The Script, November 2010 - Issue 11

Its the Festive season!! Firstly we'd like to wish all our 'Script' readers a Happy Diwali and Prosperous New Year.

In Bombay however it is more of a THEATRE FESTIVAL season.

6th to 13th November is The International Clown Fest

12th to 14th November is Literature Live!, the cities inaugural literature fest. And while it is literature there are quite of few exciting performances as well.

26th November to 5th December is Centre Stage, NCPA's inaugural theatre festival.

4th to 12th December is Sarkash, the festival by Jan Natya Manch of Delhi to raise funds for their new space.

And then there is Thespo - 14th to 19th December.

Check out the Theatre News section for more details on all the festivals.

Keeping with the festival theme, on the QTP front, we're preparing for our own youth theatre festival Thespo 12 and Project S.T.R.I.P. just returned from touring Calcutta.

Also yours truly has an update from Canada - I have been hired as the Assistant Stage Manager for Why Not Theatre's run of their show 'Spent'. Details will be in an article in January.

Also we have started a new quiz section! Every month a new theatre question will be posted - it can be viewed on the right hand side under 'Up Coming QTP shows'. Don't cheat!!!

Last month's question was: In theatre, special effexts are often achieved by using a certain (sometimes made of muslin) which, depending upon lighting, can either be transport or opaque. What is this called?
The correct answer is: Scrim - A scrim allows a scene to either be played in front of it or behind it, depending on the desired effect.
A whopping 80% got it right!! Well done!!!

An overview of this month's edition of The Script:

Trivia Time: Greek Theatre
Great Text: A round up of October.
Project S.T.R.I.P.: We travelled! We conquered!!
Thespo 12: On month to the fest, a photo essay of the screening journey.
Point of View: Priti Bakalkar reviews Sunil Shanbag's 'Walking to the Sun'.
4 Corners: Reema Gehi shares her experience on visiting the Edinburgh Fringe 2010.
AK's Various Thoughts: Being in Light, Free Sandwiches and Thespo.
Dolly Thakore's 'Life in Theatre': Dolly Thakore recounts on being called to perform in front of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Q's Countdown: Q counts 10 on - stage accidents.
Up & Coming: Complete Schedule of what to watch in November.
Theatre Training: NCPA's 'From Script to Stage' Workshop Schedule.
Other Theatre News: Details of The Mumbai Lit Fest, The International Clown Festival and hotINK at the Park Playwright Festival
Curtain Call: Gwyneth Paltrow on control in theatre and film.

Yours Sincerely,
On Behalf of Q Theatre Productions,

Himanshu.
Editor, The Script

Theatre Trivia - Greek Theatre

Important Facts About the Greek Theater and Greek Drama

Greek Tragedy

1. Tragedy revolves around a tragic hero who suffers misfortune.
2. In his Poetics, Aristotle wrote about the qualities of tragedy, which include a catharsis or cleansing: Aristotle's Tragedy Terminology.
3. Greek tragedy was performed as part of an estimated 5-day Athenian religious festival, which may have been instituted by Peisistratus.
4. The Great Dionysia, the name of this festival, was held in the Attic month of Elaphebolion, from the end of March to mid-April.
5. Three tragic playwrights competed during the festival for the prize for the best series of three tragedies and a satyr play.
6. The first competition is thought to have been held in 535 B.C. at which time Thespis won.
7. There were rarely more than a chorus and 3 actors, regardless of how many roles were played. Actors changed their appearance in the skene.

Greek Comedy

1. Greek Comedy is divided into Old and New.
2. Since the only Greek comedy comes from Attica -- the country around Athens -- it is often called Attic Comedy.
   
   
3. Old Comedy tended to examine political and allegorical topics while New Comedy looked at personal and domestic themes.
4. Euripides (one of the 3 great writers of tragedy) is considered an important influence on the development of New Comedy.
5. The primary writer of Old Comedy is Aristophanes; the primary figure for New Comedy is Menander.
6. The Roman comedy writers followed Greek New Comedy.
7. The relatively modern "Comedy of Manner" can be traced to Greek New Comedy.

General Information on the Greek Theatre

• Men played the role of women.
• Actors wore masks.
• Performances were outdoors often on hillsides.
• The word "theater" comes from the word theatron which was the viewing area for the Greek audience.

Great Text Reading - Round up of October

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.

In the month of October, we read Tom Stoppards "Rock 'n' Roll". The plays throws light on the significance of rock and roll in the emergence of the democratic movement in Eastern Bloc Czechoslovakia between the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

Owing to Thespo 12 and the New Year in December, we will be taking a break from the reading.

We will be back on January 31st, 2010!!!

Project S.T.R.I.P. - We Traveled, We Conquered!

Project S.T.R.I.P.

Our play and tank traveled many miles to Calcutta to perform at the Kalamandir as part of the Airtel Lifestage Kolkatta Theatre Festival.

Despite attempts to burn our costumes, the show was well received and we'd like to thank the city of Calcutta and all those who came the show and gave us some great feedback.

"Project S.T.R.I.P.", a comic satire written by Ram Ganesh Kamatham and directed by Q.

In a small pond, it’s the big corporations that feed on the little fish! A comic satire about deranged corporations, mercenaries-for-hire, and an armed man called Abu and people who just can't seem to get out of the way.

The play tells the story of the discovery of a native island community and their contribution towards the ‘progress and trade’ of the modern world.

The cast includes Harssh A. Singh, Dilnaz Irani, Tariq Vasudeva, Shruti Sridharan and Neil Bhoopalam.

More shows in 2011!! Watch this space!!!

Thespo 12 - One month away!!!

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 and an Annual National Festival organised every December.

This year Thespo 12 will be held in December 2010 at Prithvi & NCPA Theatre.

THESPO 12 - JUST ROUND THE CORNER

The Screening Process is over!! 20 Days, 8 Cities, 80 Plays later, Thespo 12 has its final 4 plays which will be performing from the 14th to 19th of December at the Prithvi Theatre and NCPA.

And the Final 4 plays are...........................................................................................................................

WATCH THIS SPACE NEXT MONTH!!!!!!!!!

This year's screening panel consisted of Quasar Thakore Padamsee (Actor/Director, Q Theatre Productions) and Kashin Shetty (Director, Actor and Winner of 2 Thespo's).

Over the years, the full length play's that have made to Thespo, have produced some outstanding talent who have gone on to be successful in theatre as well as various fields in film and radio. Some of them include: Anand Tiwari, Namit Das, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Karan Makhija, Amrita Puri, Kshitee Jog, Akarsh Khurana, Nadir Khan, Preetika Chawla and Ali Fazal.

How you can still get involved:

* 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 festival magazine.

* 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.


For an overview of last year's festival, watch the video here.

For further details: 2639 2688 /Join 'Thespo' group on Facebook/ thespo12@gmail.com

Point of View - Priti Bakalkar reviews Sunil Shanbag's 'Walking to the Sun'.

WALKING TO THE SUN

Right from the time I read the title of this show, I knew I wanted to watch this new production of Arpana directed by Sunil Shanbag. So when I was told on the Wednesday evening at 7pm that the 9pm show is already sold out (and the earlier show was also running full house), I was really upset. But I waited patiently for any last minute cancellations and finally just when the third bell rang I managed to get tickets for myself and three other friends. And then we had to sit in the aisle on the steps because theatre was packed. But believe me every second of it was totally worth all that wait. No wonder the show ran packed houses for all the five days that it played at Prithvi.

The show was originally produced as a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore for his 150^th birth anniversary. It is an interesting mix of fact and fiction. It mixes Tagore’s Daak Ghar with true incidents from life of a Polish doctor Dr. Janusz Korczak.

Daak Ghar tells a story of this small boy Amal who is adopted by his Uncle after the death of his parents. Initially the Uncle is against the idea of adoption but slowly he grows fond of Amal. Amal is terminally ill and is advised by the doctor to stay at home behind the closed doors and not to step out in open. Whereas Dr. Korczak’s story takes place during the time of World War II at the time of Jewish Holocaust. The two stories run in parallel planes in different time zones. One fact and another fiction. It is Amal’s struggle for his existence versus Dr. Korczak’s struggle to bring hope and courage to the lives of these kids from Orphanage as they confront the grim realities of the second world war and the impending Holocaust.

The play draws amazing parallels between the lives of two extremely different individuals. Both attempting to cross the boundaries created around them by circumstances. Amal’s world confined to the window of his room and Doctor is surrounded by the barbed wire fencing! It is all about their struggle to reach out to the world beyond those boundaries.

The play grips us right from the first frame. Satyajit Sharma as Dr. Korczak controls most of the first part of the play. His narration about how the children should be treated with dignity and compassion is quite moving, especially when he makes us hear the thumping heart beats of a scared nine year child in a lecture he is giving. However, no European or that matter no nine year old kid will be so short that the kid will barely reach the height of his knees.

During the first half, while Dr. Korczak’s narrations are long and slow, Amal’s story though grave, keeps you interested in knowing more and more about Amal’s progress. There were times when I thought there was actually no necessity to intertwine the two stories. Daak Ghar per se was very interesting. But somewhere at the end of the first half both the stories started mingling with each other and it started getting more and more interesting and we got dragged in the flow of both the stories and then there was not a moment’s time to look anywhere else. The highpoint of the play was when the two stories actually merged and the Doctor’s journey with the kids thereafter. It was moving. It was exciting. It was absolutely magical. The one point when the Jew doctor and the kids were put in one crowded train compartment by the Nazis to be sent to the gas chamber, lifted the play to absolutely different plane. It was a superlative dramatic experience. Honestly, words are not enough to describe that experience.

Manasi Rachh as Amal was a delight to watch. She played her character with amazing maturity. There was a lot of scope for her character to get melodramatic but I guess the director made sure that she did not go down that path and her infectious smile won hearts of the audience just as easily as Amal won hearts of the people passing by his window. We could actually feel Amal’s longing to explore the world outside his window in her eyes.

Sudhir Pande as Amal’s uncle’s friend was entertaining and so was Jagdish Rajpurohit as Amal’s Uncle. He, very sensitively portrayed the Uncle’s dilemma in binding the small kid to the four walls of the home and depriving him the pleasures of a normal childhood as against trying to control the kid’s failing physical conditions. Other actors supported the main character quite well.

Satyajit Sharma was quite impressive as an old, gritty Polish doctor who knows he is walking towards his end but trying to salvage the situation to the best of his capacity. However, somehow many a times in the first half I felt he had a great influence of Mr. Bachchan’s character in the movie “Black”. Many a times his body language defied the persona he was portraying. But these are all woes of the first half. He was absolutely amazing in the second half.

Now, something on the technical side. The technical team shares equal amount of credit as the actors for this wonderful experience. Without the set (Nayantara Kotian & Vivek Jadhav), light (Hidayat Sami & Sunil Shanbag), sound (Mohandas VP & Sukanta Majumdar), and music (Moushumi Bhowmik), this play would have fallen flat to the ground. The technical side complemented the actors so well. It was just amazing. When the play started with the blue light on the barbed wire fencing and the sound of tankers and soldiers marching, we were immediately transported to the cold, snowy, lonely nights of war laden Europe and this amazing experience continued throughout the journey. If not for the lighting the final scene would not have had played the same magic upon us. It perfectly conveyed what “Walking to the Sun” signified.

It has been one of the most exhilarating experiences for me. I do not know when the next shows are going to be performed but whenever it is going to be, do not miss the opportunity to experience this fantastic show. And do not forget to do an advance booking or be ready to sit in the aisle on the steps. But it would be totally worth it.

4 Corners - Reema Gehi shares her experience on visiting the Edinburgh Fringe 2010

HIGH ON THEATRE

As one of the several arts enthusiasts in Edinburgh, beautifully remarked, “If this festival has to ever shut down, or even downsize in its scale, it would block one entire artery of the heart of world theatre.”

Suffice it to say, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, held each year in August, is undeniably the precinct to any theatre aficionado in the world. In retrospect, perhaps, my year-long stay in the UK would have been incomplete, had I not visited the Fringe. Inclination took its own turn, and I landed myself a summer job as a press and marketing assistant, with one of the venues at the festival. (The six-week-long boot camp, however, is another tale to tell.)

Owing to time and budget constraints, most of the shows that I managed to see at the festival were based on recommendations made by colleagues, friends, reviews and some by instinct. Whilst most of the references were bang-on, a few were less said the better. Nonetheless, those that left an impression on me were:

The Author at Traverse Theatre

If theatre promises to break the fourth wall, this quite literally broke the fifth. There was no stage, just two banks of ranked seating facing each other. The playwright, the actors as well as the director of the play, sat amongst the audience and performed. Our presence was acknowledged. They greeted us warmly and even shared chocolates with us. British theatre director, Tim Crouch’s recent act was set in London’s Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. It told the story of another play and explored the relationship the playwright and the two actors, who acted in it, shared with their audience.

To encapsulate it all, this blatantly honest play was about the abuse carried out in the name of art. They asked us audience the very pertinent question – Why do we choose to promote trashy work? Incidentally, we were even described as “f*&^%#@ cunts”, to that a visibly upset spectator asked the actor, “to speak for himself!” Ha! A few other audience members, rather offended by the act’s provocative nature, even walked out of the auditorium. Apparently, one of them was staged. Although a part of me thought of it as a self-indulgent endeavour, it made me want to re-read the Fringe brochure and review the play list that I had chalked out for myself.

Beautiful Burnout at the Pleasance Forth

This play, presented by Frantic Assembly along with The National Theatre of Scotland, had all the elements that go into creating a full-fledged matinee-masala film. The 90-minute long production had song, dance, drama, emotion and action. Besides, it touched upon the mother-son bond. God!

However, it was the convincing performances, delivered by the actors, in this avant-garde production, which made it work. In fact, towards the end of the play, when the two boxers jabbed and punched one another, whilst sweat rolled down their chiselled bodies, I actually found myself at the edge of the seat rooting for one of them. It took me to the world of boxing, of which I had no prior experience.

Face at C Soco

It was the final day of the Fringe and I had challenged myself to catch back-to-back shows, post work. I removed the brochure out to plan my evening. The hour-long 6.30 pm play was a strong recommendation by a colleague, the 9 pm sketch comedy show seemed fun. I had exactly an hour to spare. The 45-minute performance, which started at 7.50 pm, fitted in my schedule, perfectly. It also gave me enough time to get some coffee in-between the two shows. Quite honestly, I entered the auditorium with minimal expectations, but this turned out to be by far one of the most compelling solo-performances, I have ever seen.

The play, written and performed by Haerry Kim, was based on the testimonies of the comfort women from Korea who were taken to Japan, during World War II. A part of history I was blissfully unaware of. The intimate performance was staged in a small proscenium setting. It was a real tear-jerker. I was extremely moved by the piece. Post the show I went backstage to tell the fine actress how much I loved her performance, but when I met her face-to-face, I got intimidated. So I just hugged her and left—only to catch one of the most horrid shows at the Fringe. However, even that didn’t mar the previous theatre effect.

A Midsummer Night’s Madness at C Venue

Having studied and watched previous adaptations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was curious to know what this production would be like. And it was MENTAL! It really was. The hip-hop adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most widely staged comedies was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The madness began as soon as we entered the auditorium, and it didn’t stop until the actors took their final bow. The young and energetic bunch of performers, from Hackney in London and Harlem in New York, enthralled the audience with music, dance, drama and comedy. Their comic timing was perfect. I laughed until my tummy hurt and really hoped that the act didn’t end so soon.

Naked Splendour at C Central

This 50-minute long performance was endearing. Philip Herbert, a life drawing model posed and performed stark naked before the audience. It was as if we were attending a life drawing class, except while we sketched his body on paper (materials were provided) he narrated amusing anecdotes from his past experiences. At the end of the performance, he asked the audience, in this case amateur artists, to sign and display their work on stage. Herbert smiled, “Leave the drawing here and tell your friends back home that you exhibited your first piece of artwork at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival-2010!”

Ak's Various Thoughts

BEING IN THE LIGHT, FREE SANDWICHES AND THESPO

In the first week of October, Sunil Shanbag’s latest production, Walking to the Sun had its Mumbai premiere at Prithvi. I mentioned last month that I was eagerly looking forward to the show. So were a lot of other people, clearly. Opening night was packed, and owing to the last minute hunger pangs of some of the people I was watching with, we got in to see all the decent seats taken. As such, in a bold move, we sat in the first row, by the side. Moments later the play began, and we were so close that we were in the performance light. Now, not only were we visible to every audience member, we were also visible to the light booth, where Mr. Shanbag and his aide Mr. Sami were seated, looking straight at us. To add to this, one of the leads played out most of his scenes a couple of feet away from us, and engaged with us in some of his monologues. Never have I felt such high levels of self-consciousness and performance pressure. I was at my best behaviour and didn’t even dare look at the watch once. This, however, was made easier because of the riveting nature of the piece unfolding before us. Theatre of the highest quality is a given when Sunil is at the helm, but this play also had this strange quality of feeling like not only good, but also important work. Trust me. I was in it. In a manner of speaking.

In the last week of October, we took the calculated risk of taking a successful new two-cast-member production to Delhi. Just 5 people traveling, free accommodation, set hired locally, constant supply of free coffee and sandwiches, so food costs reduced. Seemed perfect. We miscalculated. I should have realized that something was amiss in the matrix when we couldn’t carry our dummy rifles with us, owing to the arrival of Brother Barack in the near future. So there were minor setbacks. One actor having to be flown back for a shoot. Delhi set hire costs, we realized, included the security cost of one minister and were thus way higher than Mumbai. Free sandwiches are never enough with the food options that Delhi provides, and appetites are larger in the winter. But the big one was something that everybody but us was celebrating – Diwali. Unholy amounts of money were being spent by Delhi-ites, but not on theatre. As many as 4 big diwali melas were happening in the vicinity of the auditorium alone. And the offers were unbelievable. Even I may have chosen that shamelessly discounted wall unit over watching a play with two men wittily discussing their feelings surrounded by antique furniture. Perhaps I should have publicized a lucky draw and given out refrigerators or Altos.

In other news, despite the understanding that if I continued writing these articles month after month, Akvarious entries into Thespo would make the finals, honesty and fairness and the greater good inside people prevailed. The deal was broken. Yet another Thespo attempt by the Akvarious youth was thwarted by the screening panel. We gave them short dresses, sex talk, cross-dressing, innuendos galore, but no, they didn’t bite. Anyhow, such is life. Will accept it and move on (after renegotiating my writing contract, of course).

Dolly Thakore Life in Theatre

ACTING THRILLS

There was a time when being on stage meant you knew almost everyone in the audience. And what a delight it was to be acknowledged and recognized by all. It is a different story today. We are thrilled that the audiences have grown. But the professionalism and commercialism have taken away some of the earlier excitement.

A memory that lingers of my younger days in College still thrills me.

The year was 1963. I was in Miranda House, Delhi, when the College peon came to our B Block residential building announcing that there was a phone call for me. I was completely taken aback as I hardly knew anyone in Delhi. Very few people had telephones back then, and certainly none among my acquaintances.

The voice at the other end of the phone said they were calling from the Prime Minister’s Office, and asked me if I could stage a one-act play for an African Delegation visiting Delhi. The Prime Minister would be attending. And the Prime Minister then was the man we all adored -- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

I was all of 18, in my first year of MA English. I was stunned. My mind was in a whirl. Imagine performing before the Prime Minister of India.

The play that immediately came to mind was 'SQUARE PEGS IN A ROUND HOLE'

I had staged this two-actor play in an Inter-College Drama Festival in Lucknow, representing Loreto College, about a year earlier, and it won us an Award.

The lines were still stored in my memory.

I quickly got in touch with my fellow actor Manju Vyas (now Dr Sampat of The Learning Curve) who also happened to be in Delhi at that time -- doing a Secretarial Course and living at the YWCA in Delhi.

We were bundled into a car and driven to one of the sprawling ministerial bungalows in Lutyen’s Delhi, and told that we had to perform before the visiting Foreign Delegation at Constitution Hall. That Panditji would be in the audience. And we had 36 hours to rehearse it.

Just thinking about it gives me gooseflesh even now!

The University was some ninety minutes away through a forested dark meandering Ridge Road. We could not afford the time to drive back and forth. And between the khadi-clad hovering officials it was decided we would stay the night there. We had carried no change of clothes or toothbrush, no costumes. But they did not allow us the luxury to even worry about such inconsequentials.

Suddenly scripts were thrust into our hands and we were told to refresh the lines.

There had been some political crisis in the Uttar Pradesh Government. Hence all the heavies of Uttar Pradesh had assembled in Delhi, and were in this very bungalow where we were to rehearse.

We soon discovered we were in the Delhi home of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh C. B. Gupta. Being politically alert, I recognized the Freedom Fighter Sucheta Kripalani fussing over our sleeping arrangements, and the very attractive Shanti Bhatnagar – daughter of staunch Nationalist Purshottam Thakurdas (later wife of Dr. Sadiq Ali who was the Governor of Maharashtra from 1977-80), rummaging around to put some semblance of a costume together for Manju and me.

My most vivid memory is of me squatting beside the intellectual political leader and spiritual guru Acharya Kripalani -- draped in immaculate white, sprawled in a rocking chair, under the shade of a huge banyan tree on the lush green manicured lawns – taking up my lines.. I felt no nervousness…only the rush of adrenalin in the presence of such august company.

The euphoria of the run-up to the play has driven out any memory of the actual performance. Those were days when we could boast of photographic memories. There was no dependence on sets, lights or music. Just a bare stage, and the arrogance of two young actors ready to perform before an international audience without any technical rehearsal..

Manju and I took our places on stage when told the delegation had arrived. Suddenly there was some hurried activity and it was whispered that Panditji had been called away almost from the door of Constitution Hall -- to presumably an urgent meeting, but Indira Gandhi stayed behind to witness our play.

I do not recall any applause or being mobbed after the performance. Everybody cleared the auditorium and we were driven home,

Who would have thought that even though the Prime Minister did not see our performance that day, we had the future Prime Minister in the audience!

Q's Countdown - Theatre injuries

10 On Stage Injuries

I write this from the flat of my back. A back injury at rehearsal, causing me to miss the Calcutta show of Project S.t.r.i.p. And while I was horizontal, it also gave me food for thought...what on stage theatre injuries have their been. Here goes:

1. Faezeh Jalali in Norway.Today: I have got to start with this one, because I was kind of responsible for it. At the end of ACT I Faezeh and I struggle and she is supposed to fall of the cliff of the 'mountain' and then return at the opening of ACT II. However on one particular show, the dismount off the cliff was ill timed. As a result she landed awkwardly breaking her fore arm. She was still game to do ACT II but one look at the right angled arm and we had to cancel the rest of the show. Eventually a rod had to be inserted to heal it. I think it's still in there.
   
   
2. Vijay Krishna Acharya in Noises Off: This is part of Bombay's theatre legends. Although Vijay (aka VIctor) is better known as the director of Tashan, he is an avid theatre performer. During a show of Noises Off, he throws a bag to the floor, only to discover that he had dislocated his shoulder. It was panic and horror. Fortunately the understudy, Neil Bhoopalam, was watching the show, and got drafted in. Talk about a football type substitution.
   
   
3. Teddy Maurya in Ashwa Vishwa: This story is a bit of heresay. Not sure if it happened in this particular production or some other. But as it was told to me it goes like this. THe ever acrobatic, Teddy Maurya made his first entry in the play by running in and jumping of an raised platform, doing a somersault and landing on stage. However during one show, a loose nail was on the stage right at the position where Teddy would land. Worse, the nail was facing upwards. When Teddy landed, he landed flush on the nail, and it embedded in his heel. However without missing a beat he continued his performance which included a vigorous dance. The rest of the cast only found out about the injury once they noticed blood on the stage and back stage.
   
   
4. Dirk Rodrigues in Brothers: This was an injury that was both funny and serious. Thespo 2000. Just before the end of ACT I, Shaun Williams is supposed to hit Dirk on the head with a wooden board. Dirk is then supposed to be unconscious till the interval. Except in this case, he really was. A little blood and a lot of woosiness. Fortunately a slightly longer interval gave him enough time to regain his composure and get back on stage. Talk about a knock out performance.
   
   
5. Ananya Rane in Macbeth: I remember this one happening in slow motion. I was in the audience. Ananya was playing one of the many soldiers who get killed in the final battle sequence. As she is 'slashed' she falls to the floor. Except on this particular occassion she forgot to put her hands to to cushion the impact. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud. Although she was unable to walk after that incident for a few hours, CT scans were clear. And she was back on stage the next day.
   
   
6. Budhan: Another Thespo story. This one was directed by Ananya. The piece was about police brutality and torture. The actor playing Budhan was being terrorised by Chandan Roy Sanyal's constable. A bottle was being shoved down his throat to make him drink. In the passion and vigour of the moment, the bottle broke in Budhan's mouth. Cutting his gums and his tongue. Luckily it was not very severe, but we all had a few anxious moments. The audience, however, complimented the realiism of the brutality.
   
   
7. Nadir Khan in R&J: It's kind of hard to pick which of Nadir's injuries on this show should make it to the list. Is it the hit on the knee, the bleeding side or more. However, the most memorable once is when he almost suffocated on stage. Nadir, playing Tybalt, dies towards the end of the first act after a ferocious sword fighting scene with Romeo. Karan Makhija playing Balthasar, was conscripted to cover Nadir's torso with Tybalt's leather jacket to prevent the audience from seeing his chest breathing heavily. One show he took his job a little too seriously, and covered Nadir's face as well by mistake. Nadir was unable to breathe through the thick leather and actually blacked out due to lack of air. Fortunately the interval black out was near at hand and the jacket was removed in the nick of time, retuning oxygen to Nadir's needy lungs.
   
   
8. Amruta Sant in Sakharam Binder: Thespo 2004 saw a powerful, energetic and violent version of Sakharam Binder. So an actor limping post the show was not really a surprise. Except that in this case, Amruta had injured herself by falling off stage in the black out before the curtain call. So technically this wasn't during show. The initial concern was then replaced with much laughter, as Amruta hobbled along on her twisted ankle.
   
   
9. Kashin Shetty in Thespo 2003 Bangalore Cast Party: This one is not a show entry. But it is an on stage injury. In the euphoria of post festival celebrations, Kashin decides to jump off the stage at the Alliance Francaise in Bangalore. He lands awkwardly and is immediately rushed to the hospital with a severe sprained ankle. His mother's expression as we carried him out of the train in Bombay was priceless.
   
   
10. Can't really think of a tenth. So that's where you guys come in. Send in the list. Let's see if we can make an appropriate 10!
    

Up & Coming - Play Schedule for November

Tuesday, 2^nd November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: JI JAISI AAPKI MARZI
This play consists of 4 monologues, played by 4 different women representing the typical relationships that a woman is known through in our society, namely, mother, daughter, sister ,wife etc.

Wednesday, 3^rd November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HUM KAHIEN AAP SUNEY
A play based on Daastaan Goi.Daastaan Goi literally means storytelling.

Thursday, 4^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DIRTY TALK
Written and Directed by Nayantara Roy.

Friday, 5^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 7pm: DIRTY TALK
With Amol Parashar, Medha Med, Niharika Negi, Ayesha Nair , Anshuman Jha, Nimish Surte, Jaimini Pathak and Nayantara Roy.

Saturday, 6^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: RAAVANLEELA
Directed by Om Katare.

Sunday, 7^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: RAAVANLEELA
A Yatri Presentation.

Tuesday, 9^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: SAKUBAI
Sakubai is a take on “a day in the life of a bai” and through humor and pathos, gives voice to the unsung efforts of all the Bais!

Wednesday, 10^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: GORKY + TINKU KE KAARNAME
Gorky+Tinku (saimese twins+ wannabe detectives) and their born chamcha Champu Singh end up goin for a school reunion party where Gorky meets his school time and lifetime only love - Googoo.

Thursday, 11^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: GORKY + TINKU KE KAARNAME
With Aarya Babbar, Divesh Wankhede, Santosh Tiwari, Kajli Sharma, Ankur Parekh, Kapil Sharma and others

Friday, 12^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: GORKY + TINKU KE KAARNAME
An Ekjute Presentation.

NCPA Sunken Garden – 6:30pm: MISTER BEHRAM
A reading of the Marathi translation of Gieve Patel’s play.

Tata Theatre - 7:30pm: Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta hai
In this one-man show, Anupam Kher traces the journey of his life from small-town Shimla to the bright lights of Bollywood with insight, honesty and humour.

Saturday, 13^th November

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: YAAR BANAA BUDDY
What happens when one out of the three best friends suddenly starts behaving in a strange manner forgetting his roots and background.

Tata Theatre – 7:30pm: DRAUPATI
With Shivani Pasrich, Charu Shankar, Dilip Shankar, Sanjit Bedi, Arjun Fauzdar, Aniruddha Das, Supriya Bagga Manchanda and Ashish Paliwal.

Experimental Theatre - 7:05pm: The Kite Runner
Sorab Wadia, who lives in New York, has devised a wonderful stage presentation of The Kite Runner, one of the world’s best-loved books.

Sunday, 14^th November

Experimental Theatre - 11:30am: Necropolis
Based on Elkunchwar’s writings (including his columns), a performance by Aasakta, providing an entertaining as well as thought-provoking event for the audience.

Prithvi Theatre – 5 & 8pm: JAGINE JOUN TO: NARASAINYO
The life and times of the 15th century Saint Poet Narsinh Mehta, the Adi Kavi (First Poet) of Gujarati Literature.

St. Andrews Auditorium – 7:30pm: CLASSIC MILDS 2
After their initial success, the same five directors return with new short pieces, by master playwrights between 1875 and 1975.

Tata Theatre – 7:30pm: DRAUPATI
Centuries have gone by since the Mahabharata, yet, Draupadi is still here – stuck between heaven and earth, roaming the streets and pondering her fate.

Experimental Theatre - 7:30pm: Johnny's Midnight Goggles: Stories on a Cello
Mathew Sharp, one of the world’s foremost solo cellists, has developed an engaging presentation where he tells stories accompanied by music on his cello. This promises to be a unique literary event.

Monday, 15th Novemer

Lavasa - 11am: The Kite Runner
Sorab Wadia, who lives in New York, has devised a wonderful stage presentation of The Kite Runner, one of the world’s best-loved books. It is a presentation that has enthralled audiences of all ages everywhere.

Tuesday, 16^th November

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: CHUGGADHAM SYM-PHONEY
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, 17^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: CHUGGADHAM SYM-PHONEY
Directed by Chandan Roy Sanyal.

Thursday, 18^th November
NCPA Experimental – 7:30pm: THE SUNSHINE BOYS
The Fali & Guri show was the most popular comedy performance on television for many long years. Guri’s sudden retirement left Fali bitter and lonely. When Fali’s nephew persuades the pair to come together after 11 years, the old resentments and idiosyncrasies resurface with a vengeance, leading to a hilarious comedy of mismatched expectations.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: THE GOOD DOCTOR
This hilarious laugh riot by neil simon, is a series of tragi-comic vignettes, based on short stories by Anton Chekhov.

Friday, 19^th November
NCPA Experimental – 7:30pm: MAMTAZ BHAI PATAANG WALE
With Asif Basra, Saurabh Nayyar, Ghansyam Lalsa, Aseem Hattangady, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Jashodhara Sen / Choiti Ghosh, Neha Nahata, Umesh Jagtap, Kunal Upadhyay, Ajitesh Gupta and Trimala.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: THE GOOD DOCTOR
With Anita Salim, Garima Arora, K.C. Shankar, Gaurav Sharma and Salim Ghouse.

Saturday, 20^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 6pm: SAAT TERI EKVEES
7 monologues which unfolds subjects like surrogate mother, Laxman’s wife Urmila, human clone, an uncommon story of a common man, frustration of a middle class wife after victory , Newyork and an Unwritten Poetry.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: SAAT TERI EKVEES – FARI EKVEES
A Manhar Gadhia Presentation.

NCPA Experimental Theatre – 7:30pm: PRASHNA PANCHALI
An original work authored by Sunita Budhiraja, set to music and presented by Ank in a solo show by Preeta Mathur.

Sunday, 21^st November
Prithvi Theatre – 6pm: SAAT TERI EKVEES – FARI EKVEES
A Manhar Gadhia Presentation.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: SAAT TERI EKVEES
7 monologues which unfolds subjects like surrogate mother, Laxman’s wife Urmila, human clone, an uncommon story of a common man, frustration of a middle class wife after victory , New york and an Unwritten poetry.

Tuesday, 23^rd November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DINNER WITH FRIENDS
This is a play about four friends; two married couples at different ages and stages of their lives, and we witness the effects of the breakup of one couple on the other, who first feel compelled to choose sides, and then begin to question the strength of their own seemingly tranquil marriage.

Wednesday, 24^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Directed by Feroz Abbas Khan.

Thursday, 25^th November
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DIRTY TALK
A Working Title Presentation.

Friday, 26^th November
NCPA Tata Theatre – 7pm: BOLLYWOOD KA SALAAM
The play is based on the black-and-white era of cinema, from the late 40s to the '50s.

NCPA Experimental – 5 & 7pm: THE INTERVIEW
Written by Siddharth Kumar. Directed by Akarsh Khurana.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DIRTY TALK
With Amol Parashar, Medha Med, Niharika Negi, Ayesha Nair , Anshuman Jha, Nimish Surte, Jaimini Pathak and Nayantara Roy.

Saturday, 27^th November
NCPA Tata Theatre – 7pm: AAJ RANG HAI
With Seema Pahwa/Ehlam Khan, Trishla Patel, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Ali Fazal, Imran Rashid, Preetika Chawla, Prerna Chawla, Pawan Uttam and others.

NCPA Experimental – 7pm: TICHEE SATRA PRAKARNE
Tichee Satra Prakarne (Seventeen Scenarios of Her) is loosely based on Martin Crimp’s Attempts on her Life.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: THE SKELETON WOMAN
A Quaff Theatre Presentation.

Sunday, 28^th November
NCPA Tata Theatre – 7pm: KAREENA PACHHI KON?
Based on I Ought To Be In The Pictures by Neil Simon.

NCPA Experimental – 7pm: LIFE THROUGH THE SONGS WE LIKE: SONGS OF LOVE, LAUGHTER AND LONGING
When Sid is invited to lunch at his wife’s best friend’s apartment, he shockingly learns of things about her past that threaten to destroy their marriage.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: THE SKELETON WOMAN
With Prashant Prakash and Kalki Koechlin.

Monday, 29^th November
NCPA Experimental – 7pm: CHAKRA
Set in the pre-historic era, the play gives an insight into the life of an early man, the way he evolved, his battle to survive, his hunger to explore and learn, which has never diminished.

Tuesday, 30^th November
NCPA Experimental – 7pm: PUNASHA HONEYMOON
A couple getting into their mid-life tries to rediscover their relationship by revisiting the place they had gone for their honeymoon. They try to recreate the original freshness which seems to be slipping out of their hands.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: AAJ RANG HAI
A quaint neighbourhood, a lovable lafanga , an endearing fool , two dominating women singers and a love story. All coming together to weave the tapestry of Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s work, philosophy and life.