Theatrical drama for the Tibetans has definitely come of age. The President of Ladakh Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Tsering Wangchuk Zamar thinks they have something new to offer to the audience this time. “We won’t be using the curtain to change scenes, instead we are relying heavily on hard hitting dialogues,” Tsering told this reporter just before their performance. Jimpa Tsering who is heading the Gangtok troupe also believes their strength lay in the dialogue rather than on the physical gestures and stage settings.
The three stories, which lasted for more than three hours, treaded on a common theme: The human rights situation in Tibet. The Gangtok troupe had a story of a family in Lhasa who makes risky attempts to create awareness about the eleventh Panchen Lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Poanta group, on the other hand presented the real life story of the courageous Sonam Wangdue, who died in 1999 as a direct result of torture and years of imprisonment. And the team from Ladakh related the story of five young men who end up together in one prison after taking part in the 1987 Lhasa demonstration.
Pulling out a successful show, which will be appreciated wholeheartedly by the audience, does not come without a bit of homework. Calling their story factual and based entirely on the books published by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, the Ladakh president declares there were long hours of research work involved in bringing the actual situation of Tibet on the stage. Likewise, Sonam Tsering of Poanta also explains enthusiastically how the real life story of Sonam Wangdue deserves staging considering the sacrifices he has made for our nation. “We want the message of the Tibetans in Tibet to go across clearly to the exiled Tibetans,” Sonam Tsering explained.
The drama competition organized every year by the Tibetan Youth Congress to an extent opens a window in understanding the changing Tibetan society. Picking up more recent events and showcasing a more professional approach to theatrical drama, the Tibetan dramatists these days promise to the audience a show of both money and heart’s worth. The classic Tibetan approach of staging a melodramatic and high-intensity emotion laden presentation has been replaced by a more subtle and creative way of story telling. This time, the group from Ladakh digs into the heart of the matter with their often-impressive exchange of dialogues. Such a shift has also been recently seen in the stories enacted by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). A shift that can be described as the harbinger for the Tibetan drama repertoires opening up to the world audience in near future.
Downplaying the importance of winning, the three teams remarked in one voice that it is more important to let the audience get a better grasp of the sufferings of the brave Tibetans. And equally so, the judges had a difficult time choosing the best drama. Nonetheless, after three hours of emotional roller coaster ride, the decisions were made and winning by a small margin, the Gangtok troupe retained its lead this time again. Concealing no pretense, the viewers were sincere in their assessment as they left the hall with positive comments on all the three dramas.
