Hard Work Paid Off
Buenos Aries, Argentina
It is ironic that a traditional Ratha Yatra (Chariot Festival) based so much on sound has sometimes flaws with sound systems. After a hard walk through busy shopping streets with a group of devotees we arrived at the sight of the procession’s starting point at 3 pm, the official starting time. Proper microphone equipment didn’t arrive until much later on. A similar occurrence took place for the stage show at Plaza Francia. Our drama “La Era de Kali” which carries a powerful message about mantra sound transforming the individual, had all kinds of sound technical difficulties. The performers demonstrated their resilience through that though, bless their hearts.
I was really proud of the group for their fixation on the delivery of their characters. It was miraculous that they mastered memorizing their lines and dance steps all in two and a half days for this 50 minute production. They all worked hard, under time pressure, twelve hours each day. Our leading man, Jorge, a professional actor, remarked that he loved the devotional environment. In fact he said he left acting behind “because of the contaminating self-centered atmosphere.”
Our guru congratulated a group of his students when they took drama seriously in a production, “The Pandavas Retire Timely.” I will always remember how he desired to do things first class. Frankly our actors in Argentina needed one more week to perfect their delivery but we did endeavor to bring it to tip top shape as close as possible.
The crowded outdoor audience was transfixed on drama and chanting. I walked back to the ashram, a good 6 Km with a helpful assistant, Janmastami, in high spirits.
14 Km
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