By Ernest Kearney — Ahash Francis, a Tamil-Canadian has chosen a subject for his one-man show that is a fascinating and tragic figure from the history of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Rasaiah Parthipan was a young revolutionary who fought in the doomed struggle for Tamil independence in Sri Lanka. He took the name “Thileepan,” which means “leader from Sri Lanka,” as his nom de guerre.
The story of Thileepan’s death and the struggle of the Tamil people is both stirring and epic. Unfortunately, Francis undercuts his tale by a clumsy narrative device of having the spirit of Thileepan take possession of his body.
The resultant difficulties in any attempt at a dialogue between the two would be a challenge to even the most skilled of actors. With Francis it simply becomes muddled and confusing.
Also, Francis’ continual intrusions of his story as a child of the Tamil diaspora into Thileepan’s history results in a further muddled outcome.
Francis does cut a fine figure on stage and has bookended his show with strong displays of Tamil traditional dancing.
For these, and for selecting such a unique subject matter –
A SILVER MEDAL
My Name Is Thileepan
Played During Hollywood Fringe Festival 2022
For Additional Information Go To:
www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7541
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