Playing it right

BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO

As a child, Meena Goes enjoyed watching all the tiatrs staged in her idyllic village of Loutolim in South Goa. Cut to the present, the 27-year-old is emerging as one of the better-known faces of the Konkani stage after making her foray into commercial tiatrs eight years ago.

Her journey to the world on stage began when she contacted well-known tiatrist and director, Sharon Mazarello evincing her keen interest to be a part of the industry as an actress. She thereby enrolled in Mazarello’s Theatre Art Cultural Training (TACT) Institute for a three-month theatre course which she completed in October 2009 and there has been no looking back since.

A few months after her course, on the recommendation of Mazarello, Goes was introduced into mainstream tiatrs with Milagres de Chandor’s Friendship Day in 2010. In her debut tiatr, she essayed a small role of accompanying friends. “The tiatrists helped me on how to enact my role, how to talk,” Goes graciously reflects. The next opportunity came her way with director Jack Rodson’s Konnuch Noko where she seamlessly fitted into a small role earlier enacted by Antonette de Maina. Though in her first two tiatrs she enacted minor roles, Goes gave enough indication that she was cut for the bigger picture. It was not long after that she was rewarded, with the tiatrist community referring her to act in Pascoal de Chicalim’s tiatr, Pojisanv wherein she got a lead role. In the tiatr, she essayed a negative shade, something she got used to in most of her ensuing dramas. “For the role, I prepared myself by going through the script. If I was not up to the mark, the director, and also Gaby showed me how I should portray myself in the given character,” she revealed.

She has subsequently acted in other tiatrs like Tich Ek Ostori, Strike, Aatm Rodta Kiteak, Life Time Award, Apurbaieche Dogh Khambe, Man of God, Saibinn, Ghutt, Kevpachim Bavli Nhoi, Nimnno Tum,Mollob, Munisponn Ani Devosponn and is currently seen in Porzoll directed by John D’ Silva and To MhojeaMogacho directed by Kissan De Chinchinim. Of all the tiatrs she has essayed roles in, two of them Man of God by Calado De Verna and Munisponn Ani Devosponn have been Lenten plays. While primarily an actress, Goes is no less a singer and rendered her vocal chords to caants, solo, duet, trio, quartet, choral to even a comedy song in some of her staged plays. In one of her early commercial tiatrs, Pojisanv she divulges that it was earlier staged in competition category at Kala Academy, Panaji. She also adds that she did another competition tiatr, Aamar Sawanth’s Khorencho Mog To Kudd’ddo.

Over the span of her career, she has worked with directors like Milagres de Chandor, Jack Rodson, Kissan de Chinchinim, Com. Agostinho, Vilton Coutinho, Com. Ambe, Rafael de Margao, Calado de Verna, John Dsilva, Mini Mario, Pio de Cortalim and Cruz Pinto.  

And while she loves essaying different kind of roles, negative roles especially, are her jam. It may sound strange but for Goes, it is music to her ears when the audience speaks ill about her. “It indicates that I am doing well on stage and it is their way of showing appreciation,” she explains.

She has however measured well to adaptability as realized in the November 2017 release of Pio de Cortalim’s Nimnno Tum wherein she played a role of a Gujarati girl and did justice to the script in her dress sense, mannerisms and way of talking.

And it will not be long before her fans see the actress essay a different character altogether on stage.Early May, the tiatr audience will see the talented actress in a different light with the release of Valencio de Colva’s Giddh 2. “For the very first time, I will be doing a comedy role. Initially, I was a bit confused on how to do this. But it was the director who has much hope in me that I will be able to do it and has full confidence I will do it well,” the unassuming actress revealed. She has another show by end May by Francis de Dicarpale which is untitled for now.

Recognition of her acting abilities came last year at the TAG’s 8th Popular Tiatr Competition where she won the Best Upcoming Artiste Award for Com. Ambe’s tiatr, Life Time Award.

Her two cents to aspiring tiatrists is as simple as her nature. “Those interested to come up in this field should not hesitate to approach other artistes for their guidance,” says Goes, who has also featured in two VCD’s, Wanted by Mathew Araujo and Desak Betoi by Sammy Tavares.

While she may not be a full-time tiatrist, she has been able to juggle her profession as a beautician with her rehearsals and shows with the encouraging support of her employer.