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The Script, Edition 1 - January 2011



Hello one and all. We'd like to wish all 'The Script' readers a very Happy New Year!!!

The year is just started and already we have a host of new plays to look forward to in January. The ever prolific Akvarious presents their brand new play 'Rafta Rafta', Poor Box presents 'I am an emotional creature : The secret of girls around the world', Vir Das presents 'Virtten' and Ace Productions present 'The Sound of Music'.

There's no respite on the QTP front either. After the phenomenal success of Thespo 12, we are off to Delhi with our show Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace which is one of the official entries for the 2011 NSD Festival. Also the Great Text reading is back on the 31st of January.

From this month, we have a new contributor to 'The Script'. Theatre actor and director Kashin Shetty will share with us various aspects of his theatre life in his segment titled 'Kashin Baba's Babblings'. Welcome aboard!!

Also we continue our 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!!!

November's question was: In stagecraft, what is the name given to the stage?
The correct answer is: Deck.
A shocking 21% got it right!! Time to brush up on your theatre!!

But you do know your Thespo. Last month's question was: What is the Thespo Fringe?
The correct answer was:
A collection of informal performances
84% of you got it right!!!


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

Trivia Time: Stagecraft
Great Text: We're Back!!!
Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace: Off to Delhi and the NSD Festival 2011
Thespo at Prithvi: We're back and at 'Tipping Point'
Thespo 12: Results are in!!!
Point of View: Priti Bakalkar reviews 'My Goad Pune'
4 Corners: Himanshu Sitlani recount working on a play in Toronto
Dolly Thakore's 'Life in Theatre': Looking back with fond memories.
AK's Various Thoughts: The best plays of 2010.
Kashin Baba's Babblings: shares his pre show superstitions.
Q's Countdown: Q counts 10 on -
Up & Coming: Complete Schedule of what to watch in January.
Theatre Training: Children's and Voice Workshops and Theatre Professionals Workshop.
Other Theatre News: Details of Garbh
Curtain Call: Theatre actor and director Sumeet Vyas quotes minutes before his wedding.

Yours Sincerely,
On Behalf of Q Theatre Productions,

Himanshu.
Editor, The Script

Trivia Time - Stagecraft



The concept of Stagecraft

Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production.

It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of props, stage management, and recording and mixing of sound.

In its most basic form, stagecraft is managed by a single person (often the stage manager of a smaller production) who arranges all scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound, and organizes the cast.

At a more professional level, for example modern Broadway houses, stagecraft is managed by hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands, stitchers, wigmakers, and the like.


This modern form of stagecraft is highly technical and specialized: it comprises many sub-disciplines and a vast trove of history and tradition.

The first document of stagecraft was medieval drama dating back to 1452.

The next known major act of stagecraft was in England where they performed renaissance drama from 1576-1642.

This was the birth place of the first licensed theater in London but not long after they were closed because of an outbreak of civil war.


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.

In the month of January, we will be reading, Sarah Ruhl's 'Dead Man's Cell Phone' - 'Gordon is dead, but his cell phone lives on. When Jean, an empathetic museum worker, answers his ringing phone beside her in a café, she is soon playing unwitting comforter and confessor to the man's grieving friends and family. Before she knows it, Jean's ensnarled in the underbelly of the dead man's bizarre life.'

Sarah Ruhl (born 1974) is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Ruhl gained widespread recognition for her play The Clean House. It won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2004. It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005.

Dead Man's Cell Phone premiered in New York City at Playwrights Horizons in 2008 in a production starring Mary-Louise Parker. It had its world premiere at Washington D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 2007. It was produced at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2009.

We will be reading it on the 31st of January 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 - NSD Festival!

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace

Sunday, 16th January
at 6pm
at Bahumukh Auditorium, New Delhi





Khatija is set to take Delhi by storm. Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace is one of the official entries of the 13th Annual Bharat Rang Mahotsav, held at the NSD.

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 Independen
t 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. And 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.

"An overall stunning performance" - Mumbaitheatreguide.com

"The stagecraft was immaculate and beautifully executed." - Mumbaitheatreguide.com


The shows is on:

Sunday, 16th of January
at 6pm
at Bahumukh Auditorium,
Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi


Thespo at Prithvi - Tipping Point

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 January 2011

GRM presents
TIPPING POINT




Written and Directed by Gashmeer Mahajani

Tuesday, 4th January and Wednesday, 5th January at 9pm

It is 2050. An age of organic computers. A company has developed a unique solution
to the lack of time spent with loved ones – hire a proxy to spend time with them
online. Agent G35 is one such proxy struggling to balance reality with his fake
professional relationships. Will he be able to do it or has he reached his tipping point?

With Shrikar Pitre, Akshay Salunke, Rutuja Shinde, Sneha Salve, Sushant Kulkarni, Amogh Annigeri, Hrushikesh Bhagwat and Sohum Bilawal Joshi.

Winner of Outstanding Female Actor, Outstanding Supporting Male Actor, Outstanding Script and Outstanding Director at Thespo 12 in 2010.

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

Thespo 12 - The Results are in!!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!


And so it ended. Thespo 12 ended with a bang. A great performance by Maryada Party and Tipping Point followed by a kick ass awards ceremony.

Sneha Nair put together a fabulous AV of the fest which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9y4emSgp14



Sid Kumar finished his last eligible year at Thespo as the host and began with a hilarious monologue that berated the teams for being too good. And then the business end took over.


Awards were handed out in the 8 categories. Here is a quick round up of what happened:

Outstanding Supporting Female Actor - Sonia Bindra from Papier Mache Petals.
Outstanding Supporting Male Actor - Entire Computer Ensemble from Tipping Point.
Outstanding Female Actor - Rujuta Shinde from Tipping Point
Outstanding Male Actor - Chinmay Kulkarni from My GoAd Pune.
Outstanding New Script - Gashmeet Mahajani for Tipping Point.
Deryck Jeffereis Award for Outstanding Production Design - Chakra
Outstanding Director - Gashmeer Mahajani for Tipping Point
Sultan Padamsee Award for Outstanding Play - My GoAd Pune.

Point of View - Priti Bakalkar reviews 'My Goad Pune'

My Goad Pune

Is it a spelling mistake? Oh no, I got it, this is a Marathi play, it is got to be vernacular pronunciation of “God”… these were my thoughts when I read the title My Goad Pune.. But when I saw the play, I realised the aptness of title.

This interesting journey of the protagonist from “My GOD! Pune!!” to “My GOAD Pune..” (my sweet Pune; “goad” being Marathi translation of the word “Sweet”) is so very well crafted by Tejpal Wagh and Chinmay Kulkarni who have written and directed this play and have also acted in the play! And believe me they wear all these hats so effortlessly. No wonder, Chinmay Kulkarni won the “Best Actor” award and of course the play won the “Best Play” award at Thespo 12.

The play starts with starry eyed Vaibhav (Tejpal Wagh) leaving his village in remote Maharashtra to come to Pune in search of a better future. However, he is in for rude shocks from the very moment he steps in Pune. He is told that if he wants settle in Pune he needs to pass an entrance exam Pune Entrance Exam a.k.a. PEE. The fees for the exams are beyond his budget. The friend, upon whom Vaibhav had pinned his hope for all the help during his stay in Pune, refuses to acknowledge him and advises him to return to his village. Then, in an encounter with a corrupt Police Officer (Chinmay Kulkarni) he is stripped off of almost all his money. Finally when dejected Vaibhav is ready to return back to his village, Limaye (Prasad Limaye) of Limaye Coaching Classes meets him. These classes prepare people for the PEE. Limaye assures him of a glorious future as a Punekar (resident of Pune). Vaibhav falls for the dream and Limaye takes Vaibhav under his wings. Thus begins Vaibhav’s journey towards one goal – to pass PEE and wear the Punekar “pagadi” (hat) on his head. Then what happens is a complete laugh riot.

The play is a kind of a comment on current socio-political scenario. With the recession and financial crisis all over the world the conflict between the locals and non-locals has become more pronounced than ever in the history. The locals see the non-locals as a threat to their cultural-economic balance. The non-locals are unable to understand the resistance from locals and that’s how sparks start flying. It is a universal phenomenon and hence in spite of the play being in Marathi even the non-Marathi audience enjoyed the play. You could remove the reference of Pune and apply it to any other city and the story would be still the same. It is the same old story for all of us and that’s why we love the play. We find ourselves either in Vaibhav or in Limaye or in many of those characters whom we meet in our day to day life. Some time or other we all have been in shoes of at least one of these characters and so it becomes our own story.

The trio of Tejpal, Prasad and Chinmay have worked wonders with this simple story. They are absolutely adorable. Tejpal and Chinmay as writers have caught the essence of a typical Punekar so well that even a non-Punekar would now know what to expect when they visit Pune next time. Tejpal was simply fantastic as Vaibhav. He had perfect body language of a small town simpleton. His style of talking, his attitude and then his scene by scene transformation was a delight to watch. Prasad as cunning, calculating Punekar was also a treat to watch. His attitude towards Vaibhav, his frustration of making imbecile Vaibhav fit to adapt to the so called “Pune Culture” was very well portrayed. And Chinmay in hi
s multiple characters, be it the corrupt Police constable or old Punekar or all in one restaurant owner or Vaibhav’s friend, was just superb. Each character complemented the other characters performance. I would give a lot of credit to the writers for detailing of the characters. Had they not done that detailing the performance would not have been so great.

On technical side there is not much to say. It was a very simple set and not many light effects etc, but there was quite good use of sound (mainly to convey the culture and glorious history of the city). One thing that bothered me a bit was when the scene changes were happening; during the blackouts the people who did the changes were wearing white cloths. I believe they were the artists who were in their costumes for the last scene but it was little irritating for me. Anyhow, it did not affect the performance so I guess I cannot complain.


I loved the performance and I believe that they truly deserved the award for “Best Play”. How I wish the entire team was present to accept the award; however they were performing for some other competition in another city on the awards night so the team missed the applause they received when the play was declared to be the winner. But I am sure they received the same applause in that another city too!

4 Corners - Himanshu Sitlani recounts working on a play in Toronto

TIME WELL ‘SPENT’

Many of our Script readers would be aware, a few months ago I shifted base to Toronto. But the thought of doing theatre until maybe after a year hadn’t crossed my mind. So when I got a chance to do some theatre for 2 months after being in Toronto for only 3 months, I leapt at the chance.

A little back story on how this came about: Deepa Punjani, editor of the Mumbai Theatre Guide website, mailed me a contact of Mr. Rahul Varma, who is the artistic director of ‘Teesri Duniya’, who in turn gave me the contact of 2 Toronto based theatre groups. 1 replied back promptly and the other still hasn’t (revenge will be mine!!) The 1 that replied was Ravi Jain, artistic director of ‘Why Not Theatre’. After an impromptu phone conversation, we met over lunch and asked me if I was free to be Assistant Stage Manager for the up coming shows of ‘Spent’. I emphatically said ‘YES!’

A couple of weeks later I entered a rehearsal room to be a part of my first international theatre experience. After a quick round of introductions with the other co-actor (Ravi being the other), 2 directors and stage manager, sat down to watch a run through of the play. After the run through I realised the play has no set, no major props (an empty suitcase, a can of beans and a lighter) and no costumes for me to worry about. This was going to be easy!!

The run of shows was being staged at Studio space of the ‘Factory Theatre’ – a small black box theatre with a capacity of 100 people.

The play deals with the stock market crash of 2008, but its more than text heavy, banking jargon. Instead it’s an hour of clowning, satire and absurdism. The 2 actors, students of Jacques Lecoq Theatre School, pulled off playing nearly 30 characters. Swinging from 2 stock traders who lose their jobs to the BBC newsroom, ‘Spent’ gives a low down on the economic crisis through a series of quick and witty scenes, including an interrogation former CEO of Lehmaan Brothers, Dick Fuld, to the fast and furious Rapid Fire round. But the main crux of the story follows the 2 traders who lose everything, decide to commit suicide but survive thus becoming holy men of sorts. The play follows the Lecoq school style of commedia dell’arte and buffon.

The real star of the play though is the script. The physicality and madness of the actors not withstanding, the play is really very funny at the script level - collaboration by the 2 actors and directors Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith.

The run of shows were pretty uneventful. As I mentioned no set and no major props to worry about. However did have to do something during the run of the show – had to be an off stage ATM Machine. Following the story of the 2 men who decide to commit suicide, one scene involves a montage where they are falling to their death and the scene breaks away into them passing through heaven and hell. During the heaven sequence, they eat the best of foods and at one time are supposed to pay the bill. Since they have no cash, they head to nearest ATM Machine and withdraw the money. At one point, the ATM Machine breaks down and starts spewing out more and more dollar bills. That was my job during the show, with a fan offstage. Was quite fun to be throwing lots of 100$ bills onto stage. Don’t worry – they were fake bills.

5 weeks of shows, 30 shows, the quickest to that number of shows I’ve ever done, and got to work with the one of best theatre companies and shows currently running in Toronto. I’m not just saying that cause I was there. ‘Spent’ was nominated for 3 Dora Awards in 2010 (an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto and is named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre) and won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble.

All in all was a very rewarding time for me. Got to make some new friends and met a lot of the theatre community post shows. I’d really like to thank Ravi, Adam, Dean, Michele and Heather (Stage Manager) for making me a part of the show and hope to be working with them soon.

Dolly Thakore's 'Life in the Theatre'


LOOKING BACK

The End of the Year is nostalgic time for most. We each chorus “Those were the Days my friends”.

I have been a theatre-regular – on stage and off – for decades. And a theatre event meant a “kissing the air” affair with almost all who attended. Often a wink, a smile, a joke, a line and delivery was targeted at a member of the audience that one recognized. And actors were mobbed back stage by friends and fans.

Today it is a lonely matter-of-fact life!!! The bonding is mostly amongst the group performing on stage….and perhaps on opening night when a few relatives and friends find it mandatory to attend.

I can claim to be an experienced hand at it. Vagina Monologues has been running for eight years. And what a change one has seen. We opened to a houseful of friends and skeptics at the Experimental theatre of the NCPA. Every show brought in more converts and a houseful of recognized faces and names.

This was repeated at the Prithvi in Juhu during the opening months. Tickets were sold out as soon as bookings were opened. The actors phones never stopped ringing and receiving sms from people who suddenly claimed special friendships. What a high we were on!

Suddenly we were performing in Fame Adlabs, Kandivli, Malad, Vashi, Multiplexes. The Houseful phenomena repeated itself even here – except now it was to a totally unrecognizable audience….no friends, no relatives, no film stars or famous page 3 regulars….just regular residents of the remote far flung suburbs whom we had never acknowledged as theatre enthusiasts.

But the response during the show and the applause at the end was still deafening.

And this is what “going professional” is all about. It is a job. An assignment. You arrive; get into make up; make your entrances and exits; take a bow; collect your pin money; and drive off in your four-wheelers.

I had often seen some of the greatest lead actors of the West End in London, Broadway in New York, and Opera House in Sydney, Australia, emerge from the stage door after the show, and drive off without any backstage hysteria.

And I suddenly felt like them. Except our daily pickings wouldn’t even pay for a long distance cab ride…. But would any of us change this for a five-star, six digit salaried job. I doubt it!!!

Chhat Puja, Ganesh Chathurti, Diwali, World Cup Football, Wimbledon Tennis, IPL and Test Cricket have often competed with theatre performances. Often one has heard of attendance being depleted. Shows are delayed due to traffic jams for those who dare to snarl through the crowds. But Vagina Monologues has defeated all impediments. The audience profile is so vast and varied, that come what may, we have been Houseful even in far flung suburbs. Our audience base is not just the English theatre professionals but every aspiring young adult -- male or female.

We have had a request from a 65-year-old Principal of a Marathi medium school to translate it into Marathi; an 80-year-old man who expressed his joy at witnessing the coming-of-age of the Indian woman; a young couple who asked to cut their engagement cake on stage after the show; women introducing their grandmothers and mothers to us on stage; sons bringing their parents and grandparents to meet us; doctors and gynaecologists who have confided that the play would solve sixty percent of their patients’ problems.

No more is theatre a preserve of the English-speaking elite with Queen’s English accents. It is not Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde or Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller that is bringing them in for ten to twelve shows but indigenous writing on indigenous themes by our own young writers that is changing the face of theatre, and spear-heading a movement beyond South Mumbai and traveling to all parts of the country spread over many years…and many have even touched foreign shores.

There was a time when air travel and airports and AC chair car travel was a bonding occasion. Today, it is a rarity to recognize a face or name. And theatre has happily joined those ranks.

May their tribe increase.

Ak's Various Thoughts


POLL KHOL 2010

At the end of 2009, I conducted a poll of people’s favorite plays. This involved 40 people, primarily theatre practitioners. This year, I decided to expand it and include the audience too. So we have our results on the basis of over 200 votes! And now, ladies and gentlemen, the 5 most popular plays of 2010, in a somewhat chronological order:

BADE MIYAN DEEWANE
Who would have thought? A Hindustani comedy - about a doddering old man who falls in love with the teenage daughter of a neighbor - which opened (with the title Ishq Naam Ke Guzre The Ek Buzurgh) to almost empty houses in large suburban venues. Losses that were unheard of. A new group (Rangbaaz) under threat moments after its conception. And then, providence. Two cancelled dates at Prithvi fall into their lap. A quick name change. The rest, as they say, is history. Universally loved, sought after for corporate shows, this musical laugh riot topped most people’s personal favourite lists. I think it has something to do with the fact that almost every cast member is certifiably insane. And it shows on stage. Yes, I’m in it.

ONE ON ONE
Never before, I t
hink, has any play been such a unanimous choice. Some may say it’s the format – ten short pieces covering a whole gamut of emotions and genres – which works because people like at least a couple and thus manage a rewarding evening. That may be a factor, but a play needs more than that to become a runaway success of this kind. Whether it was the selection of pieces, the handpicked talent, the efficiency of its execution, the attention to detail, or the objectivity to see the larger picture at all times, Rage got it right. I had the good fortune to be involved in this production, in various capacities. And thus, got to see, first hand, how this play enthralls audiences across the country.

A GUY THING
This gives me great personal pleasure. Why? Because I directed it. Found th
is script by Michael Puzzo (originally called The Dirty Talk), loved it, but gave it up to a friend to do for Thespo as I was too old. I produced it, the dream cast did it, volunteers loved the screening, but it didn’t qualify. I was thrilled. Now I could manipulate my way into the director’s seat. Of course, once it opened successfully, one of the dream cast members said, “I let Akarsh direct it because he was so desperate”. Anyhow, blood under the bridge now. So, this two-hander about men, relationships, cyber sex, hunting, homophobia and bad weather, starring the gorgeous lead pair of Neil Bhoopalam and Ali Fazal (later also Hussain Dalal and Adhaar Khurana) has worked in a big way. My biggest joy is that while it delivers the laughs, the serious moments of the piece hold well too, and I know some audience members were driven to some soul searching.

MAMTAZ BHAI PATANG WALE
One of the plays this
year that I really wanted to see but missed. This one hit the mark. People who watched it were stirred, either by the deeply personal tale of innocence lost, or the new methods of stagecraft used by Manav Kaul and his actors. Touted as one of Manav’s more accessible plays (read less abstract), audiences were first surprised and then taken in by the simplicity of the plot and narrative. I’m a little shaky on the details, but it is about two childhood friends, obsessed with kite flying, and intrigued by the kite seller in the title. Childhood takes a dark turn, and time passes. Years later, one of the kids, now all grown up, returns to his hometown and assesses how much things have changed, and how much of a hand he might have had in those changes. Need to watch it soon.

AAJ RANG HAI
A musical tribute to the life and work of Hazrat Amir Khusro, weaved into a story of a small neighborhood controlled by two old women, who watch over the local children and one secret love story, and sadly witness the onslaught of communal riots, while they try, in vain, to spread Khusro’s message of secularity. Sounds good? Well, it captured the fancy of many theatre goers this year. Purva Naresh has carried forward some elements from her last play (Afsaneh: Bai se Bioscope tak), and teamed with Gopal Tiwari to amalgamate them with the new themes. The production boasts of terrific live music (courtesy genuine qawwals from Lucknow), a couple of bravura performances and some truly memorable moments.

Vying furiously for the top spots were the following plays, which did make it to the top 10, had that been the idea of the poll. Nonetheless, they do deserve a mention, because they did get a substantial amount of favourable votes. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

A Disappearing Number
An elaborate production by Complicite from UK, brought down by the folks at Prithvi, it wowed Mumbai audiences with its stagecraft and storytelling. It helped that the story was about an indigenous character – the brilliant mathematician Ramanujan.

The Interview
Actor – direct
or Siddharth Kumar wrote his first script to phenomenal results. A dark comedy about corporate life, this play, about a young man’s bizarre job interview, is insightful and engrossing. The script has been referred to as “tighter than last year’s budget”!


My Goad Pune
Winner of Best Play at Thespo this year, this comedy, or better still, satire about the enormous increase in the number of immigrants into Pune was an instant hit. A relatively new group from Pune burst onto the scene with this high energy, strongly performed piece and won hearts.


Refund
I’m pleasantly surprised at this inclusion. I had no idea so many people had seen it, let alone liked it. Only 2 shows old, this (again) satire about the education system is a lovely little story with a strong cast and a couple of peppy dance numbers. Yes, I’m in it too.


Walking to the Sun

Master craftsman Sunil Shanbag returns with an important piece which skillfully interweaves Tagore’s short story ‘Daak Ghar’ with the memoirs of a Jewish doctor who fought through the Holocaust. Serious, hard hitting stuff, with some magical directorial touches.

So that’s that. The year saw lots of other popular and effective shows as well, which featured prominently in the poll – Sunil Shanbag’s Dreams of Taleem, Makrand Deshpande’s Joke, Rehaan Engineer’s Hedda Gabbler, Tahira Nath’s Classic Milds 1 and 2, and Gashmeer Mahajani’s Tipping Point. Another good year at the theatre, and more Hindi and Marathi entries into the list than last year. This is an exciting phase, and I can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store for us theatrewallahs.

Happy New Year and all that jazz. Later.

Kashin Baba's Babblings

Traditions, traditions

I’ll be honest, I am not a very confident person. I can do the same thing ten times, but at the eleventh I’ll look back and still wonder if I’m doing it ok. How I ended up in a profession such as ‘theatre’ is still a shock to me. This is perhaps the only profession where ‘repetition’ becomes an art and you just “cannot” falter in that dep’art’ment.

Hence, there have been times during a show where I might skip a few lines, or make up my own. Or most popularly, forgotten to bring a prop onstage. In a very recent case, I walked onstage without my tie, and firmly told my co-actor , in character, to please go fetch my tie from ‘upstairs’ (Prithvi green room) during one of his exits. Said co-actor was visibly thrown, but thankfully did the needful.

Now, why does this happen to me? I have no idea! But taking into consideration that I ‘do’ have this problem, I have succumbed to unique methods over the years to make sure that even if I do go ahead and blunder, the show will still go well because of my ‘back-up’. Which, to my embarrassment, is solely based on superstition.

In the early days, I could ‘not’ leave home without a can of Reebok deo in my backpack, because (in my head) if I smelt it on me all day the show would go well. The Gayatri Mantra would be recited (in my head) exactly ten times before my first entry. Oh, and this was irritating to a few, I’d grate my fingernails against each other, violently, rhythmically, endlessly. As the years went on and as I got more mature (in my head) these traditions got replaced with slightly more logical routines….. a 15 minute power nap is highly essential, especially when you have double shows, or more recently, triple. Whilst driving from home to the venue, songs have to be played in the car, “have” to……. Especially ‘o saya’ from Slumdog, or ‘Praise you’ by Fatboy Slim, or basically anything by A.R Rahman. At one point of time that was all I needed, a good song running ‘in my head’ to just keep me energized and focused during a performance. Anyone from Akvarious will vouch for how I’d sneak into the Prithvi sound booth and play songs from Dev.D off my phone, guys…. It wasn’t always for you. Even elements from my wardrobe contribute to this madness sometimes. My lucky white socks with blue stripes, my lucky ¾ cargoes, my grandfather’s ring (which sometimes makes it onstage even if my character is from Chicago) , and most importantly, my blue beach shirt which I bought in 1999 which has been a constant for the past 7 years, especially for opening shows. Even a particular food or drink sometimes helps calm my nerves . . . . . . tic tacs, a tuna sub, parle-g, chamomile tea, and ‘only’ in desperate times, a Red Bull (for afore mentioned triple shows)

On top of my list however, is my lucky Leo friend who has special permission to sit in the light booth of most of my shows and watch me perform. This fellow has been perhaps my biggest support for the past 4 years. Usually when i’m slightly disheartened that none of my friends are watching the play, just the fact that ‘he’ is watching me from above gives me that burst of confidence which I desperately need.

Now, you are open to judge me in whatever way you like, think whatever of me, but all this works for me. After all, theatre is all I do, and I have to be good at it, otherwise I cant sleep at night, and truthfully, I am certain that I’m not the only one with this condition. I’m sure that there are so many others like me who follow similar trends before a show, but unlike them, atleast I’m open about it eh ??

Q's Countdown

1o ways a theatre-wallah is like a drug addict

The other day I was trying to explain the passion that we theatre people have for our vocation, and the only thing I could come up with was that 'It is like a drug'. The more I searched the more TRUE the statement seemed. So I decided to put down ten ways we theatre junkies are like the real junkies. Here goes:

  1. Doing lines gets you high!
    Yes it's true. Although these lines are actually the black kind rather than the white kind. An actor is only happy when they are acting. So doing lines you get to relive those moments on stage, albeit just in your head and just for the audience of one.

  2. You got to support the habit.
    Just like the injection junkies, theatre junkies also need to find a way to support their habit. Some people model, some do tv, some film and some even call centres; all in an attempt to fund the habit of doing theatre.

  3. It's addictive
    Talk to any fresher about their first time on stage, and they will tell you, once you've got a taste for it, there is no going back. Rehab in the form of MBAs, CAT classes, CA exams have been tried, and all have failed. The power of performance is too strong to ignore.

  4. It's a high nothing else can match.
    There is a thing called a performance high. It's usually seen right after a 'hit'. Hang around outside any theatre and you will see the cast and crew emerge, more energetic than you would expect. Gurgling sounds and lack of volume are good indicators of how 'high' the performers are.

  5. Looking dukhi
    You can always tell a theatrewallah. Unshaven, looking morose, usually unkempt, perhaps even a torn kurta. However this is not due to neglect, more due to the strenuous and vigorous rehearsal that they have just come from.

  6. Moving in packs
    Just like drug addicts theatre folk move in packs. Seeking out each other's company over the rest, "People don't understand what it's like man!". What's more, if there are two unknown people at a large social gathering, the fact that they are theatre addicts means that more often than not they will connect and spend the evening together, talking about where they get their 'fix'.

  7. Shame of parents
    It is always hard for parents to tangibly explain in public what you do. So usually "still studying" or "looking for a good job" are answers that come readily. Only in the rarest of rare circumstances (like opening night), will parents beam proudly about their Theatrewallah child.

  8. Stealing of items from home
    While drug addicts steal lamps and furniture items to sell for drugs, theatre wallahs steal similar things from home but to adorn the stage. Many a parent uttered a cry a shock as the curtain has gone up and they discover their expensive vase or antique side table as part of the set.

  9. Always bumming off friends
    A theatre addict means that all earnings go into the theatre. Therefore certain moves (or lack thereof) are customary such as not reaching for the bill when out with friends. The friends don't mind, because by paying your bill they get to lecture you on life's priorities.

  10. Hanging around waiting for pushers
    An actor wanting to act is very similar in behaviour to a drug addict wanting a fix. They pace around near where they know the pushers (read producers) hang out.

Up & Coming - List of Plays in January


Saturday, 1st January

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: REBECCA

Set in Manderley, an ancient, imposing house, the play is about Max de Winter who returns home with a new young bride. His first wife, Rebecca, died in suspicious circumstances a year earlier but her spirit affects much of what takes place at Manderley.

Sunday, 2nd January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: REBECCA
An Akvarious Presentation.

NCPA Tata Theatre – 6:30pm: BAS ITNA SA KHWAB…
The play is an analysis of the very motive of human existence, which enables the viewer to look around with a clearer vision in a realistic light.

Tuesday, 4th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: TIPPING POINT

It is 2050. An age of organic computers. A company has developed a unique solution to the lack of time spent with loved ones – hire a proxy to spend time with them online. Agent G35 is one such proxy struggling to balance reality with his fake professional relationships. Will he be able to do it or has he reached his tipping point?

Wednesday, 5th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: TIPPING POINT

A GRM Presentation.
Written and Directed by Gashmeer Mahajani
Winner of 4 awards at Thespo 12 in 2010 including Outstanding Female Actor, Outstanding Supporting Male Actor, Outstanding Script and Outstanding Director.

Experimental Theatre – 7pm: THE INTERVIEW
A bright, young man, holding his resume close, waits nervously at the reception of one of the country’s largest corporations. Moments later he is called in for his jobinterview. But nothing he learnt in college, university or his last few j
obs has prepared him for what comes next – perhaps the most unusual and challenging hour of his life. But he is keen to make it through this. After all, it is a job to die for.

Thursday, 6th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DREAMS OF TALEEM

A
play about theatre, about love, passion, longing, acceptance, and rejection.

Experimental Theatre – 7pm: THE INTERVIEW
Written by Siddharth Kumar. Directed by Akarsh Khurana.

Friday, 7th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: DREAMS OF TALEEM

Written by Sachin Kundalkar. Directed by Sunil Shanbag.

Saturday, 8th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: DANCE LIKE A MAN

The story of Jairaj and Ratna, two Bharat Natyam dancers past their prime, is contrasted with that of their daughter Lata, who is on the brink of establishing herself as a brilliant dancer.

Sunday, 9th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: WOMANLY VOICES

A Prime Time Presentation.

Tuesday, 11th January
Prithvi Theatre –9pm: WOMANLY VOICES
Directed by Lillete Dubey.

Wednesday, 12th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: SAMMY

The incredible story of Mahatma Gandhi, told by an ensemble of actors.

Thursday, 13th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: 30 DAYS OF SEPTEMBER

An intense and gripping tale of love and betrayal that explores the brutal severance of the unbreakable bond between adult and child.

Friday, 14th January
Experimental Theatre – 7pm: SIDDHIVINAYAK SAVES MUMBAI FROM TERROR ATTACK

The play Siddhivinayak saves Mumbai from Terror Attack is at once a play about the miracles of faith as well as a precise social commentary on the state of contemporary India.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: LOVE ON THE BRINK
A wickedly satirical comedy about three people who meet unexpectedly one dark night at the edge of the sea front.

Saturday, 15th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: LOVE ON THE BRINK

With Joy Sengupta, Shivani Tanksale and Kumud Mishra.

Tata Theatre – 7pm: RAFTA RAFTA
Rafta Rafta is a warm-hearted, comic tale of close-knit Indian families who live abroad. Written by the writer of East is East, the play, like the film, has been loved by critics and audiences alike.

Experimental Theatre – 7pm: SIDDHIVINAYAK SAVES MUMBAI FROM TERROR ATTACK
Written, produced and directed by
Gopi Warrier.

Sunday, 16th January
Experimental Theatre – 11:30am & 7pm: SIDDHIVINAYAK SAVES MUMBAI FROM TERROR ATTACK
A Theatre of the Devas Production.

Tata Theatre – 7pm: BOLLYWOOD KA SALAAM….1950 KE NAAM
The play is based on the black-and-white era of cinema, from the late ‘40s to the ‘50s.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: WEDDING ALBUM
The play explores the traditional Indian Wedding in a globalized, technologically advanced India.

Tuesday, 18th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: CHINTA CHHOD CHINTAMANI
The story of a family where the father thinks his progenies are standin
g at the threshold of total ruination.

Wednesday, 19th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: KAAL CHAKRA

A play focusing on the mental and physical anguish that old couples undergo due to sheer callousness on the part of their children who do not wish to be burdened with the responsibility of looking after their aged-parents.

Thursday, 20th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HADH KAR DI AAPNE

This is the story of a middle class family where the head of the family, aged 52, realizes one fine morning that he is going to be a father again!

Friday, 21st January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HADH KAR DI AAPNE

A Yatri Presentation.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: RAAVANLEELA
The scenario is a Ramleela being enacted in a village. When the curtain r
ises, the audience is restless.

Saturday, 22nd January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: RAAVANLEELA
The scenario is a Ramleela being enacted in a village. When the curtain rises, the audience is restless.

Sunday, 23rd January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9pm: RAAVANLEELA

Directed by Om Katare.

Tata Theatre – 6:30pm: HISTORY OF INDIA : VIRITTEN
Come see a show about the history of India. But a history so twisted, so funny, so out-of-the-box, so completely unbelievable, you won’t be sure it even actually happened.

Tuesday, 25th January
Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HAATH KYA AAYA?...SHUNYA

With Kumud Mishra, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Nagesh Bhosle, Umesh Jagtap, Nimrat Kaur, Choiti Ghosh, Ajitesh Gupta and Trimala Adhikari.

Wednesday, 26th January
ST. Andrews Auditorium – 7pm: RAFTA RAFTA
Directed by Tahira Nath and Akarsh Khurana.

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HAATH KYA AAYA?...SHUNYA

Written and Directed by Manav Kaul.

Thursday, 27th January
Experimental Theatre – 7pm: ART

Directed & Produced by
Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal & Kaizaad Kotwal

Prithvi Theatre – 9pm: HAATH KYA AAYA?...SHUNYA
An Aranya Presentation.

Friday, 28th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9:30pm: COTTON 56, POLYESTER 84

A gritty, true-to-life saga centred around Girangaon, Mumbai's historical textile mill district.

Experimental Theatre – 7pm: SHIRLEY VALENTINE
A Poor Box Presentation.

Saturday, 29th January
Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9:30pm: S*X, M*RALITY AND CENS*RSHIP

A modern seduction of ideas exploring one of the most controversial issues of our time – morality and censorship.

Experimental Theatre – 7pm: I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE : THE SECRET LIFE OF GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD
A play for anyone who is a girl or who knows one.

Sunday, 30th January
Tata Theatre – 4pm: THE SOUND OF MUSIC

With Dalip Tahil, Delna Mody, Lucky Morani , Darius Shroff , Marianne D’Cruz Aiman and an integrated cast of children from mainstream schools and Raell Padamsee’s Academy for Creative Expression (ACE)
and 8 NGO’s: Happy Home and School for the Blind, Central Society for the Education of the Deaf, Society for the Education of the Crippled, Aseema, Salaam Bombay Foundation, Seva Sadan, Muktangan and ADAPT.

Experimental Theatre – 5 & 7pm: I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE : THE SECRET LIFE OF GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD
With Kamalika Guha-Thakurta, Mala Chakraborty, Aditi Mittal, Malishka Mendonsa, Sarosh Nanavaty, Rima Medhi, Maria Philipose Sinha
and others.

Prithvi Theatre – 6 & 9:30pm: S*X, M*RALITY AND CENS*RSHIP
Directed by Sunil Shanbag.

Monday, 31st January
18 Anukool – 7:30pm: GREAT TEXT READING

An informal reading of Sarah Ruhl's ‘Dead Man's Cell Phone'