Oceanic

August 2005

Einstein

A riot of vibrant creativity, splurged with many hues, imbued with sheer ingenuity, truly a classic—Mohan Maharishi’s play Einstein is simply a delight. Carefully weaving Einstein’s persona with his scientific enterprise and locating this genius in his cultural context and society, the script brings forth a performance that simply captivates. The most striking visual that continues to enchant one throughout the performance is the wonderfully synchronous interaction between the child, young and old Einstein. A striking intervention is by the colourful gypsy magician and his assistant who act as the ‘sutradhar’ emerging in the middle out of thin air. An extravagance pitched at the right note, it is light and poignant, reflecting the play between the innocent childlike curiosity and wonder, the ambitious confidence of serious scholarship and yet the frustration of struggle, and finally the matured worldview of a practical romanticist.

On 14th June, a second peep into the mind of the genius, and the impressions hardly cease to enthral still!