Legend of Noh Ka Li Kai Comes Alive with Lapdiang Syiem’s Performance

The legend of Ka Likai was poignantly dramatized by Shillong-based performance artist Lapdiang Syiem at the Assam State Museum in Dighali Pukhuri, Guwahati, on September 22.

Lapdiang brought to life what we had heard as a folktale about the famous Noh Ka Likai Falls in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya.

The tale is about a woman who leaves her little daughter in the care of a stepfather. When she returns home in the evening, the child is nowhere to be seen. A tired and hungry Likai has her food and enjoys the meat dish her husband has cooked, only to find out later that the man has chopped the child into pieces and then cooked the pieces of meat, which Likai had earlier consumed. Traumatized, she goes and jumps off a cliff in Cherrapunji.

A waterfall appears there and is now what we know as the Noh Ka Likai falls.

Lapdiang, a graduate of the National School of Drama, Delhi, also specialized in Physical Theatre from The Commedia School, Copenhagen.

The mesmerizing Khasi music by Apkyrmen Skhem Tangsong blended quite well with the act. He used a Khasi string instrument similar to a violin called the Maryngod.

The performance was organized as part of an initiative called the ‘Museums are Closed at Nights’ by ‘A Desire Machine Collective Project’.

I spoke to Syiem about her performance and her work.

Tell me about the performance.

An adaptation based on the Khasi folk legend ‘Ka Noh ka Likai (waterfall at cherrapunji). A performance employing a more physical style and expression of storytelling, the focus was on the struggle of Likai, the protagonist, as she tells her tragic tale and confronts the contemporary society with this retelling. It was an attempt to explore how a contemporary performer trained in physical theater would retell and enact a folk legend.

Tell me about the art collective that you have formed in Shillong. How did it start and what are you focusing on?

So, the Unhinged Commune is a theater and creative arts society that a small group of us started last year. It’s still in its initial phase. We hope to engage and interact with the people in Shillong and provide and encourage a free space to experiment and create artistic work and workshops. We had organized a workshop called ‘Eggshell’ where a group of artists from around the city got together to display and share completed work, and also work in progress. Each work was analyzed and discussions took place revolving around freedom, fear and fragility of expression.

We have also organized performances of ‘Ka Noh ka Likai’ at different venues, more intimate spaces such as Dylan’s cafe and You and I cafe in Shillong . It is also an attempt to take the performance away from the standard stage into more public and intimate spaces.

Are you concentrating mostly on bringing folktales alive with your performances or there is more interesting stuff in store?

My area of interest as a performer is varied. Last year, I was involved in a circus-theatre collaboration called ‘Talatum’, directed by Abhilash Pillai and performed at the Serendipity Arts festival 2016, Goa. This was an adaptation of ‘The Tempest’. My interest in the Khasi folk tales comes from a curiosity to revisit these tales that I grew up listening to as a child. I’d like to experiment and explore those aspects as a contemporary performer. However, I am also not just restricted to this area. I would like to venture into other narratives or non narrative styles of performance.

Shillong and Guwahati have started organizing alternative events. However, what do you think could be done to support this, so it continues?

I think an active participation and exchange must be encouraged. Guwahati has at the moment, a more vibrant and happening environment for such experiments and projects. If a proper communication and exchange can be established between both the cities, I think there will be more interesting work coming up. The youth especially need to be encouraged to branch out, explore, and experiment beyond their comfort zone.

Photo credit- Mani Shankar Choudhury

First published in Eclectic Northeast