Arts
“Every story this evening happened’
The Grassrooted Trust’s ‘V Day 2016: Tenderness’, presented a chilling message on gender based violence in the group’s own distinctive way.
“She said yes”
As always, we have no message for you. We’re just holding up a mirror. Every story this evening is true. Every story this evening happened. Think about what our response should be. Laugh at how ridiculous our reality can be.’
With this rather unconventional beginning, the Grassrooted Trust’s ‘V Day 2016: Tenderness’ performance on April 1 at Barefoot Cafe began. One might wonder at this opening if they were unaccustomed to previous Grassrooted performances, but this in fact is the usual Grassrooted style – no nonsense and to the point. Everything about the performance was quite simple and direct. The different stories presented were delivered in an almost conversational tone, accentuating the message – the fact that it could have been your sister, your wife or your daughter – and also that for some, this is what they call reality.
This year’s V-Day performance was presented in partnership with Women in Need and directed by Jith Peiris and Hans Billimoria. Women in Need has been working closely with women and children subject to violence for the past 25 years, while the Grassrooted Trust is an organization which focuses on HIV awareness, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and gender-based violence and related issues. This series of performances usually revolves around several themes and this year all the acts were based on violence against women.
First off in the line-up was ‘The Daddy Reprisal’. Described as a ‘mad incestuous dance’, this act was a story of three separate cases of incest as told from the point of view of three fathers and also their three daughters. Dominic and Amaaya, Danu and Salome and Anuruddha and Uda portrayed the father-daughter duos. While the men explained their actions in a calm and collected manner for the most part, their daughters’ accounts of abuse at the hands of someone so close to them were emotional and heartbreaking. What was even more chilling was the way in which the fathers continued chatting over a beer after the discussion.
“Forgive-me-nots”
Next up was Sashini’s ‘Happy New Year’ monologue of how her abusive husband drove her to the point of homicide. ‘Dance, Ponnaya, Dance’ was an account of how the police abuse transgender women and was brought out in the form of dance. Indu Dharmasena’s ‘Kurunduwatta Boba’ brought out the hypocrisy of Sri Lankan society, while ‘She said yes’ was a moving account of how sometimes people find the lines between rape and consent blurry. In it, Dino’s character represents the mindset of certain males who take advantage of women who are intoxicated and vulnerable. Dharini’s portrayal of a confused young woman who had too much too drink and cannot decide if she was raped or not was quite moving, and highlighted the many perceived ambiguities of rape. Michelle’s monologue in ‘A ghost infested crotch’ related a story which could happen to anyone – a harsh reality which almost every woman lives in fear of. Hers was the account of a woman who was gang raped and then abused at the hands of the very policemen whom she went to, to report the crime. Her final words ‘Too brutal doesn’t mean less true’ also sends a message to a society which sometimes prefers to close their eyes to everyday realities and pretend that they do not take place.
‘Forgive-me-nots’ reminded the audience that even the clergy are not always blameless. Gehan’s character threatens to harm his wife should she tell anyone about the abuse and one wrong move on her part leads him to more abuse. In the end, the epilogue of the story comes on screen – ‘she forgives him and goes back to him’, and then, in place of a reaction comes what is arguably the most common phrase used by Sri Lankans – ‘What to do?’
This year’s V-Day performance asked its audience to laugh at how absurd reality can be – bringing out the uncomfortable truths and many contradictions in the Lankan perspective on gender-based violence. Can attitudes be changed? The Grassrooted Trust has made it their mission to do so.
“Happy New Year”
“The Daddy Reprisal”. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara