Page 17 - Y Mind

Conan Periera

W alking W i T h j esui T j uniors
Walking WiTh jesuiT juniors

Conan Pereira is a versatile actor, director and trainer. He has per-
formed in drama and comedy, loves every bit of it, and pursues his
profession with passion.”

t all began 5 years ago, for me at least, this municating, they use their innate abilities to
Iinteraction with Jesuit Juniors, when Fr. develop ancillary skills such as prop making,
Leroy approached me. The brief was sim- costume design, music and lighting for dra-
ple, a Drama and Theater immersive work- ma during production. Rehearsals have been
shop and a one act dramatic production at intense, often late into the night, with the in-
the end of five days! An ambitious plan for tent to perfect and leave nothing to chance.
a facilitator when you don’t know your ac- Over the last five years they have
tors and their level of experience! However staged a variety of plays, exploring com-
with each passing year, the annual perfor- plex themes such as McCarthyism, inno-

mance has been even more ambitious and cence, guilt, love, and eternal damnation in
looked forward to, by everybody involved. plays such as ‘The Last days of Judas Iscari-
The first two years, when the Juniors ot’ and Agatha Christie’s chilling murder
were housed in Belgaum, it meant, I lived mystery ‘And then there were none’, to name
with them for close to a week, an experi- a few. The plays showcased their collective
ence in itself. It’s a beautiful place, serene strength as well as their remarkable individ-
and welcoming and so conducive to learn- ual strengths, pushing them to go beyond
ing and growing. It was a tremendous learn- themselves and sometimes break the fourth
ing experience, catching a glimpse of the wall with startling ease and effectiveness.
process of formation, the way the day is di- This year at Vinyalaya started with a lit-
vided into periods, each aimed at develop- tle more involvement as a facilitator of phonet-

ing a facet of the individual destined to be a ics, prosody and paralinguistics with a group
priest, to serve the community and the Lord. of committed and talented Juniors. Looking
Each year the Juniors are a group of back, these last few years have taught me so
strong individuals, bursting with talent, en- much both as a professional and a person, and
thusiasm, energy, commitment, passion, and I am thankful for that. I stay connected with the
the ability to work hard and persevere! Differ- Juniors, and it is with great pride that I watch
ent language groups from regions across the them move on to bigger challenges, taking
country, different levels of exposure that could with them a few more skills and strengths and
be a challenge, instead added color and depth great memories to cherish. For me it’s the jour-

to the whole process. Besides acting and com- ney with each group that’s been most fulfilling.

Young Minds 2020 16