“Chora ! Chora !” is an Odia adaptation of the renowned Italian playwright and Nobel Laureate Dario Fo’s one-act play “The Virtuous Burglar.” Joe Farrell carried out the English adaptation, while the Odia adaptation was done by the renowned Odia poet and fiction writer Shakti Mohanty. This less-than-one-hour play is directed by veteran Odia actor and director Choudhury Jayaprakash Das.
The drama is produced by the Bhubaneswar-based theatre group ‘Bharatputra’, with support from the Odisha Sangeet Natak Academy and Odisha Natyasangha staged at Bhanjakalamandap Auditorium on 1st june 2024.
The stage lights up, and we see a burglar creeping into a house at night, his eyes glinting with mischief. As he attempts to steal valuables, the owner of the house, a renowned lawyer, unexpectedly returns with his mistress. The burglar finds himself in a precarious situation, hiding and listening to their private conversation. To his surprise, their dialogue reveals the lawyer’s infidelity, setting the stage for a series of hilarious misunderstandings. The situation quickly escalates into a comedy of errors when more characters unexpectedly arrive at the house.
The burglar’s initial goal of stealing is interrupted by the arrival of the house owner and his girlfriend. He hides behind a huge wall clock and is drawn into their personal drama. As more people enter the scene —each with their own secrets— including the wife and other unexpected visitors, misunderstandings and mistaken identities lead to a series of humorous and increasingly absurd situations. The burglar’s presence inadvertently exposes the owner’s infidelity. The characters’ attempts to maintain their facades and cover up their indiscretions add to the comedic tension.
In classic farcical style, the play builds to a climax where secrets are revealed, and the characters must confront the reality of their actions. The burglar, despite his initial intention to rob the house, finds himself entangled in the chaotic unraveling of domestic deceit.
The play highlights the hypocrisy of the seemingly virtuous, showing how those who present themselves as upstanding often have hidden flaws and secrets. Through humor and farce, author critiques societal norms and the superficial nature of respectability.
Chora! Chora! is a clever and entertaining play that uses humor to dissect human nature and societal pretensions. Through a series of comic misadventures, the playwright masterfully exposes the duplicity and folly of his characters, ultimately inviting the audience to reflect on the deeper truths behind the laughter.
The forty-five-minute production was smooth and captured the attention of the audience. The actors performed their parts honestly with vigorous body language. Although the farcical body language and dialogue delivery were slightly loud at times, and there were some minor flaws, these can be rectified in future productions. Within the small space of Bhanja Kalamandap, the stage craft dominated and overpowered the stage, leaving little breathing space for the spontaneous movements of the actors’ actions and choreography. Tightening the dialogue delivery and action trimmed ten to fifteen minutes of the production, which could have stretch to one hour.
Shakti Mohanty’s translation makes the play feel like an authentic Odia production. He captures the nuances of Odia humor and writes dialogues accordingly, doing a fantastic job. Director Jayaprakash mentioned at the end of the play that during the general election, it was difficult to arrange actors, and with limited financial support from the government, producing the envisioned play was challenging. Despite these obstacles, Chora Chora is a successful production in every aspect. Theatre is a composite art, and success must be shared with all contributors.
