytale, the story revolves around a prince and his friend who embark on a journey to rescue a damsel in distress. The one-hour show has 15 characters and Prasad has been working on the play for the last four months.
Prasad, a company secretary by profession, and originally from Gurgaon, pursued a module on puppetry at The Tridha Rudolf Steiner School while looking for a good school for her daughter in Mumbai. She believes that puppets can be a good way of imparting alternative education to children.
{{/usCountry}}Prasad, a company secretary by profession, and originally from Gurgaon, pursued a module on puppetry at The Tridha Rudolf Steiner School while looking for a good school for her daughter in Mumbai. She believes that puppets can be a good way of imparting alternative education to children.
{{/usCountry}}The backdrops and puppets are made by Prasad and her team by painting on canvas and using pure silk or cotton cloth respectively. A characteristic of the puppets is that they don’t have any facial expressions or features (no eye, nose, etc). “If you draw an eye on a puppet, their expression gets fixed. I wanted to keep the expression of the puppet neutral to help children use their imagination,” she says.
Her previous puppet plays have been on the Norwegian fairy tale – East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Prasad prefers fairy tales as she feels that they appeal to a diverse audience and can be inspirational.
Prasad is now working on a script where puppets are used for sex education in schools. “No one is embarrassed to ask questions to a puppet and it makes even boring sessions lively,” she says.
The Magic Flute will be staged on December 17, 5pm onwardsAt Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point Call 3989 5050Tickets: Rs 350