This year as part of the Founders’ Day celebrations, TIS,VV presented a daringly different and contemporary version of Tagore’s timeless musical drama ‘Tasher Desh’ or ‘CARDLAND – a Musical’ on 8 and 9 December 2023. Written over 90 years ago, Gurudev’s words and vision remain powerfully relevant today. This is a play which entertains, while making you pause – and think. Directed by Mr Stephen Marazzi, the play was a vibrant fusion of drama, sparkling dialogues, colourful costumes, lilting music , graceful dances , visual effects – and unique new ideas and concepts . The cards are a reflection of regimented social norms and the Prince and his friends bring with them a fresh new way of thinking. Creativity, laughter, music and spontaneity help the young visitors to bring change into this fictional kingdom and triumph over rigidity of thought and behaviour.
At a time when the world around us is being broken up into fragments, 300 of our very talented students from Classes VI to XI came together to sing , dance or act in this Biennial production and thus celebrate the power of freedom and the importance of inclusivity . The beautiful artwork, the live music and dance, the beautiful stage in an open air arena, all added to the charm of the event. Abba’s evergreen melodies, ,a surprise addition and sung by the school choir, set everyone’s foot tapping.
The Chief Guest Dr Yuvraj Malik, Director of the National Book Trust was deeply appreciative of the unique ethos of Tagore International , saying it is important for schools to create worthy citizens and not just voters. He also advised parents to encourage their wards to follow a 10:1:1 formula every day for their intellectual growth – read at least ten pages, write one page and speak on any one topic for one minute. Wise words indeed !
In her speech Principal Dr Parul Tyagi commented on how much the participants had enjoyed the event while absorbing life skills and values at the same time. The school report was also read by the Presidents of the Student Council, sharing the many activities and awards of the academic session.
Youngsters can also be changemakers, says Tagore through this play, and our students actually prove this through their many social outreach programmes and campaigns. Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar has always encouraged every student to explore art , music, dance , theatre and other creative disciplines as a vital part of holistic education. It is also strongly focused on experiential learning and again CARDLAND was a clear demonstration of all this. This musical will undoubtedly remain an enduring memory for all students.
