Aw, So Sad!, a solo piece, written, directed, and performed by Tanvi Lehr Sonigra, first opened in July — pride month — at Mumbai’s Veda Factory. Presented by Ek Tappi Studios, a performance collective, it tells the story of a queer artist in her Mumbai apartment. Her life and the underlying sadness are what gives the play its name. For all practical purposes, the piece is a dark comedy. However, it veers towards the dark more often than the humour.
The stage is largely bare, save for a sculpted saxophone, a masterfully crafted prop central to the young woman’s existence and the apartment. It is large, presumably representing the smallness of the Mumbai studio that the artist inhabits. The apartment is cluttered but we don’t see a lot of it.
Real, raw, and deeply felt
Sonigra breaks the fourth wall right at the beginning and the piece addresses the audience directly through its runtime. It is a brave choice both as a writer and performer. There are no literary vehicles or characters to lean on. If they spring up, Sonigra conjures up the body language and voices them herself.
However, she chooses to imagine her audience even when conversing with them. She makes eye contact but takes a step back at every interactive possibility. That Sonigra is a gifted performer is a discovery you make early. She uses physicality to fill up the bare stage and holds the audience’s attention for a large part of the first half. She can sing, dance, do voices, and use the musical instrument prop like a professional.
Aw, So Sad! tells her story as a queer saxophonist in all its glory. There are the struggles of making a living as an artist in a city like Mumbai — the lack of space, and the relationships that come with it. A crow perched at the window interjects Sonigra’s monologue often. She converses with the crow and while jarring at first, you slowly learn to make peace with the high-octave sounds.
Aw, So Sad! is real, raw, and deeply felt. Sonigra has poured her heart out in the writing and the performance. It follows a non-linear path and we go back and forth into the life of the 25-year-old. There are a few strong themes that emerge, and one of them is the #MeToo movement and its impact on the creative industry. She (the saxophonist) recounts an incident in her own life involving the violation of consent by a Sufi musician.
The GenZ perspective
Sonigra’s treatment of sexual abuse is extremely nuanced. She speaks about consent and what constitutes it while also dipping into the nitty-gritty of complaints, the Vishakha guidelines, POSH, and redressal. She delves into its complexities when involving others, especially a corporate entity. Who does one choose to believe? What does fame have to do with sexual harassment? These are the questions central to the sub-plot.
A series of phone calls with a member of a POSH Committee provides the audience with a glimpse of their workings in a corporate company. There is some sharp and relatable writing in there. It makes you think about the vulnerabilities of female artists without adequate frameworks for protection and redressal. It reminds you of all those names from the #MeToo movement and the speedy rehabilitation of the accused. It deftly points fingers at those cozying up to the accused on the pretext of a fair hearing.
Sonigra’s Aw, So Sad! has a lot going for it and the original writing, with its unabashed Gen Z perspective, is at the heart of it. It has her unmistakable voice given to moments of laughter amid morbid, often disturbing, details of a difficult life.
A fragmented narrative
But, Aw, So Sad! doesn’t know where to stop. It takes on the arduous task of depicting multiple themes in a single play and tends to lose grip. For the second half, fatigue sets in the performer and the audience. While the nuance of the writing remains, the audience’s attention drops.
The devised piece also feels repetitive at this stage, and one wants the story to move swiftly without the earlier distractions of the crow and the music. The piece works in parts but lacks cohesion to make a lasting impact. It’s a struggle to remember its chronology and only a few lines stay with you; the POSH discussions are chief among them.
Aw, So Sad! also appears fragmented in its narrative. It makes difficult dramaturgical choices that don’t always pay off. A scene where Sonigra raps and dances, seemingly losing control over her life, is executed with the finesse of an experienced performer but feels misplaced.
Despite its pitfalls, Aw, So Sad! is worth a watch for its freshness and nuance. It is also a play that may evolve from these early shows to tell its important story more engagingly. In the contemporary theatre world, with incessant dialogue about the lack of original writing, voices like Sonigra’s deserve attention.
Aw, So sad! will have more shows in September. Dates are to be announced.
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