Name - Kunj Golwala

Roll No.- B20ME040

Assignment - HSL2110
Play - Goa by Asif Currimbhoy
Scene - Act I Scene I

The scene begins with a bunch of villagers sitting and talking to each other at the patio benches.
Then enters one of the main characters of the play Senhora Miranda as she slowly, tipsily and
femininely walks across the patio to her residence. Now the focus shifts to the balcony of
Miranda’s residence where there is a young girl (Rose) of about fourteen, talking with a young
man (Krishna) standing by the patio. The scene ends with these two professing their love for
each other.

The Scene I of Act I is the exposition of the play. Here the three of the main characters - Senhora
Miranda, Rose and Krishna are introduced and some details about their character traits and their
relationship with each other is shared with the audience. In the context of the play, the villagers
who have gathered at the patio benches in the evening represent the audience . They comment on
the characters who walk by the patio just as the audience comments on the characters of the play
or the elders of a household who pass their comments and judgment on issues which are not even
directly linked to them. In Act I Scene I, they start gossiping about Senhora Miranda the moment
she walks across the patio to her residence. In the future scenes, they also witness two more long
patio walks and offer their judgements about the characters of the play. Senhora Miranda, a fair
woman in her forties was a prostitute with a long list of clients but she genuiely felt connected to
Alphonso because of their shared portuguese lineage. She had a feminine and tipsy walk and
dressed according to Portuguese fashion which indicates her profession and lineage to some
extent.

The young woman in the balcony is Rose, Miranda’s daughter. She is described as a young,
beautiful and dark looking girl indicating the difference in the skin color of Rose and her mother.
Rose is an extremely innocent young girl who seems to be in love with a young man, Krishna,
whom she refers to as a stranger in Scene I indicating that she did not know him well and yet felt
a strong emotional connection with him. The young boy Krishna standing in the patio looks a bit
different than an average Goan.This scene shows the innocent nature of Rose when she asks
Name - Kunj Golwala
Roll No.- B20ME040
Krishna to go under the light of the lamppost so she can see his lips. This scene also showcases
the love of Krishna for Rose when he climbs the balcony to give her a Rose.

The stage directions set up by Asif Currimbhoy resemble the colonial Goa very closely.The main
place of action is the patio where villagers used to meet every evening. This is represented by an
immense square in the center of the stage. To the north of the patio is a church with a foundation
stone having Hindu carvings To the west is the residence of Miranda and the balcony where Rose
is standing. At the center of the patio is a statue of Vasco de Gama, which further reinstates
Portuguese rule over Goa. The dialogue delivery and the overall direction of the scene is also
quite unique. The scene begins with the gathering of the regular villagers at the patio but their
voices are not clearly audible. While their gestures and expressions are suggestive of what they
are thinking, they do not have a clear cut dialogue. This is done consciously so as to lay
emphasis on Rose’s dialogue and strange voice when she first interacts with Krishna.

One of the salient features of the scene and the play in general is the poetic nature of dialogues.
Rose’s interaction with Krishna when she expresses her love for him is quite poetic in nature.
Alphonso amplifies the poetic value of the play when he says, “Rose is Goa.Goa is Rose”.
Another salient feature is the use of symbolism and the highlighting of the political and social
situation of Goa. The villagers at the patio represent the audience who pass comments without
being having complete understanding or having any direct relation with the matter at hand. Rose
is directly compared to Goa by Alphonso. Miranda represents the Portuguese administration who
loves Goa but imposes its decisions on the state. Krishna represents India who also dearly loves
Goa and wants to unite with Goa but the invasion of India leaves deep scars on Goa. Another
salient feature of this play by Asif Currimbhoy is that he does not preach moralism and villainize
a certain character, rather he manages to generate pity and sympathy for the main characters in
the hearts of the audience despite their flaws.

According to me, the scene is excellently written and is successful in igniting the interest of the
audience in the play. The descriptive backdrop and the stage setup add up to the positive points
of the scene. The method of direction and the introduction of the main characters is also quite
unique. The sudden introduction of the young girl in the balcony and the young boy standing by
the patio is the highlight of the scene. Their interaction is quite romantic and carries the essence
of young love which is beautifully highlighted by the dialogues and the actions of the characters.