We learn from difficulties: US artiste

Aishwarya Sathe

Tribune News service

Jammu, February 8

The six-day-long International Theatre Festival, which witnessed an amalgam of various theatrical expressions and performances based on variegated dialects from different countries, concluded here today.

Ronlin Foreman, playwright actor and director from California, USA, who performed “Pigeon Show — A play of fools” in the festival, spoke to The Tribune about his love and proximities with the theatrical expressions which he says is the mean to achieve actual relevance of the human existence in the contemporary world.

“We don’t learn by ignoring our difficulties, we learn well by residing in our difficulties,” said Ronlin.

As a trainer he had been critical about teaching his students. He believes in engaging the student with the nature of humility.

“That can happen if you act truthfully and engage the student with the nature of the world,” said Ronlin.

An active theatre doer since 1976, at the age of 25, Ronlin found his mid-sojourn in the field as “journey of tears”.

“I came under severe depression in 1985 that led me to establish a fact towards life as to how it works. This gave me a belief to understand that distresses become the meaning of the life,” said Ronlin.

The actor also talked about his love for Indian food and termed Jammu as a place of theatrical pride for actors.

The festival, besides Ronlin, included other big names and groups from national and international forums that also gave scintillating performances which were treat to watch for Jammu residents.

The National School of Drama, New Delhi, in collaboration with J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages organised the international festival.

Inaugurated by Governor NN Vohra on February 3, other plays enacted were by artistes from Sri Lanka, Italy, Bhopal, Jammu and Hyderabad.