“Once upon a time…”

“Once upon a time…”
Children and family show

22 February 2013, 5.00pm
@ Jubilee Hall, Renewal Centre, Azad Road, Kaloor

Alliance Française de Trivandrum will present a children and family show: , “Once upon a time…” by Layam Cultural Events and Training” with Françoise Calvel and Abhija Sivakala
at Jubilee Hall, Renewal Centre, Azad Road, Kaloor on 22 February 2013, 5.00 pm.
Entry is free.

The story of “Once upon a time…” is a very free adaptation of the well known and well loved tale of ” The Sleeping Beauty “.
However, even if the story and the frame are identical, the characters, themselves, are completely original. Freely inspired by the characters of the Commedia dell’arte courtesy Françoise Calvel. The heroes turn into anti-heroes, with their vices and their virtues and hold up an effective mirror to the spectators.
The text was completely created in English to allow the comedians the freedom to interpret it to suit their individual artistic capabilities.
The techniques of theater used here are: the mask of the Commedia dell’arte, clown, the puppet, the dressed up play, martial art of kalaripayat , dance forms like kathak, pantomime andmusic.
There will be two comediennes on the set who will interpret 14 characters.
Both comediennes will work with a master of Kalaripayattu to settle the various fights, and the whole show will use a musical directory vibrant with a very wide selection of classical international contemporary music.
The music of ” Once upon a time ” is an integral part of the creation of the text, it gives rhythm to the show, supports the feelings and highlights the dramatic play.
Costumes are entirely created for the show, in correspondence with certain puppets, conceived specifically for the event. .
The costumes are meant strong colors, full of tricks, and echoing the different characters.
The style is a basic costume of the eighteenth century, with modern anachronisms that lend the characters certain timelessness.This costume idea is widely used today in performances of Commedia dell’arte, so
that “yesterday” fades in to “today”, without unnecessarily creating, a fantasy setting. In scenes where shades of Fantasy are essentially “black and white” is used to activate this effect.

The direction is filled with color, cheer and rhythm, so that the spectator is captivated by the
story and his imagination reigns to arrest perhaps fleetingly the reality around him.

Françoise Calvel took to professional shows in 1988, in Strasbourg, after a sound training from 1981 in drama, at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, TJP and A. R.T.U.S. (university troupe).
Since then she has continued to develop the work of mask, clown, physical expression, contemporary
dance, the Commedia dell’arte, theatrical fencing and Kathakali.
She has worked as an actor and director with “Confluence Théâtre,” “Les Comédiens Associés”, “Pois de
Senteur”, “Pirouette Circus” in classical performances for children, street theatre, and aisles touring
throughout France.

Abhija Sivakala has a degree in applied arts from the College of Fine Arts Trivandrum. In 2002,
she began her career as an animator at Amrita Viswa designer VidyaPeetam, Coimbatore and
Bangalore as an animator graphic designer until 2009.
She studied Indian classical dance Kathak, Odissi, Indian folk dances and contemporary
dance.
In 2010, she worked with the Centre for Research in the Company “Abhinaya” to act in their
play Macbeth, for the lead role of Lady Macbeth. She has also worked with Elias Cohen, Chilean
director in various projects in particular “Las Indias”.