The movers and shakers of English theatre in Calcutta are by and large college students these days, while the plays they choose are mostly modern classics and the questions they raise about contemporary life. Not Oedipus (Gyan Manch, November 5) is interesting in that it follows these trends, but also manages to explore new ground.

Stage-Addict is made up of a motley group of students. Author-director Adwaita Das (in picture) ? herself an undergraduate student ? picks on the Oedipus myth but gives it a ‘contemporary’ twist in which Oedipus changes gender, becomes a Page3 celebrity and loses his name to become ‘Not Oedipus’. The classic tale of incest turns into a case of lesbian love, where the protagonist, played by Das, unknowingly becomes her mother’s lover. As the secrets of her past catch up with her, the play attempts to question common perceptions of love and perversion.

The acting is uneven, but on a bare stage, Das puts in a restrained performance. The heavy-handed manner in which gender issues (for example, what are the limits of girls’ freedom) are handled towards the end is a bit of a let down. But the chorus ? a group of insatiable mediamen ? is impressive. Their comments, which are chanted like incantations throughout the play, serve as a telling comment on the inner perversion of the public gaze.