“Hurry up,” shouted a crew member who climbed up onto a makeshift stage. Casting sidelong glances, performers, half-clad, looked in the mirror and concentrated on applying layers of make-up. Nearby, a motley bunch of musicians and technicians double-checked their instruments. A stream of chatter from a growing audience — without any partition between the theatre and real life — put unintended pressure on the band.
Someone finally gave a signal.
“We are ready.”
On a humid night, a curtain soon went up amid gongs and drumbeats. Dressed in garish costumes,…
