If a picture could be worth a thousand words, each and every scene in "Ekantha Seetha" was worth several thousand words. But, words alone cannot adequately convey the profound portrayal of three stoic women, Seetha, also known as Vaidehi in the Ramayana, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, who valiantly fought the British before India's independence, and Aparajitha, a contemporary woman, in the exquisite dance drama staged at Stafford Center under the auspices of Samskriti - Society for Indian performing Arts Nov. 12.

The marvelous musical began with the processional entry of the energetic Ganesha and the magical touch of choreography, blended with sublime music, hypnotized the audience and took them to the world they saw on stage.

Unlike umpteen representations of the epic, a totally new nuance emerged as Seetha comes out unscathed from fire, turns into a single mother, bringing up her noble sons to be future kings, and dramatically disappears into her mother earth. If the taming of the horse by the twins Lava and Kusha was enjoyable, the dignified courage of a wronged woman, the grace and restraint of Ekantha Seetha, a lonely furrow, was admirable. She lived on her terms and earned divinity again. That each of the characters acted out as was his or her duty at that time places the episode in the right context.

Rani Lakshmibai as the brave warrior gave a commendable performance. The war scenes, the emotions of a mother who lost her child, the entry of the Britisher, to name a few, vividly brought history back to life.

In the contemporary scene, a woman fights all odds in the society, realizes her own potential and helps transform others doomed to a pitiable life because of their fatalism, and lives up to the meaning of Aparatjitha, "not by others vanquished."

The theme spans three vastly different periods. The customs are ages apart. Yet the choreographer and the musician dramatize the difficult episodes with an uncanny ease. The scene in which Seetha enters the fire is an example of the creative imagination.

The modern day life, marked by a busy road filled with vendors, and the disturbing noise of traffic, including a bicycle, automobile and ambulance, once again stood out for the creativity of the artists.

Perhaps, the high water mark of the show was the very realistic representation of a south Indian wedding scene, complete with the nadaswaram music and a photographer. With no real decoration typically scene in a wedding, the actions and emotions of the actors brought to life all the grandeur and chaos that mark a wedding.

The tribute to the much misunderstood woman of India was a production of Cleveland Cultural Association.

V.P. Dhananjayan and Shantha of Chennai, known for their classical dance productions, coupled with T.V. Goplakrishnan's music, rendered the show suitable for an international audience, with minimal lyrics, while heavily relying on body language and facial expressions, inherent in Bharata Natyam. Artistic director of Smaskriti and Anjali center for the performing arts, Rathna Kumar of Houston moved in and out of the episodes both as a narrator and a performer, drawing repeated applause. As Strafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella aptly commended the high caliber of the show, Ekantha Seetha led the way in celebrating the arts.

By Seshadri Kumar