World Theatre Day: Exploring the impact of theatre on lives

All the worldrsquos a stagersquo wrote William Shakespeare immortalising the proscenium across the globe In 1961 theatrersquos role in public life was recognised with the institution of World Theatre Day by The International Theatre Institute on March 27 On its 62nd anniversary today we speak to city artistes about their key learning from the stage and their favourite playsStage as lifeVivek Jadhav 50 stage designerSet designing and management is a key element of the composite art that is theatre Even in plays where there are no sets the actorrsquos body becomes the set Theatre was a passion ever since I graduated out of JJ School of Arts 25 years ago The stage was a space for expression and soon the bug bit me In a play the designer cannot just focus on design You have to be aware of the mood theme script and the needs of the actors Theatre mimics life and leaves you with experiences that you can only look back uponMy recco The Water Station adapted by Sankar Venkateswaran for its beautiful presentationThinking on your feetPallavi Patel 33 costume designerPatel designed the costumes for left Neil Bhoopalam and Denzil Smith in the play Every Good Boy Deserves a Favour Pic CourtesyNCPAI canrsquot point out a definitive moment that drew me into theatre But the first stage work I did was a play titled Gaa Re Maa I really enjoyed the process It made me realise that every production is a tight knit familyIt makes you disciplined and meticulous I also loved how much you could experiment and how open people were to ideas No matter whether you are a newbie or a veteran there is equality on setMy recco The Verdict for its taut directionMy means of communicationRaveesh Jaiswal 32 founderdirector Bombay Theatre CompanyI started out as a musician playing the tabla backstage for plays in Nagpur It was in high school that I learned of a new play being put up mdash an adaptation of The Mystery of The Pantomime Cat by Enid Blyton I gave the audition and it started by my theatrical journey It taught me the importance of preparation No matter how much you prepare there will be some unexpected problem But you have to find a way to improvise and move forward It is the same with lifeMy recco Kharaashein by Gulzar for its brilliant montage of solo performances and the use of sound and lightLife in the momentManav Kaul 46 actorwriterdirectorKaulrsquos play Chuhal Pic courtesy InstagramMy first epiphany with theatre was when I was in Class V when I saw a street performance of Matadeen Chand Par in my hometown of Hoshangabad I thought lsquoWe can do this for life Just stop everyone to tell a story on the roadrsquo It blew my mind The second such moment was while watching Habib Tanvirrsquos Mudrarakshas in Bharat Bhavan Delhi That was when I left everything and turned to theatre A live performance is a different experience especially when you are youngFor me theatre is not a stepping stone or a path to something else I do it because it is my life A play is only alive while I am working in it mdash for the audience and for me The moment it is completed it survives only as a memory That is very close to life All that matters is to be present in this moment Your bad performances will be forgotten There will be another play tomorrow People will move on It is not about gains or losses It simply is and I love thatMy recco Notes on Chai by Jyoti Dogra was a powerful and amazing experiment I saw in Mumbai In Delhi I saw Uparwala Kamra which was another experimental piece that impressed mePlays to watch this weekgtgt Log Baag HindiON March 27 7 pmAt Asmita Theatre Studio Aram Nagar Part 2 VersovaLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomCOST R100gtgt A Letter From Sydney EnglishON March 28 815 pmAt Veda Factory Bungalow No 120 Versova LOG ON TO insiderinCOST Rs 250gtgt Antataha HindiON March 29 8 pmAt Prithvi theatre Juhu Church Road JuhuLOG ON TO prithvitheatreorgCOST Rs 200 onwardsgtgt Crossing To Talikota EnglishON March 31 to April 2 730 pmAt Jamshed Bhabha Theatre NCPA Nariman PointLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomCOST Rs 590 onwards