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Soliloquy
with dramatic flexibility Camus' The Outsider was a text I read in University and so I went to see Mark Amera-singhe's presentation of the novel as a dramatic monologue, with curious anticipation. The monologue comprised two acts, in the first of which, the action takes place in the courtroom. Here in his closing, the public prosecutor reminds the jury of Mersault's calculated moves which culminate with the murder of the Arab (for which Mersault has been indicted), thereby justifying handing Mersault the death sentence. In Act Two, in death-row, Mersault reminisces about the events that led to his arrest, trial and his experiences in jail. Does the script do justice to the novel? Yes. Both acts covered the main events and turning-points of The Outsider. Yet, the audience was not subjected to a monotonous soliloquy , that merely delivered the details in a logical sequence. True to the novel, the script was focused, yet agile enough to give the actor the flexibility to act the part - thus ensuring that the performance as a whole was convincing. For instance, (addressing the audience as the jury) the prosecutor's insensitive and callous impression of Mersault, is built up in a vivid manner. While maintaining an economy of words, the tone would be cynical at the defendant's explanation for taking the Arab's life (the "blazing sun" did him in), then unrelenting at his behaviour at his mother's funeral (smoking at such a time). The script ensured that the temperament of the monologue varied; the prosecutor would be derisive about Mersault's irresponsible actions, then decisive and passionate, calling for the death sentence. In Act Two, in a more laid-back atmosphere, Mersault muses over his life - which one can assume to be the rebuttal. In contrast to the preceding act, the language is far more descriptive; as in his recount of the tedious bus ride to his mother's funeral and his intimacy with Marie, which Mersault expresses quite amorously. The actor's lazy postures on the bunk and sustained tone of composure, further complemented the descriptive narrative of the Act. To the writer, this was the factor that so effectively captured the surrealistic mood and feeling, of the novel. At times, listening to Mersault felt almost unbelievable and beyond the control of reason. So was it dramatically effective? To a large extent it was. The prosecutor could have been more compulsive by playing more to the audience/jury, by perhaps picking a person or two, to direct comments. The occasional remark to the illusionary defendant standing on the dock, and the defence, provided variety to the intense act. Mersault's dream-like demeanour, was an effective rebuttal. He soliloquised with neither regret nor remorse. The acting created such a surreal impact, that the writer was caught between empathising and loathing Mersault. Frequently the actor kept wrapping himself up in his court robe, which gave the impression that he was not all that comfortable in it, and this tended to be distracting. The black wig worn in the second act did not cover the actor's hair, and this looked odd. Thus a little more attention to costumes and props is suggested, especially because anything out of sync is easily noted, given the close proximity of the actor and the actor's space (rather than set). In contrast to the musicals and dramas produced by the local English theatre, dramatic monologues are a rarity. To adapt a novel to a monologue, more especially of the genre of surreal literature, demands an excellent understanding of the text. Whilst the adaptation should provide the novel's key events - without becoming a trifle boring - it will surely only sustain the audience's attention, if there is effective acting. Mark Amerasinghe achieved all of the above. The writer recommends you go for his next monologue. Fragments
of transient reality But the current
works differ in several important aspects: they are more mute, passionate
and involved. In other words, Pushpakumara's current works are more
'chaotic' than before. The inevitable chaos that permeates and infiltrates
one's life at 'crucial moments' fashioned and constructed by one's
own aspirations and desires in life on the one hand and cultural
and social constraints on such desires and aspirations on the other,
have become the 'subject matter' or the 'sites of exploration and
construction' for Pushpakumara. The best of Pushpakumara's works
in this show present a pictorial environment made of emotionally
charged fragments betraying libidinous sentiments. As such most
of the works present themselves as sketchy notes of the artist's
private fantasies consisting of imagined events and fragmented mental
images about a transient reality both desired and undesired. |
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