22 April,2009 08:24 AM IST | | Mehjabeen Jagmag
The set of the play designed by Roysten Abel A participant at Jehan Manekshaw's workshop
Two intensive theatre workshops, aimed specifically at mid-career theatre practitioners are going to be held at the NCPA this April-May
The city is the venue for the best names in theatre from across the country to drop in and hold workshops that impart rigorous theatre training. And these two workshops plan to give the city's actors a break from their work schedules with an aim to introduce them to different styles of work.
Dialogue with directors: Starting today, Dialogue with Directors is a 5-day course that will be held in collaboration with the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Government of Maharashtra. A first-of-its-kind in Mumbai, the workshop involves an intensive 8-hour programme for the invitee-only participants. Theatre director and co-director of the workshop Quasar Thakore Padamsee says, "Mumbai lacks rigorous theatre training. Vijaya Mehta had conducted a workshop five years ago and the response was phenomenal. This workshop takes off from there. Besides, NSD wanted to expand their activities to Mumbai, and this is a great way to begin." The workshop has a unique module wherein the participants are divided into batches of 20 actors and 30 observers. The directors demonstrate their style using the participating actors, while directors and other actors observe them at work.
"Mumbai theatre has been governed by economics. In the process of trying to create work every day, we barely get time to figure out how we work, let alone explore other directors and styles. Here, if you get a date, you have to put up your work, whether you are ready or not," says Thakore- Padamsee.
At: NCPA Little Theatre on April 22 to 26, from 10 am to 6 pm
SCHEDULE
April 22: Anuradha Kapur
April 23: Roysten Abel
April 24: Abhilash Pillai
April 25: Neelam Mansingh
April 26: Vijaya Mehta
Call: 9821008871 | qtheatreproductions@gmail.com
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Intensive Drama Programme: Intensive Drama Programme scheduled for May is being organised by Theatre Professionals. With professional actors as participants, the workshop focuses on voice, movement, rhythm and singing. The actors explore various theatre techniques towards performance before rehearsing with two theatre directors.
Says Jehan Manekshaw, director and curator of the workshop, "In Mumbai, theatre training is insular. The only option is to go to a theatre institute outside the city. This workshop not only allows actors to explore different styles, it also creates a window for regional theatre groups to practise." Although, the workshop conductors come from different parts of the country and have varied styles of teaching, Manekshaw believes breaking mindsets is more difficult than overcoming language barriers.u00a0 "Often people think that theatre can only be learned on stage or that a workshop would make sense only if it results in a performance. Here, the training involves demonstrating and internalising a skill set," he says.
VENUE: NCPA rehearsal rooms
DATE: May 4 to 16 2009
TIME: 8 am to 8 pm
Conductors: H Tomba, Ravi Verma, VKK Hariharan, Sankar Venkateshwaran, S. Raghunandana and Jehan Manekshaw
Schedule Mon to Sat
8 am to 8.30 am: Warm-up
8.30 am to 11.30 am
Mon-Wed-Fri: Movement
Tue-Thurs-Sat: Voice
11.45 am to 1.30 pm
Mon-Wed-Fri: Rhythm
Tue-Thurs-Sat: Singing
1.30 pm to 3 pm: Lunch
3 pm to 4.45 pm:
Mon-Wed-Fri: Singing
Tue-Thurs-Sat: Rhythm
5 pm to 8 pm:
Mon-Wed-Fri: Acting
Tue-Thurs-Sat: Rehearsals
Call: 9321595159 / 23620065u00a0 www.theatreprofessionals.co.in
