Find plays boring? This duo is bringing micro-play format to the city’s theatres

Rayaan Khatib and Jahaan Singh in a previous performance. The duo also co-produce the six micro-plays that run for a total of one hour 15 minutes

Rayaan Khatib and Jahaan Singh thrived as actors in the theatre scene in New York. When they came back to India during the pandemic, they realised that the young Mumbaikar wanted to go watch a play but was either too intimidated by the grandeur or that the subject matter lacked did not appeal to those who were not theatre connoisseurs.

"Which is why we thought about bringing the micro-play format to the city's theatre scene," says Khatib, who like Singh, both produces as well as acts in Micro Theatre 4.0. Singh graduated with a double major in Dramatic Literature and Economics from New York University; while Khatib, who studied industrial engineering at Purdue University in Indiana, chose a career in theatre and has been a part of Chicago's theatre scene for seven years.

The micro-plays are six in total, with durations of 10 to 12 minutes each. The duo felt that this format may be more appealing to an audience with a short attention span, or viewers who have just begun going to the theatre. "We found that much of the younger lot of theatre goers, from ages 18 to the late 20s, found the three-hour format too long to sit through and were overwhelmed by the traditional language," says Singh.

In February 2022, they began to think of micro-plays to whet the appetite of the infrequent theatre-goer. "The plays aren't just short, but also carefully sequenced. They have been lined up to build the ambience for a total of one hour and 12 minutes," says Khatib. "The first play, for example, will ease them into the format. Then, the second will introduce them to a heavier, more or dramatic subject. Then, somewhere in the middle, we will sprinkle romance, and maybe, end on a light and fun note." The idea, says Khatib, is not to exhaust the audience with back-to-back serious plays, allowing them to breathe and relax.

The format also allows multiple talents to be introduced from the theatre world. "All the six plays are written by different playwrights and directed by various directors, allowing us showcase the talent of many actors as well. We are trying to make sure that as many artistes as possible get a chance to showcase their talent and are introduced to a different kind of audience who might love their work - opening up more opportunities for them," says Singh.

A total of 20 artistes are a part of this experiment ,and while there will be a single backdrop, artistes collaborate across the plays and help each other out - to make their work sharper and engaging, the duo add.

WHAT: Micro Theatre 4.0
WHEN: November 4, 5.30 PM to 8 PM
WHERE: G5A Warehouse, Worli
PRICE: Rs 499 onwards