Seven shades of dark

Erebus, the primordial deity in Greek mythology, represents darkness and is believed to have preceded life itself. Like the namesake, the Art-Right-Is Company's production of Erebus looks to explore the modern-day implications of the darkness the Greek deity personified. The play consists of monologues by seven characters who are caught in situations from everyday life and their attempt to break free of these situations.The play essentially is about the fight for liberation from societal constraints and exploring the darkness which we know exists but we choose to ignore.
Each of the monologues though original, come from premises that feel familiar and claim inspiration from different sources but there is always a twist when you least expect it. The play features minimalist sets and props and focuses on the actor allowing them to shine through their performances.The choice to keep the sets minimal works to their benefit as the monologues evoke vivid images that are a tool in exploring the darkness for oneself, like the one enacted by Pramod Kumar which shows a man stuck in an infinite desert awaiting death, but things are not what they might seem.
The play is a collaborative effort between four directors -Ajai Ravi Kesavan, RanjeetBhide, Vinod KJ and ShatarupaBhattacharya -the latter directed herself as an old woman who has learnt the art of communicating with ghosts and is attempting to communicate with her son through the grave. The other monologues explore murky territory like that of a straight man, played by LSRathod, who has to confront his sexual identity when he and his best friend are attacked by a mob when are they are mistaken for being homosexual.
Sharmin Ali, who is returning to acting after having produced and directed plays with the ArtRight-Is Company, plays a woman coming to terms with her divorce and is looking for love in Bhattacharya's sketch. Playing a character who doesn't mind swinging the other way, her plight is laced with ample humour to keep the audience in splits despite watching her in turmoil for the entire length of her 10-minute act.“Erebus, with its libidinous hormone-driven monologues, looks to challenge norms that we are too comfortable -from questioning the concept of chastity enforced on nuns or a character describing with vivacity his first sexual experience.Nothing is out-of-bounds,“ Sharmin says.
The seven monologues last 10 minutes each and are hedonistic, self-indulgent and paranoid.Exploring multiple shades of darkness, the play is definitely not for those who are easily offended. But if you are the kind to appreciate a wicked sense of humour, then you are in for treat.