hmmm.. some good points

Indi – thanks for both posts.

Criticus called it ‘reductionism’, and you call it naive – but I think I can safely say I speak for the entire cast and Director when I say that we do firmly believe that war is always bad, without exception – and if this is naive or reductionism, well then, so be it. That is a fundamental belief that I know we all harbour and we have nothing to be ashamed of in believing so, I think.

Yes, we may have seemed to be simplifying and trivializing the facts that sometimes seem to complex and complicated. But everyone knows the situation, everyone knows most of the facts. Everyone understands how fragile and complicated the situation is. But we wanted to go back to the basics. We attempted to lay the facts out straight and simple, to show you actually how simple the truth is, how basic – and how the solution too could be as simple as forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance of differences – and if that is naive, then so be that, too. In reality, life is mostly painfully simple – problems are, as are solutions, I think, it just may be that we prefer to not see this precisely because of how glaringly simple and obvious it is – because then we’d have to DO something about it. The facts are simple, yes – innocent people get caught in crossfires, they don’t care about who’s who or who’s doing what. Their homes get bombed, they need to run, watch their families die and then go to camps. In camps, they are under military control and are treated with mistrust and suspicion, but they can’t go back home because it’s not safe, so they have to stay. Unfortunately, innocent people will always suffer in a war – that is a fact, pure and yes, simple.

We tried to show you the facts without the politics – without the agenda. Our story was about normal people and what happens to them – it was not about politics. In fact, we tried to depict how simple it all is – and can be, when you strip things down to the bare reality, when you take away the fancy words, the political talk and the misleading untruths. And maybe the solution too can be that simple – it can be as simple as accepting our differences, tolerating each other, caring for each other and saying ‘sorry’. In a time when we are caught up with different view points, different propaganda and different political agendas being flung at us from all sides, and when it can be hard to make up our own minds or to know what is actually going on – we thought we’d remind everyone of the facts. We thought we’d remind everyone of what happens to normal people – and that it happens no matter what, that it is as inevitable as it is real – and that no amount of politics or viewpoint can change the nature of what happens to innocent people caught in a crossfire.

And of course our story may have been one-sided. This is a multi-faceted situation with many different sides to it. We chose to shed light on the least talked about side. I think many of the other sides are fairly well represented in the day-to-day media and through various very large cut-outs. I think they’ve got that under control. So we told a different side of the same story. And we took the piss , we made an absurdist piece because that is the one good way to describe how things in this country work, or don’t work rather – it’s absurd. We took the piss out of the triumphalism, the propaganda – we took the piss out of reporters a la Kate Adie or Christiane Amanpour, and hip-hop rappers – we took the piss out of authority and military checkpoints, we took the piss out of songs and musicals. But – I think we tried, to the best of our capabilities, to depict the reality truthfully and sincerely.

Indi you say talking things out and asking questions is not a good or realistic solution – sometimes talking things out and asking questions WILL solve the problem – it may be as good, or better, a solution than any other. This just may be the right solution – but why do we not trust it? Why do we not trust the power of talking things out, and instead place so much faith in fighting? Why are we so skeptical about peace, and yet so certain about war? Why do we not turn to the simpler solutions, and always follow the path of that solution that is harder on everyone? Why do we discard this option so quickly?

You can call it naivete – but I like to think it is hope.

aunty superior’s got some ghetto rap skills :D

“…sometimes talking things out and asking questions WILL solve the problem – it may be as good, or better, a solution than any other. This just may be the right solution – but why do we not trust it? Why do we not trust the power of talking things out, and instead place so much faith in fighting? Why are we so skeptical about peace, and yet so certain about war? Why do we not turn to the simpler solutions, and always follow the path of that solution that is harder on everyone? Why do we discard this option so quickly?”

Elektra, this may be a dumb question, but when you say WE, who exactly are you referring to?

We, as the human race, mostly.

I think the reaction by Criticus is way over the top. Despite being involved in ‘the issues’ day to day, and feeling very passionate about it, all I wanted when I walked into the Nuga Sevana that Sunday evening was – TO WATCH A DECENT PRODUCTION.

The fact that it was based on issues that have impacted us and continue to talked about WAS A BONUS, and just made the play more approachable, interesting and sorta in tune with stuff we’re talking about.

But at the end of the day, myself, and most people who were there with me that day and most other days just came to see a jolly good production, using innovative techniques.

It’s a shame that people like Criticus begin reading too much into it, expecting it to deliver some MASSIVE political message, or provide GRAND solutions to the country’s problems.

That’s not the role of theatre. Or of art in general.

Thanks for both posts Indi, and also to Criticus. The latter, mostly, for demonstrating the reality of Colombo society – much of it may think itself as ‘sophisticated’ in the narrow fashion, foodie, going-out sense…. but is still a LONG way away from being sophisticated enough to appreciate stuff like this for what it is – just good, sensible, art……without getting its knickers in a twist.

Anush – here here!

Indi you say-

‘What I didn’t necessarily agree with was the contention that war is always bad.’

War is never bad unless you lose something because of it. You have never lost anything because of a war so you don’t agree. Perhaps if you lost a loved one to the war, or your home or your livelihood, you would not be so quick to say that was is not always bad. I lost a father and a brother to the war. Therefore your very casual comment on how war is sometimes good enrages me. I am not one for curses, but I do wish some war somewhere takes away something you hold dear. Perhaps then you will understand what I am saying.

And please don’t give us your usual pity-party about how you got stopped at checkpoints and therefore you suffered because of the war. We’ve heard that enough and frankly getting harassed by a cop and getting your house shelled in the night are very different things.

Saying that war can be good puts you on the side of those who start the wars. It’s people like you who justify war and cause the deaths of countless people who had no say in the matter. I really hope you lose something or someone you love. Then you will know what it is like to wake up one morning and realize that you have no more tears to cry, but one hate for the ones who started the war and justified it.

I wish you deep personal tragedy, for that will be the cost of your enlightenment.

Ah, that is a bit fucked up. I don’t wish suffering on anyone even my enemies, as per pretty basic Buddhist metta. I think that we all suffer and we all encounter sickness, death and loss in our lives. There’s no need to wish for more to make a point.

I’m not sure that being blanket anti-war is a feasible political position. The basic issue is self-defense, i.e., what do you do in the case of territorial aggression (Nazis invading stuff, Sadaam invading Kuwait) or terrorism (Anuradhapura massacre, 9/11, etc). War is often fought out of pure aggression, but I think some of it is legitimately self-defense.

In many cases wars have protected the lives we enjoy, so it’s hard to say that war is always bad. The act pretty much always is, but sometimes the results seem to justify it.

To quote Obama on this subject:

“For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms.” (New York Times)