20 SEPTEMBER 1, <strong>2020</strong> Entertainmentlink Labyrinth of suspense and drama thrills Auckland theatre Venkat Raman Agatha Christie would have been proud of a group of Auckland based thespians for their proficiency in theatre and improvisation. They staged ‘The Bridge-Game of Death,’ a murder mystery filled with suspense, including an obsessive search for unearthing the truth about the real murderer. Preetha Vyas, a member of the production team who sent us this report, said that the labyrinth of lanes and by-lanes traversed through the process of unravelling the mystery sent shudders through the spines of the audience. Rollercoaster ride “It was yet another rollercoaster ride organised by Euphoria Entertainment Inc for theatre enthusiasts this year. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s “The Cards on the Table,” it was staged on August 8 and 9, <strong>2020</strong> as a part of our multicultural and multilingual fest called, ‘Utopia.’ The performances carried Euphoria’s Vijesh and Nirmita Gosh from a scene in ‘The Bridge-Game of Death’ quintessential charisma and panache,” she said. Written by Swastika Ganguli, the play revolves around a celebrity psychiatrist party host, Dr Gomes, who gets murdered in full view of a roomful of eight Bridge players. Murder that he never wrote “Mr Gomes was famous as a flamboyant party host. But he also invoked fear Preeta Vyas Ruzbeh, Bikram, Devdatta Swastika Ganguli, writer and lead artiste of ‘The Bridge-Game of Death’ in people. So, when he starts boasting to his guests that he is writing a book on a perfect murder, a perfect crime with an unquestionable alibi, and that he considers murder an art form, the invitees start feeling uncomfortable and unnerved. They start thinking about the possible revelations of their deepest, darkest secrets through the novel,” Ms Vyas said. Quoting Ms Christie, she said that ‘Speech is the deadliest of revelations.’ “What began as an absorbing evening of Bridge turns out to be a sinister drama, a game of death,” Ms Vyas said. The Stars of the Show ‘The Bridge-Game of Death’ was directed by Anirban. The cast included Bikram and Swastika in the lead roles with Vijesh, Paranjape, Ruzbeh, Chirag, Nirmita Gosh, Vijayendra, Amit, Santanu, Saswata, and Shivaji in supporting roles. The crew included Preeta Vyas, Malisha, Ryan, Siddish, Chinmoy, Dipankar, Gaurav, Madhurima, Aritra and others. Editor’s Note: We are sorry to carry to only the first names of many artistes- as provided. Telugu Association marks another milestone in Auckland Venkat Raman The New Zealand Telugu Association (NZTA), one of the oldest organisations of its kind, completed 22 years of its establishment on August 18, <strong>2020</strong> but celebrations could not be held because of gathering restrictions imposed by Covid-19 Lockdown Level Three. Association President Srilatha Magatala said that the Executive Committee will plan a fitting festivity to celebrate the milestone when the current health crisis is over. “NZTA events are always well attended and as such, we await the best available opportunity. We continue serving and supporting the Telugu Community in New Zealand. We have always concerted efforts to promote New Zealand Telugu Association President Srilatha Magatala ‘Corporate Ola’ promises flexibility and reduced costs The Company rides home $10 million savings for customers Venkat Raman Ola New Zealand has just launched ‘Ola Corporate,’ a travel solution to support businesses emerging from Covid-19 lockdown. Managing Director Brian Dewil said that the initiative will facilitate convenient and cost-effective business travel, reducing employee travel expenses up to 25%. “Centralised billing and customised ride policies help businesses organise safe and reliable travel for their employees as they return to work. This is a cost effective, flexible, and easy-to- use solution for their mobility needs including our safety and customer support features,” Mr Dewil said. He said that companies are looking to reinvent business practices to help them through the ongoing economic impact of Covid-19. Changing mobility needs “The launch of Ola Corporate demonstrates our ability to grow and diversify our offering in New Zealand. We are excited to work with businesses across the country to help their employees travel easily and safely and continue to meet changing mobility needs of all types of users, particularly now, as Kiwis navigate their return to the office,” Mr Dewil said. Ola Corporate offers businesses flexibility and ease of booking as and when required for business travel with the ability to pay from their company’s centralised account. “With wait times of less than five minutes on average and high standards of safety and hygiene, Ola provides a quick, convenient, safe, and reliable mode of transportation for businesses. Centralised billing makes the entire process of applying for transport reimbursements redundant for corporate travellers and organisations resulting in improved business productivity,” he said. Automatic billing Ola Corporate clients will operate the service through a new, personalised dashboard where they can add and manage employees. Employees then book their own rides as they would for personal journeys and simply tag the ride as an Ola Corporate trip. The fares are paid automatically through the company’s Ola Corporate balance and reports can be accessed at any time from the dashboard. Clients will also have access to a specialised account management support team at Ola to ensure convenient and smooth operations. Significant savings Mr Dewil said that New Zealanders using Ola have saved about $10 million since it was launched in this country in November 2018. He said that company rewards customers with discounts and special offers, thereby increasing their savings. “Riders receive a statement at the end of each month advising how much they have saved on their rideshares. Thus far, Ola drivers in New Zealand have now logged over 21 million kilometres of Ola rides, with riders spending close to 700,000 hours using Ola to one place to another,” he said. According to Mr Dewil, the increasing demand for Ola in New Zealand over the past two years demonstrates the Company’s ability to grow and meet mobility needs across the country. “With hundreds of thousands of Kiwis benefitting from riding with Ola, we are proud to offer New Zealanders a safe, high-quality rideshare experience for both riders and drivers,” he said. For more information, visit ola.co.nz/ ola-corporate/ our rich cultural and social heritage, encourage the younger members of the community to learn Telugu and achieve better connectivity among the people resident in New Zealand, India and other countries of the world. These have remained our priorities,” she said. Enterprising population Ms Magatala said that the Association honours and thanks all members, sponsors, the core Committee, other associated communities and New Zealanders in general who have stepped up to volunteer their time, efforts and money. “They have been undoubtedly the backbone and life blood of NZTA. On behalf of our Executive Committee, I extend our special appreciation to our former Presidents, Vice-Presidents and General Secretaries for leading their respective teams and keeping the Association progressive with impressive and inspiring programmes and projects,” she said. There are about 10,000 Telugu-speaking people in New Zealand, from the two States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, engaged in various sectors of the economy – as manufacturers, scientists, engineers, doctors, accountants, software specialists, retailers and other professionals. About New Zealand Telugu Association Established in 1998, NZTA conducts and participates in a number of <strong>Indian</strong> observances. These include the Kite Festival, Rangoli, Holi, Ugadi, India’s Independence Day, Vinayaka Chaturthi, Bathukamma Festival (seven days by Hindu women) and Dassera and Diwali. “The Association also organises Blood donation camps, ‘Go Green Plantation’ and the Big Day Out. Our members and volunteers planted more than 1000 of trees in Auckland in recent years. We are keen to be seen as a responsible organisation that cares for the environment and our people,” Ms Magatala said. Community care She said that NZTA members are known for compassion and the ability to rise to the occasion to discharge their community and social obligations. Such a spirit is tested when someone is in distress or dies suddenly. The executive team and other members are always quick to act, contacting law enforcement agencies, government departments, the <strong>Indian</strong> High Commission and the families of the concerned in India to comply with the formalities. Female authors with male pseudonyms appears anachronistic Eleanor Dumbill In a letter to James AH Murray in 1879, the writer ME Lewes wrote ”I wish always to be quoted as George Eliot.” She perhaps would not have been pleased by a new campaign from The Women’s Prize for Fiction and its sponsor, Baileys called Reclaim Her Name campaign. Marking the 25th anniversary of The Women’s Prize, under the bold tagline of “finally giving female writers the credit they deserve,” 25 novels have been reprinted using the real names of 26 writers who used male pseudonyms. The scheme may have some positive outcomes, such as introducing readers to writers and works they might not have otherwise discovered. However, whether it gives female writers the credit they deserve is up for debate. Mary Ann, Marian and George The collection’s lead title, touted in all press coverage of its release, is George Eliot’s Middlemarch (1872), now published with the author’s name given as Mary Ann Evans. Though this was the name given to her at birth, Eliot’s “real name,” or the name by which we should refer to her, has been a matter of debate by researchers for years. She experimented with alternative spellings like Marian and with completely different names like Polly, used her common-law husband’s surname, Lewes, for much of her literary career, and was known as Mrs Cross at the time of her death. 19th-century readers would have known exactly to who credit must be assigned. Her true identity was revealed shortly after the publication of her second novel, Adam Bede (1859), and at the height of her literary fame she signed correspondence ME Lewes (Marian Evans Lewes). Complicated question Eliot’s own consideration of the George Eliot (Wikimedia) name she should be known by is as complicated a psychological and moral question as any depicted in her novels. However, her wish to be known professionally as George Eliot is resolute and clearly articulated. It helped her separate her personal and professional personas. Choosing a name to publish under is an important expression of agency and using a different name without the author’s input and consent deprives them of that agency rather than reclaiming it. It is also important to debunk a common misconception to understand why this campaign is misguided. In George Eliot’s time, women did not have to assume male pseudonyms to be published. Writers who opted to use pen names tended to choose ones that aligned with their own genders. In fact, in the 1860s and 70s men were more likely to use female pseudonyms than vice versa. William Clark Russell, for example, published several novels under the name Eliza Rhyl Davies. Women dominated the literary marketplace as both readers and writers for the majority of the 19th century. Of the 15 most prolific authors of the period 11 were women, according to the At the Circulating Library. The need to project modern gender imbalances that exist in publishing today onto 19th-century authors is understandable but anachronistic. Katherine Harris Bradley and Edith Emma Cooper (Wikimedia) Obscuring queerness There are further issues with how this campaign depicts LGBTQ+ writers and its inclusion of Vernon Lee’s A Phantom Lover (1886) and Michael Field’s Attila, My Attila! (1896). There has been much discussion among scholars concerning Lee’s gender identity, with many believing that in a 21st century setting, the author may have identified as a trans man. This makes the inclusion of Lee’s birth name (also known in the trans community as a deadname) particularly troubling. Meanwhile, Field was the pen name for a pair of writers — Edith Cooper and Katharine Bradley. The name Michael Field represented their collaboration, with Michael representing Bradley and Field representing Cooper. Bradley’s name is misspelt (with an “e”, rather than an “a”) in the collection, another indication that this project may not have been completed with the degree of care one might expect from a literary prize. Like Lee, the pair expressed discomfort with being seen as women as authors. Eleanor Dumbill is Doctoral Research at Doctoral Researcher, Loughborough University in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England. The above story has been published under Creative Commons Licence
SEPTEMBER 1, <strong>2020</strong> Entertainmentlink 21 DECISION 2O2O Bringing the politicians to you in EXCLUSIVE election coverage. ONLY ON RADIO • DIGITAL • WEB
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