Theatre and the Performing Arts

Natya Samagama

The five-day Natya Samagama in Jammu has changed the cultural picture of the city. These five days have been an absolute revelation. Beginning with meeting the directors of plays staged the previous day, followed by a colourful and varied presentation of various performing arts from Jammu and Kashmir. This was again followed by plays from all over India from 5pm till 9.30pm. For a theatre lover like me this has been paradise.  The city of Jammu has seen such a conglomeration for the first time and the atmosphere was reminiscent of the Rangmahotsav in Delhi. The good thing was that all the performances were conducted in the same area. 

Meeting people from the world of the creative and performing arts has a charm of its own. Groups of performers coming from diffucult areas of Kashmir just to be able to perform here, tell a lot about their love for their art.

These five days have opened an audio visual panorama for me that will have a lasting impact due its magic.

Theatre - Ensemble and Devised

This for That

On 11 February ’14, I joined a very interesting theatre workshop. I had missed the workshop on 10^th and was sure I would be turned away politely. But the directors, Rowen Haigh and Sean Mahoney simply smiled, shook hands and welcomed me!! Six actors were already well into the workshop working on the exercises and improvisations. Strangely, though I joined late, I felt quite comfortable as the group comprised friendly people, all ready to learn and contribute.

And so we began with the theme of money and our relationship with it. A poem had been selected by the directors – “On Losing a House” where the issue of money was touched upon and we began with a reading of the poem. The line O dark, O heavy, O mossy money seemed to catch everyone’s imagination. We were divided into three groups and told to improvise a scene around money. We did and amid fast flowing suggestions the evolving of money from the barter system to the card today was devised.

An entry was planned. Beggars to enter from the entrance and beg for money from the audience and two herders, already seated among the audience, to herd these beggars on towards the stage. Freeze to music . Then the barter (cloth pieces for grain) begins and we move to the first recital of a stanza of the poem. This is followed by the improvised scene between husband and wife. Another rendition of the poem followed by another barter with stones for grain (rising prices) and we move to an improvised piece between two lovers. Another rendition of the stanza from the poem and another barter with cash for grain (with cheating going on). An improvised scene in an office with money changing hands through bribes which leads to money transactions at an ATM using the card. The money extracted is spend on self indulgence and is followed by a freeze. The lines from the poem are keys to unfreeze each actor and the rising chorus of Dark, heavy, mossy money rises as actors move among the audience and distribute money (sharing). Our performance was titled This for That.

Beggars and Herders - Frozen

We performed at the Pune English Theatre festival (Pukaar) on 15 and 16 February.The music and lights were handled by our directors and that truly added to the magic. The audience gave quite an ovation to the piece much to our relief. The novelty of it seemed to have got them. The interactive session was full of questions and extended beyond its allotted time. Such ensemble pieces are the trade mark of the White Flag Performance Group run by Rowen and Sean who live in Baltimore, USA. This was their first trip to India but they have promised to be back soon and work some more...

Two to Tango, Three to Jive

A comedy by Saurabh Shukla - These five words should say it all if you know the genius of Shukla. Nevertheless, it is worth writing a few lines about this play in Two Acts which was staged at the Turf Club, Pune, India on 21 Sept 2013.

Middle-aged Parminder Sethi wants to have an affair, and so three women come into his life. The three women are quite interesting and quite different from each other. The rendezvous is Sethi's mother's house in her absence. Unfortunately, the much needed affair never happens, but in the process of trying to have one, a lot of other things happen.

The comedy deserves mention because of its witty dialogue, perfect comic timing, great acting and thought provoking premise. Saurabh Shukla, Achint Kaur, Sadia Siddiqui and Preiti Mamgain have showcased their acting skills, no doubt. Also the country music playing in the background was well selected keeping in mind the perky name of the play.

I only wish the venue was a better one (a real auditorium, I mean). At times I had to crane my neck or twist my body to catch a glimpse of what was happening on stage, as two very tall people sat right in my line of vision!!

Theatre Fest - Bharat Rang Mahotsav

Jan 9 - Got to see the play Meghnad Badh Kabya. And I was impressed to say the least. Director Manish Mitra had taken on a huge task and has delivered. The play is in Bengali and Sanskrit, so for people who do not understand Bengali it can be a little daunting. But the actors and the choreography got the audience involved. Meghnad, Ravan's son who is killed in battle, performed like the valiant warrior he was. The use of various dance forms ( Kathakali, Chow and Kathak) added to the grandeur. The sense of empathy with Ravan, Mandodari and Urmila's pain and Meghnad's need to defend Lanka was palpable among the audience. I have always wanted to peek into Michael Madhusudhan Dutt's great work, but felt intimidated. Seeing it enacted made me realise what I had missed.
Just as a rejoinder, I would have been happier if the last scene had left out the ritual of sati.

Importance of Theatre

What could be more difficult than sitting on judgment on 41 school plays? I had a tough time trying to mark children on their acting skills. It was evident that they were doing their best. If anyone told them your acting was not up to par, they would have been astounded. And it isn't their fault. They were not guided better. Simply standing there on stage, facing an auditorium full of audience, scrutinizing your every move and these faces you don't see, can be very scary. But every child actor did that and spouted dialogues. I wish each school had a designated drama teacher who could have helped the actors go up one step. They are just waiting to be shown the way.
That is why it was tough to mark them. But I did, and felt bad about it as did the two other judges. Why isn't theatre taken seriously in schools? Why is it not an integral part of the curriculum?
Theatre has all the ingredients required for today's child. It builds Team spirit, teaches Correct posture, Voice modulation and a lot of Confidence. Aren't these what constitute some part of a developing personality?

Streer Potro

The Rangmahotsav 2011 brought with it great theatre and as usual I managed to catch a play on the last day of this theatre festival on January 22. But I am glad I got to see this throbbing enactment of Tagore's Streer Potro (The Wife's Letter), performed by Neelam Mansingh Chaudhary's The Company. Ramanjit was the protagonist and very cleverly her role was divided into two, the other essayed wonderfully by Rocky.The story and the characters were able to move the audience to tears. Raman's histrionics were truly impressive.

Little Eyolf

It was a joy watching the drama unfold in Little Eyolf's life. This play was the Punjabi/English version of the play by Henrik Ibsen. Neelam ManSingh Chowdhry's direction simply created magic on stage. The folk singers occupying one part of the dais were an added attraction as was the performance by the gypsies. The cast was quite up to the task with Ramanjit, Taranjit, Rocky and Hitender giving their best. Raman insisted that we watch the play, a part of the12th Theatre Festival on January 19, 2010 at Kamani auditorium. Good thing Roohi and I went.

The Crab Soup

The play The Crab Soup was staged on July 9 at the Max Mueller Bhavan. Both the shows had quite a turn out. The TCA director, Ramanjit Kaur and scriptwriter Arthur Cardozo have really done a great job. The play travels to London as a Theatre Science project. It dealt with a middle class young couple facing the spectre of HIV and coping or not coping with it.
The Kolkata audience does seem a little uncomfortable with English plays and with subtleties. Long silences are definitely not appreciated here. Moreover, the actors need to come to grips with a foreign language and learn to deliver more confidently.
All in all, a good effort. Good for English theatre!!!

World Theatre Day

On March 27, the world celebrated Theatre day. I attended a panel discussion on theatre and found it quite riveting. Where have the patrons of theatre gone? - That was the topic. Well, with the kind of theatre being churned out, is it a wonder that patrons are running for cover? Being a part of the Creative Arts gave me an insight into what experimental theatre is all about. The director, Ramanjit Kaur, has been working on site-specific theatre where the audience too has a part to play and is unsure of what to expect next. Our play, The Merry Go Round - Another Spin, was quite a show stealer when it was staged. Attracting audience is no mean feat. Stage something new and exciting, a play that seriously wants to make a difference, really wants to communicate with the audience, then and only then will theatre get more eyeballs, sorry to use that word.