Kurseong – “Operas and musicals are best way for children to imbibe values today,” says Jesuit provincial of  Darjeeling Fr Kinley Tshering speaking at the conclusion of 125 year celebrations of St Alphonsus School Kurseong, one of the premier educational institutions in the Darjeeling hills.

Established in 1891 by Darjeeling Jesuits, St Alphonsus school situated in Kurseong town held its 125 year concluding celebration, 25 th September 2016.

“In the musicals, scores of children are engaged in acting, singing in the choir and as back stage helpers, and the values and emotions expressed in the musicals sink into children as they perform the roles,” explained Fr Tshering who was himself principal of St Joseph School North Point in Darjeeling.

Fr Tshering encouraged the audience consisting of religious heads and principals of colleges and headmasters of schools of the region “to dialogue with the heart, sharing emotions of love, joy, compassion, forgiveness and mercy.”

Principal of St Alphonsus School Jesuit Fr Justin said, “over the past eight days these children have performed 11 shows, sometimes even two shows a day.”

The two and a half hour musical “Muna Madan” is a Nepali short epic written by Mahakavi Lakshmi Prasad Devkota was jointly executed by students, faculty, past teachers and alumni.

While students Akansha Rai (Muna) and Mohit Bhujel (Madan) played the lead characters, the musical was produced by Superior of the St Alphonsus Community Fr David Ekka and directed by Khagendra Mangrati and Assistant director Amit Lamzel Sarki. Mr Rupesh Rasaily directed the music and Jamuna Kisi Sunuwar took charge of costumes and make up.

Written in folk rhythm, the play describes the life of a man (Madan) who leaves his wife (Muna) and sets out for Tibet, promising to be back home after only a few weeks in Lhasa having earned enough to stave off poverty.

On his return home from Lhasa he falls sick and is abandoned by his traveling companions. To his luck, a monk rescues him and treats him back t life. In gratitude Madan offers a purse of gold which the monk refuses saying “gold is of no value in comparison to humanity.”

When Madan returns home he finds that his wife had died and his mother seriously ill and dies soon after.

Madan realizes that the gold he brought from Lhasa is of no value without his loved ones. Heartbroken, he too dies.

The musical throws light on human desires whereby “many people lose small joys in the hope for bigger happiness which finally eludes them.”