Alfaaz Theatre and Harkat Studios premiere play online for virtual audience

(From left) Rashmi Mann and Ankit Verma in a moment from the play

Theatre was always meant to be live. In a world consumed by screens, it remains among the last few bastions of entertainment that relies on a live audience. Yet, every now and then that deserves a change. The latest attempt by Alfaaz Theatre and Harkat Studios to take the experience online makes for an interesting experiment. The former theatre group premiered the play on their website for a virtual audience from May 13. And we decided to participate in the experiment.

The play - Age of Prison, written and directed by Ankit Verma - is an absurdist three-act performance that hinges on the dystopian but relatable idea of imprisonment in an authoritarian society. Two prisoners (Verma and Rashmi Mann) find themselves trapped in a black room for reasons unknown even to them. The imprisonment is conditional to ‘good behaviour' says the faceless jailor. Thus, it sets the tone for the examination of interplay between human behaviour and authority.

Through the three acts, the characters are forced into absurd actions in the hope of a release or forgiveness. With time, their wait becomes the punishment. Over 28 minutes, the play portrays the slow submission of the prisoners while questioning loftier concepts such as freedom, time and happiness, and their irrelevance from a prisoner's perspective.

Interestingly, the constricted space of the performance - and the screen - adds to a feeling of oppressive foreboding that carries on. Verma confirms our view, saying that the audience is also imprisoned while it views the performance from within their rooms. "It [the play] also explores the idea of living in a simulation, of things beyond our own control. I wanted to leave the audience with the thought where this imprisonment feels endless. The dread keeps growing." By the denouement when the prisoners repeat their first lines, this time without any defiance, this dread hits home.

Written in 2021 as part of a grant from the German Consulate, Mumbai and Harkat Studios, the play was designed for a live and virtual interactive audience experience. To adapt it for the camera, the production utilises minimalism. There are no sudden cuts, or jerky camera movements. The camera maintains a fixed perspective without being intrusive. The audience, thus, becomes the faceless jailer taking delight in the prisoner's confusions. The few close-ups serve to highlight emotional moments. Verma reveals that the editing for the production was done live in order to prevent any deviation from the performance.

In all, Age of Prison proves to be an interesting experiment. One must say that absurdist performances are always an acquired taste. In adapting it to a virtual audience, the production does prove successful. It might be interesting to see what comes next.

Log on to: alfaaztheatre.com
Cost: Rs 299 per show (available for 48 hours after subscription)