December 6, 2010 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

One fascinating detail we found inside the Bonstelle Theatre was this one large framed photograph of a welcome scene (presumably into the theatre) of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, and his daughter and later PM of India, Indira Gandhi. It may have been taken in the mid-50s would be my guess since India gained independence from Great Britain and became a nation-state in 1947. This might have been one of many state-visits that Mr. Nehru made to the USA after that, and it is a known historical fact that his daughter accompanied him on international visits– which is how she was also possibly groomed into her later position of taking over the mantle of political leadership in India. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is an epic one on the Indian subcontinent, and it was therefore quite a treat to see this unexpected photograph in the hallways of this lovely theatre. Which, btw, is really quite an ornate building both from within and without.

The play itself was quite a treat. The court-room drama was one of the highlights of the play, esp. the part when Atticus so masterfully makes his remarks about how everyone is really not created equal– what with the variance in natural advantages and opportunities that we might have– however, the one place where we’re all really equal is a court of law. How true, and yet how sad that despite the equality that is available to all inside a courtroom, the outcomes of the proceedings might not always prove true and just.