Pune rules Thespo 12

At the annual youth theatre festival, three out of four plays are from the other end of the Expressway. The Guide gives you a low-down of everything that's happening at Thespo

At the annual youth theatre festival, three out of four plays are from the other end of the Expressway. The Guide gives you a low-down of everything that's happening at Thespo

A month ago, the organisers of Thespo 12 were facing a possibility of not being able to go ahead with the festival at all for this year's edition.



At the most, there were plans to organise a low-key festival considering sponsors were not ready to shell out money. "We tried to tie a muzzle to the festival but by some weird happenstance it just loosened itself and started running wild," says Quasar Thakore Padamsee, from the core team of Thespo.u00a0

u00a0By running wild, Quasar means the various activities that are happening at the festival despite no formal sponsorship. The number of shows has reduced and so has the prize money but that hasn't dampened the Thespo spirit. The festival will feature four plays, numerous workshop, Fringe performances, music bands, platform performances and the Awards Nite.

The plays that have made the final cut this year include Chakra, Papier-M ufffdch ufffd Petals, My Goad Pune and Tipping Point. Chakra is a play by Thespo veterans, Pune-based Natak Company. The play explores the evolution of man in the pre-historic era when language was yet to evolve. Hence, the play is in gibberish. In contrast, Mumbai-based group Bread and Butter ENT's Papier-M ufffdch ufffd Petals fuses dance, music and comedy to figure out what happens when a stand up comic falls in love.

My Goad Pune takes urban society's exclusive tactics to the extreme when a village boy is forced to take up coaching classes before giving the Pune Entrance Exam (PEE) to belong to the city. From the pre-historic era you reach the year 2050 in Tipping Point where an organic computer or a proxy helps maintain your social life while you can keep yourself occupied with work.

Quasar was part of the screening committee and travelled across the country to watch plays put up by the young groups. "I watched these plays and thought to myself -- I hate these guys. I want these ideas," he admits.u00a0See what the future of theatre will look like at Thespo 12.

Festival Guide: Prithvi Theatre
December 14
Timeu00a0event
10 amu00a0Workshop: Discovering the Mask
10 amu00a0Workshop: Workshopping a Text
2 pmu00a0Workshop: The World of Materials
6 pmu00a0Live Bands: Froydn Slip
7 pmu00a0Fringe: Workshopping a Text --
u00a0Bhopal Gas Tragedy
8 pmu00a0Platform Performance:u00a0 180 Degrees
9 pmu00a0Play: Chakra (Marathi)

December 15
Timeu00a0event
10 amu00a0Workshop: Discovering the Mask
11:30 amu00a0Workshop: Writing for the Stage
2 pmu00a0Workshop: Devising Theatre
6 pmu00a0Live Bands: Blech
7 pmu00a0Fringe: Come To Where I Come From
8 pmu00a0Platform Performance: Two (Eng/Hindi)
9 pmu00a0Play: Papier-Mache Petals (Eng)

December 16
Timeu00a0event
10 amu00a0Workshop: Discovering the Mask
3 pmu00a0Workshop: RJ Workshop with RJ Neil
6 pmu00a0Live Bands: Rang
7 pmu00a0Fringe: Nalli Ke Kutte (Hindi)
8 pmu00a0Platform Performance: Jaago Jaagou00a0
9 pmu00a0Play: My Goad Pune (Marathi)

December 17
Timeu00a0event
10 amu00a0Workshop: Discovering the Mask
6 pmu00a0Live Bands: Jazz like That
7 pmu00a0Fringe: Spiral Bound (Hindi)
8 pmu00a0Platform Performance: Maryada
9 pmu00a0Play: Tipping Point (Marathi)

Festival Guide: NCPA
December 18
Timeu00a0event
6:15 pmu00a0Platform Performance: Kab Jaayega Bharat
7 pmu00a0Play: My Goad Pune (Marathi)

December 19
Timeu00a0event
6:15 pmu00a0Platform Performance: Maryada
7 pmu00a0Play: Tipping Point (Marathi)

Prithvi Theatre workshops to be held at the Prithvi House.u00a0 The Fringe shows will take place at Prithvi House. NCPA shows will take place at Experimental Theatre.

Also on This Week
Till December 19, 7.30 pm at experimental theatre, ncpa, Nariman point. Call: 22824567
Lillete Dubey's The Primetime Theatre Company is celebrating it's 20th anniversary with a week-long festival. Of the 24 productions, Dubey has selected six of Prime Time's most appreciated and acclaimed productions to be showcased at the festival. This evening, catch Mahesh Dattani's Dance Like A Like A Man.u00a0

Till December 16, 3.30 pm onwards at St xavier's college, Dhobi Talao.
Email: publicity.ithaka10@gmail.com to book tickets Watch students enact Patrick Hamilton's Gaslight, Charlotte Bront 's Vilette, a burlesque production of Shakespeare's works and Harold Pinter's Hothouse as part of Ithaka, the theatre festival organised by
the English department of St Xavier's College.