QTP The Script: March 2010

The Script, March 2010 - Issue 3

With Holi falling on the first of March, it means Spring is in the air. A time for new beginnings. So this month sees the premiere of 3 new plays. IPTA open's 'Aaall izz well with Shuturmurgh', Imran Rasheed's directorial debut ' ' and IBID Productions second outing an evening of short plays called 'Classic Milds' at the Prithvi Theatre. Also returning are some all time favourites like 'Hamlet - The Clown Prince', 'The Vagina Monologues' and 'Aao Saathi Sapna Dekhein'.

In this season of new beginnings, we at The Script have decided to revamp a little. Now in addition to our regular editorial features of Point of View (a review), 4 Corners (a non Bombay theatre experience) and AK's Various Thoughts (Akarsh Khurana's monthly diary), we have added two more pieces. Theatre veteran Dolly Thakore writes about a time gone by and productions gone by, each month looking at what is happening with the eyes of many years of context in a column titled Life in the Theatre. And Quasar finally dusts of his lazy writing skills to commit to a regular monthly countdown on all things theatrical in Q's Countdown.

We have also changed our Great Stuff section, by breaking it up into Auditions, Theatre Training and Other Theatre News. We hope this will make it easier to navigate.

We dedicate the month of March to Peter Shaffer. Thespo at Prithvi features Equus, Sneha Nair reviews their earlier shows, Dolly Thakore chronicles all the Equus productions in Bombay, theatre trainer Ronald Rand shares his Indian theatrical journey and Q counts down Theatre Publications.

Up coming activities for QTP include Equus at Thespo at Prithvi on the 2nd and 3rd of March, Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace at the NGMA on the 6th of March and weekend theatre workshops of our After Hours course in Sion.

Trivia Time: Leaving Stuff Behind.
Great Text: What are we going to read this month?
Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace: More shows this month.
Some Girl(s): Show must go on!
QTP Workshops: After Hours and Actors Intensive.
Thespo 12: Wants You!!!
Thespo at Prithvi: The return of 'Equus'
Q's Countdown: Q tells us about the Best Theatre Coverage Pages
Dolly Thakore's 'Life in Theatre': Dolly Thakore gives an insight on the various stagings of Equus.
Point of View: Sneha Nair reviews the latest staging of 'Equus' at Thespo.
AK's Various Thoughts: Akarsh Khurana tell's us travel exploits in February.
4 Corners: Ronald Rand tells about the staging of his play in India.
Theatre Training: Workshops!
Up & Coming: Complete Schedule of what to watch in March.
Auditions: Casting for a theatrical piece.
Other Theatre News: New rehearsal space, META 2010 and International Theatre Scholarship.
Curtain Call: Walter Kerr on Reviewers!

Yours Sincerely,
On Behalf of Q Theatre Productions,

Himanshu.
Editor, The Script.

Trivia Time - Leave no stuff behind!

Recently at Prithvi Theatre the LCD projector went missing and turned up 5 days later on the lighting catwalk. In honour of that 'local' event, we feature a related story by John H. Landon of West Texas A&M University.

"I had to focus lights for a touring ballet once, and only once. I was atop an A-Frame ladder some 20 feet in the air, a tremendous height for a carpenter. I was being wheeled along the electric one instrument at the time, cautioning my handlers to 'start slow and stop smooth'. My head was just below the lenses.

All the lamps had been hung, cabled and left in a straight down position. I would grab each one gently and slowly focus it so I did not sway any more than I had to. As I slowly tilted one Par, I felt a heavy blunt thud on the top of my head and scared a 'WOW' out of me. As I looked down, I saw a full roll of black gaf (tape) floating down towards the stage! Luckily it didn't hurt anyone.

The round of black gaf (tape) had gone unnoticed on the back of the round black Par. As a TD today, I still check the tops of instruments and the tops of raceways on electrics for gaf and tools.

Found a C-Wrench once and a Screw-Driver the other!"

Great Text Reading - come read a play with us.

On the last Monday of every month people meet in Q's drawing room to read a play they may have heard of but not necessarily have read. Writer's come to see how the greats wrote, actors come to play multiple parts and theatre lovers come because it keeps them in touch with the art form. It is open all and everyone takes turns in playing characters from the play. Discussions ensue after over tea and biscuits.

February had an almost record turn out as we read Federico Garcia Lorca's "Blood Wedding". Full of passionate imagery and symbolism of orange blossoms and horses, the story of the family vendetta reminded one of Whuthering Heights. The play dealt with powerful emotions and as the title suggests a generous letting of blood.

28 people crowded into the drawing room, sharing scripts and laughing at the discordant chorus singing we all had to do. Post reading discussions threw up ideas of setting the play in Bihar or even urban Bombay where the driving forces of wealth are as prevalent in Modern Day India as it was at the time of writing.

Since this month has seen a resurgence of Peter Shaffer, we thought it would be fitting to explore his canon by reading the epic 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun'. Written in 1964, the plays potrays the destruction of the Inca Empire by conquistador Francisco Pizzaro. The play was very successfully staged in Bombay in the nineties by Feroz Khan featuring Vijay Crishna and Dodo Bhujwala in the lead parts.

We will be reading it on the 29th of March at 7:30pm at 18 Anukool, Sq. Ldr. Harminder Singh Marg, 7 Bungalows. Next to Daljit Gym. All are welcome. If you need directions call Quasar on 26392688 or 9821087261.

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace

6th March 2010 at NGMA at 6:30pm

Jayati Bhatia dons the green saree to reprise her unforgettable role as the orphan girl who grows to become the matriarch of one of the more powerful families in newly Independent India. The play about love, family, responsibility and the strength of a woman who 'wraps the family in the web of her providing' has been directed by Q.

Here is what the press has had to say:

“The show started and what a show! One actress, Jayati Bhatia, a show stealer of the silver screen, kept the whole hall enraptured with her movements and dialogues. My heart went out to her. I wished so hard that I too could some day act like her. For one hour and fifteen minutes, we were mesmerized by Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace, a Q Theatre Production. An

d after the show, we all stood there and applauded for a whole 5 minutes, while Jayati just smiled back at us thanking us profusely with folded hands.” – The Assam Tribune

“Portrayed brilliantly…deserves applause” – NGAGE, Mumbai.

“Brilliantly layered…wonderful portrayal”– West Side Plus, Mumbai.

“Vivacious…Skillful…Innovative…Stimulating…Successful” – Time Out Mumbai.

“One of the most memorable acts in recent times…standing ovation…brilliant performance..” – The New Indian Express, Bangalore.

The show is on:

6th of March 2010 at 6:30pm

at NGMA

National Gallery of Modern Art, Opp. Regal Theatre.

For more information, call 26392688 or email us on qtheatreproductions@gmail.com

QTP Workshops

Performance Based Theatre Workshop:

Earlier this year, we at QTP joined forces with Arts in Motion to conduct regular theatre workshops at their space in Sion. In fact, we are present in the midst of the second After Hours weekend workshop aimed at working people.

Buoyed by the strong response we have ventured into another kind of workshop starting some time in April or May. This will be a performance based workshop which will culminate in the staging of short pieces at the annual Arts in Motion Performance Night in July.

Details are still being worked out, so watch this space for details.

Actor Intensive:

Also kicking off this summer will be our regular 'hard core' Actor's Intensive workshop. A maximum of 8 participants can take part in the week long all day workshop. Sessions last from 10am to 6pm and there is plenty of homework. The emphasis is on providing rigorous skills for actors to work at their craft, to get a slight taste of the passion and madness that goes into creating a role.

Exact details are still being worked out but if you would like to pre register, simply post your interest on this blog and we can keep you in mind when we put the dates, etc. down.

Some Girl(s)

SOME GIRL(S): The Show Must Go On!

As we were about to start rehearsal for our shows of Some Girl(s), we received a disturbing phone call. The only male actor in the play (who happens to be on stage for the whole show), came down with a medical emergency and would need to be replaced. Much panicking and fretting later, director Nadir Khan stepped up to the plate to take one for the team.

The rest of the cast, Shivani Tanksale, Juhi Pande, Radhika Mital and Tarana Raja Kapur all clocked extra rehearsal hours to ensure that Nadir was comfortable. And all the hard work showed.

The audience were in splits from the word 'go' and it was heartening to hear all the wonderful comments about the show.

A big thank you to all those who came to the show despite the long weekend.

More shows lined up in the coming months! Watch this space!!!

Thespo 12

Founded in 1999 by Theatre Group Bombay (TG), India’s oldest English language theatre group, Thespo has been created to give young performers (under the age of 25) an opportunity to hone their talents, in the simulated environment of professional theatre. Giving teams the best infrastructure available, so that they can produce the best work possible. Guidance in terms of technical and dramatic knowledge is also provided to the teams.

From the humble beginnings of a one-act play festival, the movement has grown into a round the year activity - with Thespo at Prithvi happening on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month

THESPO – How you can get involved:

Stage a Play: Any play on any topic. Must be at least 1 hour long.
Informal performances: Short performances in a non-regular space are held before every show. (Includes mime, short plays, poetry reading, monologues, etc.)
Attend a Workshop: Workshops each month conducted by eminent theatre veterans on a variety of topics.
Design A Poster: Poster designing competition, where participants design posters for the short listed plays, which will be exhibited at the festival.
Write an Article: Submitting an article on theatre for the brochure.
Join Team Thespo: Design posters, sets, interior décor, work in PR, marketing, backstage, lighting, interact with theatre professionals, organize performances and a whole lot more.

Thespo is on the lookout for 3 people, who would be part of the organising team.

For an overview of last years festival, watch the video here.

For further details: 2639 2688 /Join 'Thespo' group on Facebook/ thespo@gmail.com

Thespo at Prithvi

Thespo at Prithvi was started in 2007 to provide a more regular showcasing of the best youth theatre talent in the country. Thus every first Tuesday and Wednesday each month, the next generation of theatre wallahs stride across the hallowed Prithvi stage.

Thespo at Prithvi is also providing an opportunity for young theatre groups to showcase their short plays, as a pre show appetizer before the main show on each Thespo at Prithvi show day.

If you have a play that you think can work in the outdoor areas of Prithvi Theatre, email us at thespo@gmail.com

Thespo at Prithvi in February 2010 saw the debut of Jester Production's 'Equus'.

The show performed to 2 full houses. Both shows were packed hours in advance and many were queing up for more tickets. Everyone applauded the design and the performances. We would like to thank everyone who came for the show.

THESPO AT PRITHVI IN MARCH
Back by popular demand!!

Jester Productions presents
EQUUS

Written by Peter Shaffer.
Directed by Daniel D'Souza

Tue, 2nd March and Wed, 3rd March at 9pm

The play tells the story of a psychiatrist, who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological, religious and sexual fascination with horses. In the process, he is forced to take a look at this own life and his duty to society as a psychiatrist.

With Eamonn Ennis, Daniel Dsouza, Nakul Jayadevan, Rebecca Spurgeon, Vikrant Dhote, Mansi Multani, Jason Menezes, Gautmik and Nishtha Bhargava.

Tickets now Available. Call 26149546 or www.bookmyshow.com

Q's Countdown

Q's Countdown

Each month Q will ramble on through a list of things theatrical. This month:

Best Theatre Coverage Pages

Welcome to the first of a new column of weird theatrical lists. This month's list has been inspired from a call I received asking me to write a regular column for the Asian Age's theatre page. My immediate response was "Asian Age has a theatre page?". This got me thinking about all the various places people go to get updates from the theatre world. So here goes, my list:

Time Out Mumbai: Theatre Page: Every fortnight.
When it was launched a few years ago it became the city's first regular outlet to let people know what was going on. Now performances at Cafes and off beat venues are no longer guerrilla theatre enterprises. They are able to reach people. It has achieved the unachievable, it is wanted by performers, journalists and audiences alike. TOM also places a high premium on it's contributors and has spawned a whole generation of exciting theatre reviewers like Pranoti Dutta, Subuhi Jiwani and Saumya Ancheri.
Mumbai Theatre Guide: www.mumbaitheatreguide.com
A God send to the the starved theatre fan. Started almost ten years ago by two budding dot-commers, the site is wonderful catalogue of shows, groups and reviews. The editorial content may not be of high caliber, but the regularity and consistency of the updates, means that you are never out of touch with what is going on.
Shanta Gokhale's Column in Mumbai Mirror
This is the holy grail for all theatre productions. A good word from the high priestess of culture and people can retire satisfied. Originally the culture editor for the Times of India, in these pop culture days, her column has been reduced to a fortnightly piece in the Mirror. Although not exclusively a theatre column, it is still a privilege to be watched and written about by the most respected theatre critic in the city.
What's Hot: Bombay Times every Friday
This is the listing page that has slowly but surely given more and more space to theatre. Although the Bombay Times give absolutely no presence to theatre listings during the week, come Friday and almost two pages are awash with pictures, plays and synopses.
Deepa Gahlot: Bombay Times Weekly Column
At a time when theatre journalism was at it's lowest, Deepa Gahlot waged a lone war bringing back theatre news into the mainline dailies. Although the reviews have gone from her column, her weekly column still manages to capture what are the latest happenings on Bombay's theatre scene.
Asian Age Theatre Page: Every Friday.
The Asian Age has always been a supporter of the arts. When most have murdered their culture pages, AA has managed to keep it going and make it even bigger. The regular full page every Friday has strong articles local productions as well as some international work. And now it has your truly writing for it every alternate week.
PT Notes: Every month
The grand daddy of them all. PT Notes has endured criticism, lack of funding and even a temporary shut down, but it's always come back stronger. Now in a more 'fun' avatar than the earlier academic journal, the newsletter includes insane trivia and even fun anecdotes. Originally mentored by Ramu Ramanathan, PT Notes gave birth to some powerful theatre scribes - Pragya Tiwari, Scherazade Kaikobad, Karishma Attari. Now being guided by Ram Ganesh Kamatham and Shanta Gokhale PT notes looks like creating another great generation of theatre writers.
Arts & Theatre by Kevin Lobo: Mumbai Mirror
Probably the greatest example of the 'power of the press'. An article by Kevin Lobo can almost guarantee a full house. His work is well researched and it seems he has a genuine interest in supporting the work rather than chasing the most populist angle.

When I started this list, I had imagined I would get to ten. But it is really disheartening to realise we only managed eight. There are also rans like the DNA, but that is usually slightly sub standard in it's research and never really features the show times, so it doesn't drive the audience to the show. Then of course there are the 'home publications' like The Script and the Thespo Magazine, but in good faith I can't put them in the countdown list.

So that's it for this month, hope you tune in to next month. Also if you do have suggestions of the kinds of lists you want to see, let me know.

Dolly Thakore's 'Life in the Theatre'

MY EQUUS

EQUUS AT THE PRITHVI IN MARCH 2010. And someone rang to ask if this was a new play. That call catapulted me almost three decades into the past. I can almost claim to be a chronicler of EQUUS.

Equus is the story of a disturbed young stable boy who blinds six horses, and a Psychiatrist who attempts to treat him and find out why. .and discovers he has a pathological religious/sexual fascination with horses.

The first production I saw in Mumbai, was in 1975, Directed by the unforgettable Pearl Padamsee with Rooky Dadachanji (now a dealer in Restoration furniture in Pune) as Alan Strang, and Vijay Crishna (who juggles Board Meetings with rehearsals) as the Psychiatrist Martin Dysart.. And I was in awe of Peter Shaffer and his writings.

In November 2009, Ranan -- a group from Calcutta -- staged their movement-based version of Equus at the Prithvi Festival.

In February 2010, the students of St. Xavier’s College opened Equus. And now are returning to Prithvi in March.

It was the Xavier’s connection that triggered off my flashback. It was in 1986, when a young student from St. Xavier’s College -- Varun Khanna -- ambitiously set up his own Production Company -- Stage Coach Productions -- and directed Equus as his first venture. And I walked the boards at the Sophia Auditorium as the Magistrate Hesther Saloman with Noshirwan Jehangir as Dysart and Rayomond Noble as the precocious Alan Strang.

Jeet Thayil reviewed the play in an erstwhile magazine called BOMBAY, Nov. 22, 1986 and wrote “Varun Khanna, who at 20 is certainly Bombay’s youngest director , makes an impressive debut….The horse heads have been lovingly crafted, nostrils magnificently flared, veins standing out in violent relief. It helps, of course, that Equus is a director’s delight; the script is so clear and precise it would be difficult to go wrong…..Gayatri Chowlera (can’t even recall her now) as Jill takes off her self-consciousness with her sweater, and from then on, she is an aesthetic treat. The love scene in the stable, especially, is done tastefully and without fear.”

A year later, Varun Khanna was in the US getting an MA at the University of Akron in Scenography, and then an MFA in Directing at Ohio State University. But Cinema seduced him away from theatre. And he made a very daring first film “Beyond Honour” which couldn’t be released in India because of its bold subject about ritualistic clitoris circumcision (female genital mutilation) forced upon a Westernized Egyptian American Medical Student in Southern California.

But for me, the greatest Equus experience was when that brilliant director of the Hindi stage Mahendra Joshi asked me to play the Magistrate in Hindi -- opposite another great of the Gujrati and Hindi stage Shafi Inamdar as the Psychiatrist named Dr. Rakesh Inamdar aka Martin Dysart, and a young Feroz Khan as Lalji aka Alan Strang. -- who burst onto the theatre scene in this remarkable production of Ekshuff.

It was the first time I was acting in Hindi, and I was nervous specially since I was pitted against the Hindi theatre greats of that decade. Initially rehearsals were at my home – a concession they made to my hectic schedule in those days – and my scenes mostly involved Shafi the psychiatrist and me.
I recall that Mahendra Joshi as my director seldom spoke to me directly – perhaps because of the language impediment. But I was in awe of him and his work. It was always the handsome Shafi who communicated whatever needed to be done or said.

In true theatre tradition, I had the entire cast and friends over to my flat for dinner after a performance in South Bombay (still) and Amir Khan with a single ‘a’ then also joined us for dinner along with his sister Nikhat who was recently married to Mahendra Joshi. And I have a photograph to commemorate the evening – but none of the performance.

I am not the only one to have had the privilege to attempt Equus in two languages.

In 1977, Mahendra Joshi did Equus as TOKHAR in Gujrati with Paresh Rawal as Alan Strang, and Shafi Inamdar as the Psychiatrist. Interestingly, in 2000, I also saw the Gujrati version “Tokhar” directed by Naushil Mehta with Ratna Pathak Shah as the Dr Anita Munshi and Amit Mistry (now in Chaos Theory)as Lalji.

A few months later, the theatre world was plunged into grief as it lost Mahendra Joshi and Shafi Inamdar in quick succession.

Feroz Khan -- after smash hits like Khelaiya and Royal Hunt of the Sun, and Mahatma v Gandhi which even had Boman Irani in it, got swayed by the magic of cinema and abandoned theatre and all of us, and became Feroz Abbas Khan so as not to be mistaken for the late Producer-Director-Actor Feroz Khan of Qurbani fame. You can now google him as Feroz Abbas Khan. Ekshuff even finds a mention and a photograph in The Prithviwalahs book. I must confess that being a part of Ekshuff finds a very special place in my theatre bio.

Two years ago walking down my favourite beat in London -- Leicester Square, I suddenly spotted the unusua

l EQUUS poster. And nothing attracted me more than the creative use of the human torso as the horse’s head. And I rushed in to see EQUUS at the Gielgud theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue.

Till then I was not aware that Daniel Radcliff of Harry Potter fame was performing as Alan Strang -- and that there were nude scenes of him. I went there to see a British version of the play that I had been a part of in 1986-87. I had played the Court Magistrate/Social Worker Hester Saloman in the English and Hindi version in then Bombay.

The magic of Equus is that no matter how many productions one sees, there is always a freshness in its staging. And I am looking forward to catching the March shows at the Prithvi.

Point of View - Sneha Nair reviews Equus

Not Just Another College Play

Jester’s ‘Equus’ directed by Daniel D’Souza and written by Peter Schaffer first opened at Ithaka, the St. Xavier’s literature festival. I chose to avoid it there because I was unfortunate enough to attend (and shamelessly snooze through) a production of Kenneth Robbins’ ‘The Audition’ and William Golding’s ‘Lord of The Flies’. A design idea here or a character there managed to be raise a tiny blip of interest; unfortunately,it wasn’t enough to make me feel that the other two (‘Equus’ and a staging of John Osbourne’s ‘Look Back In Anger’) would really be unmissable. However, I changed my mind when I heard ‘Equus’ was to be staged at Prithvi Theatre. I have to admit though it was mainly out of curiosity to see how a college production would fare on a professional stage. And to a very small extent, it was also the rather interesting plot.

Written in 1973, ‘Equus’ delves into the concept of worship through 17 year old Alan Strang’s fascination with horses. When Alan blinds six horses simultaneously he is admitted to receive psychiatric care under Dr. Martin Dysart. ’Equus’ develops through Alan’s analysis by Dysart who is going through a period of self-doubt himself. The story contrasts Alan’s consuming reverence of horses to Martin’s own lacklustre life .Schaffer uses Dysart to raise a rhetoric: Would it be unfair to rid the boy of what he truly loves and believes in for something that is flaccid and ‘normal’.

Equus began with a prolonged blackout. It may have been just a few seconds over the usual but it felt more like minutes of people stumbling off big objects and/or banging into heavy things in the dark. I tried keeping an open mind but that becomes difficult when there is a major ruckus on stage during blackouts. It didn’t help that this particular one was a college play. A few smirks here and there in the audience and I knew that the play was already being judged, and it hadn’t even begun yet!

However, when the lights did fade in everything looked just as it did before the blackout. (So what was that commotion about?) Instead, Alan Strang (played by the director) is centre stage with a candle in hand. A spot falls on Martin Dysart (Eamonn Ennis), the psychiatrist under whose care Alan is admitted. As Martin talks about Alan, the latter walks towards a ‘horse’ - an actor wearing wooden sandals and a wireframe horse’s head. The horse’s oiled body and the wireframe glimmered in the light making for a rather beautiful scene – it looked almost divine. Even the most sceptical of the audience at this point was drawn in.

The play moved smoothly from here on. I found out later that the horse’s design was used in the West End production in which Daniel Radcliffe played Alan. It didn’t matter to me because the production had used the design well - it single-handedly manages to make the first scene one of the most memorable ones in the play. Equus also had an ingenious set design. Mainly played out centre stage, the play moved from Dysart’s office to the Strang residence to the stable to a picture house by simply turning a bench or two around. Upstage was occupied by the entire cast that was seated on chairs through the length of the play. Although this looked rather nice, but I am not sure what purpose it served.

Alan as devised by Peter Schaffer is like a case study that Dysart delves into. Alan never shapes into a real person because all his onstage time is spend trying to explain his love for horses disregarding any likes or dislikes he may have that would make him human. Thus he exists not as a boy but a freak who loves horses. Daniel uses this to create a moody and defensive Alan. Daniel’s scenes with Eamonn make for some of the most engaging in the play as he tries to browbeat Eamonn’s cool and composed Dysart with a juvenile aggressiveness. Sadly, he manages to establish no real connection with the horses; his love for them seemed more like a way to aggravate his parents than any true passion. Seeing how the play is about Alan’s consuming reverence of horses, this feels like a letdown in an otherwise impressive performance.

Alan’s father, Frank (Nakul Jayadevan) starts out strongly as the antagonizing parent. However, he was at his weakest during his monologues. While telling Dysart about the time when he caught his son chanting in front of a poster of a horse, Nakul severely needed to enunciate, as his words kept running into each other. Rebecca Spurgeon appears schoolmarm-y due to her costume but plays the mother Dora Strang as a rather saccharine sweet person. She gives a believable performance that she could have pulled off had it not been for the rather abrupt change in character when she has an outburst in front of Dysart.

Right from the beginning, Eamonn plays his part out with a cool confidence that draws in the audience and keeps them engaged throughout. He seems completely imperturbable even when Alan tries to faze him with personal questions. Eamonn’s rather serene approach as Dysart manages to make him convincing as a psychiatrist. It is when he is talking about himself to his aide, Harold x (Vikrant Dhote) that his character falls flat. When he talks about his failing marriage, it might as well have been another patient’s life that he is dissecting. It also seems strange for such a composed psychiatrist to suddenly start questioning his sanity with no real breakthrough on his part. While his lines may have expressed doubts, his body language seemed otherwise. In fact I can hardly remember the first signs of his breakdown (in his first monologue) – it might as well have been edited out! In his scenes with Alan, he manages to show who the boss is and still appear friendly. It is a pity then that Eamonn doesn’t manage to create a steady performance as his character single-handedly could have managed to pull up the first half of the play.

The first half of Equus seems to wander about paying more attention to design and characters than to understand what the play is really about. Another severe disappointment was the sound. Every sound cue was announced a few seconds before with a loud boom proving to be a distraction in the build-up to every major scene. When Alan was describing his first time on a horse, the boom was followed by an ear-piercing track that made it hard to follow what Alan was saying. The sound got better as the play progressed and as I recall, the second half was almost entirely devoid of any major disturbances from the control booth.

Along with an improvement in the sound it also seemed like the cast had had a collective eye-opener on what the play was really about in the second half. Eamonn’s body language finally matched up with his lines and Rebecca discarded her saccharine obeisance for a sterner one as the audience was further drawn into Alan’s story. In Vikrant’s first appearance as Harold (Schaffer uses a female confidante, Heather) he seemed completely muddled and helpless to a point of hysteria. In the second half, however, he was a lot less flustered and his scenes with Eamonn were a lot more engaging..

I have to say that once the play was over, I felt guilty about judging Equus even before seeing it. The sound may have played killjoy and been too loud at points but it seemed more like goofups due to inexperience than any design flaw. The actors were confident and despite the benches falling twice the play progressed smoothly. The backstage seemed a lot more organized than those at Ithaka where it wouldn’t be unusual to see a person in black occasionally pop out of nowhere to pick up misplaced props. A little more work on the characters and some more experience with Prithvi’s control booth would have helped the play. The audience may have snickered once or twice and completely missed out on the dark humour of the play but I guess when it left the theatre, it wasn’t treating Equus as just another college play.

- Sneha Nair

AK's Various Thoughts

My third article of the year is being typed in Kumarakom, couple of hours away from Kochi. Backwaters and all that. No, I’m not here for theatrical purposes. Well, not exactly. I’m

here attending a cousin’s wedding. And these usually turn out to be quite dramatic. Also, Megha Sriram, the wonderful vocalist of our play Afsaneh: Bai se Bioscope tak is here on special request, performing for the wedding. So there’s a strange sense of déjà vu. And this afternoon, the first thing she said on the mic was “Akvarious presents”. I love her for it, but I’m now being ragged by lots of drunk relatives for ‘shameless self promotion’.

So while February ends for me in Kerala, it began in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The leading surgeon there, Dr. Brijeshwar Singh, has for four years now organized a theatre festival at a local hospital’s auditorium for the benefit of doctors, dignitaries and the general public. The festival runs a week, plays from Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur and Delhi come down with huge troupes and stay at large army guest houses, private dinner parties are organized every night, an auditorium with a capacity of 400 seats 600, and close to a 1000 people are turned away daily. Add to that a warm, receptive, giving audience that cherishes every spoken word. All in all, a very heartening experience for performers. Business Standard recently covered this festival, deservedly, and said that other small towns should learn from this and start similar movements of their own.

We returned from Bareilly, did a couple of shows at the Kala Ghoda Festival (which was particularly wonderful this year and which I hope doesn’t shut down as per the word on the streets), and headed off to Kolkata for a few shows. A good time was had, much shopping was done, much food was consumed, and much too much foul language was used on stage given that the auditorium was right below a huge temple.

In the midst of all this, the nominations for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards were announced. Two plays from my poll results for The Script made it to their top ten – Sex, Morality and Censorship (which had featured in our top five) and Blackbird (which had featured in our ‘bubbling under’ section). Two Marathi plays – Garbo (Aasakta, Pune) and White Lily ani Night Rider have also made the cut. More details at www.metawards.com.

Before I left town

, I managed to catch Andha Yug – a fusion, which is Bijon Mondal’s take on the Dharmvir Bharti classic set in the Mahabharata. An intense and difficult undertaking, handled bravely by a young team, with a very interesting and well thought out design, populated by many innovative elements. Perhaps a tad long for today’s audiences, but then again, the production did not have the permission to edit or tamper with the original text.

As I sit here, by a lake, surrounded by palm trees (in the sweltering heat), sipping coconut water, with no large construction visible for miles, my team back home is preparing for our first ever show in a building under construction. Have always thought that construction sites would make great venues. Also, we have an ample amount of those. So here I am, visualizing actresses in hard hats. Nice.

4 Corners - Ronald Rand's 'Let it be Art!'

Performing my solo play, LET IT BE ART! & Teaching my Master Acting Workshop, “The Art of Transformation” in Kerala, New Delhi and Mumbai – 2010

by RONALD RAND

In Thissur, Kerala, I attend the first day of the CPRACSIS International Conference on Body, Space, and Technology.

When I arrive at the Conference I soon meet Dr. C. S. Biju, Director of CPRACSIS (Centre for Performance Research and Cultural Studies in South Asia), and also other distinguished teachers, directors, performers and theatre practioners including Sri. G. P. Despande, Sri. Sadanand Menon, Boris Daussa-Pastor, Padmini Rangarajan, Satish Pawade, Sunil Kumar S., R. Prasanna Venkatesan, and K.C. Manavendranath (Research Director of the Ankanam Theatre Group in Thissur).

During the day, as well as the next day, I listen to different theatre practitioners and professors delivering their Papers on performance in India and America, technology, dance, puppetry, theater techniques, several different Indian performance rituals, and I also deliver a Paper on Harold Clurman and The Group Theatre.

Those in the audience ask me about Stella Adler and when she studied with Stanislavsky in Paris, what she had learned and brought back to The Group Theatre – a subject I know very well. On both days we’re served a most delicious Indian lunch. Every moment is very special.

On the way back to my hotel I pass a large black Brahmin cow lazily munching on the grass a few feet away from the busy bus station. Of course!!

The night before I am to perform, everyone gathers on the grounds of St. Thomas College to watch a Teyyam performance by Dr. Jayarajan V. In a brightly glowing pink costume, head-dress, bracelets, necklaces, gloves, and pointed shoes, he depicts a God as he dances. He is accompanied by two shirtles

s men playing large drums. A large bonfire on the ground is lit, and as the drumming grows louder, he dances across and through the flames several times, his movements in step with the music. I feel transported to another time and place when this ritual was necessary for the life of its village.

A Shadow Puppet performance is next, performed by Ramachandran Pulaivar. Several candles are very clear in the darkness, lit in a row behind a long screen. Singing is heard coming from a tape, as various thin puppets in the shape of Gandhi, different animals, people, and trees are raised behind the screen, re-enacting the story of Gandhi’s life.

The next night I perform LET IT BE ART! It is the first time in my ten years of performing the play, that I perform outside, under the stars, in a courtyard with tall trees behind me. This is my set! Plus a few chairs, tables and rugs are set up to create Harold Clurman’s living room. 50 to 60 chairs face me and they are soon filled by a most enthusiastic audience.

At curtain call, the audience is on their feet, which is most gratifying, and some of the professors come up to me telling me how glad they have had the opportunity of “meeting” Harold Clurman.

During a short talk-back, I’m asked what I have learned from continuing to perform the play so many times. I share how it’s always the “first time” as I never know what my set will be, that there is always a new audience, that I trust in the moment, had once written me in a letter: “We must raise our eyes up to see the wonder and beauty around us, to always remind ourselves to be human.”

By the time the taxi deposits me in the suburb of Karol Bugh, where my host, a very fine gentleman, Deepak Bonsal, is waiting for me, it was late in the evening. I am so glad to meet him as thick fog swirls around us, blanketing the houses and streets. He brings me to an efficiency apartment, near the R.K. Films & Media Academy where I will be performing and teaching over the next three days. It’s a chilly 44 degrees, and the room is also quite cool – a vast cry from the warmth of the south.

The next morning students from the Academy arrive to walk me to class. A splendid way to start the day!

R.K. Films & Media Academy was founded by N.C. Bansal in 1997. At the door I’m greeted by a large picture of Shiva, and stepping inside I see bright red and yellow walls and furnishings – very energizing.

Downstairs I quickly spring into action to set up for my matinee performance. While I arrange my set, the students set up lights and then we run a short tech rehearsal. The Chairman of the Academy attends the performance, and at the curtain call I receive a beautiful bouquet of roses! A young student introduces me, and I have a spirited question and answer with the students.

The next two days I conducted my acting workshop, adapting Stanislavky’s chart of the “Method of Physical Actions” to the young students who are studying to be film directors, announcers, film editors, and camera operators. I share with them their responsibility in the creative process, to respect one another by being organized, on time, and informed of everything they need to know to accomplish their objectives. How important it is to read, and understanding what those before us have accomplished. One student, Shankey, takes it to heart, and tells me although he’s not used to reading, he wants a copy of my book and then immediately gets another book from the library. He’s also in charge of the sound studio and conducts a wonderful interview with me for his program on You Tube.

I visit the National School of Drama (and the Academy arranges for a student to go with me). I have the pleasure of meeting and talking with the Dean of Academics, Abhilash Pillai, in his office.

Once outside In the courtyard I notice a very distinguished gentleman, and begin a conversation with him. I tell him I travel around the world bringing Harold Clurman to many theatres and universities. He quic

kly replies: “Harold Clurman! He had the most dramatic influence on my work as an actor and as a director.” I tell him I will be performing in Mumbai. “I want to come. Please call me.” And gives me his card: Alyque Padamsee! (I soon learned he is the godfather of Indian advertising, patriarch of English theatre in India (the director who introduced “Evita” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” to India), and an extraordinary actor – he had played Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Richard Attenborough’s film, “Gandhi” opposite Ben Kingsley – plus, and I had no idea, he is the father of the young director I will be staying with in Mumbai!! What an amazing coincidence!!

After landing I am so happy to meet a friend of Quasar, Harsha Khorana from Kolkotta. He is planning to work with Quasar and his exciting theater festival.

In the taxi, as we slowly move through the thick traffic, I can see modern-looking homes, very crowded hovels and dwellings among the modern apartment buildings.

I’m very glad to arrive at Quasar’s home (or Q as he is known), and we have a most engaging conversation. An enterprising young man, he is a director, co-founder of Q Theatre Productions, a playwright and a true man of the theatre. Quite well-known in India for his productions of “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail,” “All My Sons,” “Minorities,” “Acid,” and “Kindertransport,” he tells me about his experiences as the assistant director on a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which opened in India, and then toured to England, Italy, Australia, Canada and the United States.

His passion for the theatre clearly comes from having such illustrious parents as Dolly Thakore and Alyque Padamsee. Q also tells me about a ten-day theatre festival he created ten years ago, which showcases new plays and workshops called Thespo. (He now acts as its consultant). And an outgrowth of Thespo has been the formation of new theatre groups like Akvarious, Proscenium Theatre and the First Play Theatre in Mumbai, and it has brought to the public of India new artists: Ajay Krishman, Ram Ganesh, Akarsh Khurana, Nadir Khan, and Arghya Lahiri.

The next morning when I awake I can see a view between the apartment buildings of the Arabian Sea! I take a rickshaw to Anupam Kher’s prestigious Actor Prepares School for Actors in Santa Cruz. First, we have a tech rehearsal in the large performance space. Suraj Vyas and his kind students help me with my set, and I also meet the Dean of the School, Yashraj Jadhav.

When I return in the early evening, I perform to an over-flowing audience of enthusiastic students, including Anupam Kher and Alyque Padamsee.

At the end of the performance, during the Q and A, Anupam Kher praises my work

and also shares his experiences as a young actor and how he, in bringing to life a man much older in years than himself, found a way to express great emotional pain. He tells us he drew upon his immediate reality: What if this film didn’t do well, his career would be over, and that brought the moment alive for him. Both Anupam and Alyque join me on stage for photos, and Anupam presents me with gifts.

The next two days I am fortunate to share my Workshop with the students at Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares School for Actors, as we work together on improvisations, movement and energy exercises, scenes (I gave three actresses a scene from Shaw’s St. Joan). It is a most enthusiastic and exciting experience.

My entire time in India made me aware of how easy it is to take what you have for granted. How one individual brought his fellow citizens forward through the belief in non-violence, and to never cease striving to make this world a more peaceful world to live in. And how much we can learn from one another.

Up & Coming - Plays Schedule

Tuesday, 2nd March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : EQUUS
The play tells the story of a psychiatrist, who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious and sexual fascination with horses. In the process he is forced to take a look at his own life and his duty to society as a psychiatrist.

Wednesday, 3rd March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : EQUUS
A Jester Presentation.
Written by Peter Shaffer. Directed by Daniel DSouza.
With Eamonn Ennis, Daniel Dsouza, Nakul Jayadevan, Rebecca Spurgeon, Vikrant Dhote, Mansi Multani, Jason Menezes, Gautmik and Nishtha Bhargava.

Thursday, 4th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : AAALL IZZ WELL WITH SHUTURMURGH
A palace… a king… a queen… their honourable ministers… many soldiers…..and a common man…. common man? Who is he? What is his existence?

Friday, 5th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : AAALL IZZ WELL WITH SHUTURMURGH
An IPTA Presentation.

Saturday, 6th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : AAALL IZZ WELL WITH SHUTURMURGH
The play gives us an opportunity to laugh at our own tragedies.

NGMA - 6:30pm : KHATIJABAI OF KARMALI TERRACE
One Woman Performance by Jayati Bhatia. Directed by Q.

Sunday, 7th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : AAALL IZZ WELL WITH SHUTURMURGH
Directed by Ramesh Talwar.

St. Andrews Auditorium - 7:45pm : BROKEN IMAGES
With Shabana Azmi.

Tuesday, 9th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : CHUGADDHAM SYM-PHONY
2 criminals & a prostitute on the run are stranded in the middle of no-where & decide to establish a city as a mecca for lust, liberty & the pursuit of pleasure.

Wednesday, 10th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : CHUGADDHAM SYM-PHONY
A Proscenium Presentation.

Thursday, 11th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : HAMLET
A bunch of Clowns are putting up a show of Hamlet - they sometimes misinterpret the text, sometimes find new meanings in it, sometimes try and understand it, very often make a mess of it.

Friday, 12th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : HAMLET
An Cinematograph Presentation.

Saturday, 13th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : HAMLET
With Atul Kumar, Rachel D'Souza, Sujay Saple, Neil Bhoopalam, Namit Das and Puja Sarup.

NCPA Experimental - 7pm : UNTITLED
A belated Women's Day tribute, the play is based on a story by Vijayadhan Detha, where the women suprise the men who treat them like objects.

Sunday, 14th March
Prithvi Theatre – 11am : DADAJI KAHEIN
The play brings back a diminishing practice of story telling in ancient and rural India.

NCPA Experimental - 6:30pm : UNTITLED
Directed by Arvind Gaur.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : HAMLET
Directed by Rajat Kapoor.

Tuesday, 16th March
Prithvi Theatre – 8:30pm : ART
A hilarious comedy about a man who buys a modern painting for an absurd amount of money...and its white and white!

Wednesday, 17th March
Prithvi Theatre – 7 & 9pm : KISSA YONI KA
A Poor Box Presentation.

Thursday, 18th March
Prithvi Theatre – 7 & 9pm : THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
With Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Jayati Bhatia, Dolly Thakore, Sonali Sachdev and Avantika Akerkar.

Friday, 19th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : AAO SAATHI SAPNA DEKHEN
A musical set in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi.

Saturday, 20th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : AAO SAATHI SAPNA DEKHEN
Directed by Swanand Kirkire.

Rangshardha Auditorium - 7pm : ISHQ NAAM KE GUZRE THE EK BUZURG
Directed by Imran Rasheed.

Sunday, 21st March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : AAO SAATHI SAPNA DEKHEN
An Actor’s Cult Presentation.

Manik Sabhagrah - 7pm : ISHQ NAAM KE GUZRE THE EK BUZURG
With Adhir Bhat, Sanjay Dadhich, Hussain Dalal, Dilshad Edibam, Akarsh Khurana, Tahira Nath, Imran Raheed, Shivani Tanksale and Pawan Uttam.

Tuesday, 23rd March
Prithvi Theatre – 7 & 9:30pm : CLASSIC MILDS
A Collection of short plays written by Anton Chekov, Noel Coward, Harold Pinter, Neil Simon and Tom Stoppard

Wednesday, 24th March
Prithvi Theatre – 7 & 9:30pm : CLASSIC MILDS
Directed by Hussain Dalal, Akarsh Khurana, Siddharth Kumar, Tahira Nath and Hidaayat Sami.

Thursday, 25th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : DREAMS OF TALEEM
A Zero Theatre Presentation.

Friday, 26th March
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm : DREAMS OF TALEEM
A play about theatre, love, passion, longing, acceptance and rejection.

Saturday, 27th March
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm : DREAMS OF TALEEM
Directed by Sunil Shanbag.

Rangshardha Auditorium - 7pm : ISHQ NAAM KE GUZRE THE EK BUZURG
Directed by Imran Rasheed.

St. Andrews - 7:30pm : ANYTHING BUT LOVE!
A story of a recently divorced couple, perhaps still very much in love.

Sunday, 28th March
Prithvi Theatre – 5 & 8pm : JAAGINE JOUN TO : NARASAINYO
The play is about the life and times of the 15th Century Saint Poet Narsinh Mehta, the Adi Kavi of Gujurati Literature.

Monday, 29th March
18 Anukool - 7:30pm : GREAT TEXT READING
An informal reading of

Tuesday, 30th March
Prithvi Theatre - 6 & 9pm : ISMAT AAPA KE NAAME PART 1
With Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Heeba Shah.

Wednesday, 31st March
Prithvi Theatre - 6 & 9pm : MANTO ISMAT HAZIR HAI
A Motley Presentation.

Theatre Training - Workshops!

Cultivating the Actor's Inner Impulse - An Advanced Workshop with Jairo Vergara Fruto
This March, learn to develop the actor's inner impulse with Colombian actor and director Jairo Vergara. Jairo, who has practiced and researched Theatre in Denmark, Germany, Colombia, Indonesia, India, Spain and Italy, will work with actors to arrive at performance by working with text, and through exercises based on the principles of Grotowski.

Dates: March 29th - April 3rd 2010
Time: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Venue: P. L. Deshpande, Prabhadevi.

To apply, call 9321595159 or email us on awp@theatrepeofessionals.co.in

Auditions

Open Space Theatre seeks 7 performers (m/f) ready to step out of the enclave. The play will be devised from a story by Michael Ende, to be performed in outdoor spaces for an audience drawn from across society, and across the human lifespan. We need physical actors and or dancers. Ability to speak Marathi and/or play a musical instrument a bonus.

Momo follows the story of a small girl who comes from Elsewhere, and walks into the heart of a small community clinging to the edge of the city. Her incredible ability to listen means she is the only one able to resist when the Men in Grey appear, unnoticed, unremembered, stealing people's time...

The project will be led by Jo Tyabji, (a theatre practitioner from England) from April to July 2010. If interested, please contact joanna@tyabji.co.uk.

Other Theatre News

New Rehearsal Spaces:
Theatre groups have always had the worry of lack of rehearsal spaces. But now, 2 new spaces have miraculously popped up.

Choiti Ghosh has found 2 spaces in bandra west. Although not the ideal of places, can be considered in these times of crisis. If any theatre group wants to check them out,do call her on 9820361835.
3 rehearsal spaces have been newly made in Andheri, Fun Republic lane. The space can be used for Rehearsals, Performances and Photo Shoots.Cost varies from 100-150/- an hour. However only available from 10am - 7pm. For more details contact Mr. Thakur on 9869171641.

META AWARDS LIST:
The 5th Edition of the META (Mahindra Excellence Theatre Awards) will be held in Delhi from the 2nd to the 6th of March 2010. Two plays from Bombay and one from Pune have made it to the final shortlist. So if you are in Delhi in March, do check out the plays:

2nd March :
Sri Ram Centre : 5pm : Roop Aroop
Kamani Auditorium : 7:30pm : Garbo

3rd March :
Sri Ram Centre : 5pm : Mirel Masingkha (The Will of the Soul)
Kamani Auditorium : 7:30pm : A - Chik A - Song

4th March:
Sri Ram Centre : 5pm : While Lily Aani Night Rider
Kamani Auditorium : 7:30pm : Spinal Cord

5th March:
Sri Ram Centre : 5pm : Guti Pulhor Gamusa
Kamani Auditorium : 7:30pm : Sex, Morality and Censorship

6th March :
Sri Ram Centre : 5pm : Blackbird
Kamani Audiorium : 7:30pm : Bharatkatha

Inlaks -LAMDA Collaborative Scholarships-2010:

In a new collaborative venture, the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art( LAMDA) invite applications for scholarships in the field of Theatre.

Details of the courses can viewed on the website www.lamda.org.uk

The courses in which scholarships are on offer are:

Short Courses:

These scholarships will apply to those courses which are 8 weeks in length. Application Process for Short Courses. All candidates will need to apply to the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation following normal procedure laid out in the ‘Scholarships Abroad-Inlaks Scholarships’ section on the website www.inlaksfoundation.org.

The said section, also indicates the eligibility criteria for candidates. Forms can be downloaded from the said website.

The deadline for receiving applications is the 15th of April 2010.

Long Courses:

Theses scholarships will apply to courses which are 1 to 3 years long, in the area of Acting and Stage Management. For these courses, candidates will have to attend auditions in Delhi in April 2010. In the case of Acting, a further interview will be required. Applications received will be evaluated and shortlisted candidates will be informed the date and venue of their audition by email or phone. All candidates will need to apply to the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation following normal procedure laid out in the ‘Scholarships Abroad-Inlaks Scholarships’ section on the website www.inlaksfoundation.org