Ariel: Played by Naomi Menon

Ariel: A brutal and violent detective who is against anyone who harms children because of abuse during her own childhood.

In this production of The Pillowman, we’re doing things differently. Ariel is a character written to be played by a man; however, there isn’t a doubt that Naomi Menon fits the character perfectly!

Naomi is currently doing her masters in Christ University in Bangalore. She has been acting in theatre since she was eight. She has been a part of many plays since then. Naomi has been a member of the Renegade Arts and Theatre Society since its initiation in 2006. Since then she has been a part of several productions with the group including Kamala (2006), Unsuni (2007) and Bang Bang you're Dead! (2008).

  

In 2011, Naomi, along with the other group members came together with the idea to produce another play, they had several options and The Pillowman won the vote! This play really goes beyond anything RATS has done in the past. However, we are still doing the play for a good cause, like we always have. We are supporting a non-profit organisation called Stree Jagruti Samiti, which is a woman’s rights organisation.

  

In addition to being a part of the cast, Naomi is also incharge of sponsorship. In the interview below she talks about theatre, her character andthe sponsorship process.

  

The play The Pillowman will be held at Alliance Francaise on the 20^th, 21^st and 22^nd April. Tickets will be available shortly.

Interview with Geeta Menon

Stree Jagruti Samiti, and the Renegade Arts and Theatre Society first came together for the production of the play Kamala in 2006. Kamala, a plab by Vijay Tendulkar, is a naturalistic play based on the trafficking of women and the response of society to this issue. Funds raised by the play were used to support Stree Jagruti Samiti.

Geeta Menon is one of the founding members of the Stree Jagruti Samiti, an organization working for the rights of the unorganized sector. They strive to bring in labour rights like fair wages, dignified treatment, paid vacation, medical, social security benefits for domestic workers.

The Renegade Arts and Theatre Society is again partnering with Stree Jagruti Samiti for the production of The Pillowman. The funds generated from the production of The Pillowman, will be forwarded to the organisation. They will be concentrated on two women suffering from cancer who are unable to meet the financial demands of their illness.

In this video, Geeta Menon talks about her organization, her association with the Renegade Arts and Theatre Society and the great need for respect in our community.

The Little Jesus

Thought to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Little Jesus Girl could be one of the most controversial characters to be seen on a theatre stage. Playing this character cannot be an easy task. Yet, Minal Sukumar, one of our youngest actresses, seems to be fearlessly taking on the challenge.

Minal plays two characters from the stories written by Katurian, the protaginist of the play. The first one is The Little Jesus and the second is the Little Green Pig. Both the stories are on extreme ends of the narrative divide and are crucial elements leading up to the finale of the play. The story,The little Jesus is about a little girl who believes she is the second coming of Jesus Christ and who is ill-treated by her foster parents for this reason.

This story may be interpreted in several different ways; the theme of child abuse and the right to free speech are prominent in the play,and are magnified in the dramatic representation of The Little Jesus.

In the video below, Minal talks about how it feels to be the youngest member of the group, what her role is about and the complexities of it. Director, Siddarth Selvaraj, introduces Minal.