Chitra’s Setting and Its Importance
In the play Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore, the stage directions have been omitted on purpose according to Tagore’s wishes if the play were to ever be put into print. The setting is very minimal which is noted at the beginning of the play when the editor says, “The dramatic poem “Chitra” has been performed in India without scenery–the actors being surrounded by the audience” (4). With this type of play, I think it would be beneficial to create a vast, beautiful setting as described by the characters thoughts and what they say during the play. Making this shorter play into a movie would also create a bigger audience and give more room for creativity. By doing these two things the Western audience would have a better understanding of the meaning of the play and it would create a wider viewing area so the play would become more visible in the drama world.(I will mainly talk about the setting as if it was being directed on a stage, but I will add in parts about directing a movie as well).
Since Tagore opted for no stage directions, there is no exact setting mentioned in the preface to Scene I. In Arjuna’s character description, the reader finds that he is of “”warrior caste,” and during the action is living as a Hermit retired in the forest.” (3) Having no specific setting can change a play drastically but it also has no limitations on what a director can do with the play to make it more entertaining. Going through the play scene by scene, the setting can be changed many times from a lavish forest or a sparkling river to a place in the sky where humans can meet and talk to their gods.
Scene I starts with Chitra speaking with two gods, Madana and Vasanta to which no setting is clear because the characters do not give a description in their dialogue. For this scene, I would create a stage with colorful blue, pink, yellow, and white clouds completely covering the floor. Madana and Vasanta would be walking together towards the center of the stage and Chitra would meet them halfway, speaking her first line as both parties stop in the middle. There would be a background screen showing the different seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter at a very fast pace. The background represents Vasanta who is “Lord of the Seasons” and the year that Chitra has to be beautiful. The clouds give a depth to the meaning that Madana and Vasanta are not mortal and they represent Madana who is “Lord of Love.” The clouds and the background would help the Western audience understand that the gods are not human and the setting is not on Earth.
Scene II begins with Arjuana saying, “Was I dreaming or was what I saw by the lake truly there?” (11). In this scene, I would re-create as realistic a lake as I could on a stage. Putting grass around the stage would be pertinent because I think that it would make the beauty of the new Chitra stand out while it reflected on the lake. The lake would be made of mirrors since Arjuna says, “She bowed herself above the shining mirror of the lake and saw the reflection of her face,” (11). The mirrors could show the reflection perfectly and in turn, the audience would know that the play was about self confidence. The grass would reflect in the mirror lake as well and create a beautiful scene which would represent Chitra’s transformation from a woman who was boyish, to a very feminine figure. This scene feels as if it takes place in the late afternoon as the sky turns to dusk so on the background screen I would have a sun slowly setting as Chitra and Arjuna spoke with each other to show the passing of time. The scene ends with a bit of a fight between the two, so I would have the stage darken to show the feelings between Chitra and the man she is in love with.
Scene III has Chitra speaking with the gods again, so I would bring back the scenery from scene I, but I would have fire on the background screen to emphasis Chitra’s anger toward her own decision to become beautiful. Chitra says, “Ah, god of love, what fearful flame is this with which thou hast enveloped me!” (19). The vast array of clouds from scene I would be included, but the stage would be a bit darker as to downcast them so the focus would be on the fire in the background. Also, in scene III, Chitra describes what happened the previous night with Arjuna which is very important. If this were a movie instead of a play I would have the actors re-create this scene before scene III actually happened so the audience could see the relationship between Chitra and Arjuna forming. By showing this scene it would also help the audience understand the passing of time.
Scene IV beings with Arjuna and Chitra sitting together and Chitra is weaving a garland. I would make the garland full of beautiful flowers such as white lilies and pink roses to reinforce Chitra’s newfound beauty as well as her innocence (the white lilies) and her feminine features (pink roses). I would keep the setting the same as in scene II because of the lake and its beauty and the grass would contrast well with the garland. At the end of the scene, prayer bells begin to ring, so to show that the scene was ending, I would dim the lights and sound prayer bells to cast a bit of an eerie effect on the audience to keep their attention.
Scene V is extremely short with just a few lines between Madana and Vasanta. For this scene, I would have the actors of the two gods on the stage, but the stage would be completely blackened so only the outlines of the figures could be seen. This would keep with the eerie effect at the end of scene IV and also add to the effect that these two are not mortal and they are a step above humans. Time has been fleeting and soon the year of Chitra’s beauty will be up. To emphasize this, I will have a clock on the background screen with the hands moving very fast after the gods have spoken to show the Western audience that the play isn’t in the span of just a few days, but a whole year.
Scene VI is another scene with Chitra and Arjuna speaking to one another. It is a shorter scene, so I would keep the stage clear of most items and use the background screen for effect. On the screen I would have pictures of flowers blooming then dying because of the lines that Chitra says at the end of the scene involving the death of flowers. The stage would be dimly lit and only the actors and background screen would be visible so the audience would focus on the dialogue which is very important in this particular part of the play.
Scene VII are the gods and Chitra talking about how her beauty will be ending that night. The stage will remain dimly lit and the gods will be on ladders, only their outlines visible to the audience. Chitra will be below them on her knees begging for her beauty while a moon is present in the background. A spotlight will remain on Chitra encasing her beauty to the audience and letting it radiate because it is her last night.
Scene VIII is when Arjuna meets the villagers so I would have a path of stone on the stage with grass surrounding it where the villagers and Arjuna meet on the path and have their discussion. Chitra and Arjuna would then be sitting together after a quick scenery change in a tent where they discuss that he will not be with her that night. I would have a spotlight on the tent so the audience focuses on the couple and what they are saying, but they won’t be able to see the couple speaking; they will only be able to hear them. As he leaves her from the tent the stage grows dark and Chitra weeps.
Scene IX ends the play and is important because the audience finds out that Arjuna accepts Chitra as she is because she is a great leader and he finds her beautiful anyway. Arjuna and Chitra would be standing on the stage with no props and just a few lights so the audience can make out the actors. They would say their lines and the background would change to clouds floating in a blue sky to create a sense of calm and serenity for the audience to show acceptance and love.
The staging that I have created for the drama Chitra is important to the understanding of the Western viewing audience so they can perceive the moral of the story much easier. With more scenery and props used as well as a background screen it helps viewers who aren’t familiar with Indian culture and traditions incorporate the meaning into their culture. Every culture has women who think like Chitra; as if they aren’t good enough for the person they love. This play shows that no matter what your culture is, you are not alone and staging can help enforce this concept.
Works Cited
Tagore, Rabindranath. “Chitra a Play in One Act by Rabindranath Tagore.” Scribd. Market Thing. Web. 01 Apr. 2011. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/44894003/Chitra-a-Play-in-One-Act-by-Rabindranath-Tagore>.
