Bravo! Ashoke Viswanathan and his crew should be commended for their brilliant acting and excellent production of Simon Neil’s play Chapter Two (Proscenium Art Centre, May 20). Viswanathan, who is both the director and the lead actor, has transcended the semi-autobiographical element in the original play to explore the nature of marriage and morals in a post-modern society.

The central plot revolves around a widower George and a just-divorced woman Jenny. The play traces the building of their relationship culminating in a stormy courtship and marriage. The quickness of the whole process, reflecting modern times, leaves the protagonists breathless at first. But they still have to shed the baggage of their past relationships to make the story a post-modern fairy tale. Jenny is emotionally more mature and has accepted her divorce with fortitude. George, however, is still haunted by the memories of his dead wife. Perhaps it’s easier to forgive a living person than to forget a dead one. He finally manages to emerge out of his self-pitying cocoon to accept Jenny for the person she is. Thrown into these post-modern maneuvers are George’s philandering brother Leo and Jenny’s flirtatious friend Faye. Both start off as matchmakers, but eventually find themselves trapped in a stormy affair plagued with self-delusion.

Viswanathan has successfully envisioned the play within a cinematic structure, which is heightened by the quick changes in scenes and fast action. Thanks to the innovative use of props, the action never falters on pace. The most amazing innovation, however, is the lack of a formal stage. There is no raised platform as the whole action takes place within a bigger-than-normal drawing room. Moreover, there are no footlights to draw a line between the actors and the audience. This blurring of a formal line adds to the immediacy of the action and reduces the audience to peeping toms. The audience almost feels guilty to be privy to the intimate interactions between George and Jenny.

This sense of voyeurism is heightened by the skillful portrayal of the various actors. While Viswanathan brings a professional method to his portrayal of George, Bulan Lahiri simply excels as the 37-year-old Jenny, who wants to begin life afresh. She is skillful at dialogue delivery and her sense of comic timing complemented with her body language adds that extra edge to the witty dialogues.