NCPA Connections India: Watch these plays performed by teenagers across Mumbai

The stage is a place for truth A place few dare to venture and fewer manage to triumph in Yet this weekend will be proof of the audacity of youth The third edition of NCPArsquos youth initiative Connections India will bring to the stage 16 plays performed and managed by teenagers from across 16 schools colleges and NGOs in the city In plays where there were more students wanting to take part than there were parts the directors had to hold audition In most cases the workshops accepted all students who were interested in participatingBruce GuthrieCreate a cultureOrganised in association with National Theatre UK the annual showcase is an effort to open doors to the stage for the youth shares Bruce Guthrie head of theatre and film NCPA ldquoThe key thing we improved upon this year is adding an aspect of technical training and design to give kids an opportunity to learn about all the things that go into making a productionrdquo he points outFrom lighting design sound and backstage management they were offered a glimpse into the world behind the screen through workshops under the Backstage Pass programme from AugustShernaz Patel centre with her team during a workshopGenerational shiftThe skills developed are not limited to the theatre ldquoOne of the challenges children face is that since they spend so much time on screen they struggle to physically communicate in front of people A lot of the work we do focusses on these skills as wellrdquo he says Shernaz Patel creative learning director Connections India concurs saying ldquoThe students embraced the stories The directors as part of the workshops also worked on the complex themes and emotions They also watched plays at Prithvi and NCPA to understand the theatre experiencerdquoBhavika Prithviraj third from left in the play Age is RevoltingBridge the gapPlaywright Sheena Khalidrsquos Level Up is among the two original Indian plays commissioned alongside Arghya Lahirirsquos Hence Proven this year ldquoHaving directed in the first edition I was struck by how complex it is for teenagers to navigate the worldrdquo she notes Her play looks at grief through the perspective of a 13yearold girl coping with the loss of her motherShivani Vakil SawantThis complexity does not faze Bhavika Prithviraj of Kherwadi Public School assisted by the NGO Aseema Charitable Trust The eighthstandard student is part of the 19member team putting up Abi Zakarianrsquos complex play about ageism Age Is Revolting ldquoI had never been part of a play before this I never realised how fun it wasrdquo she saysChildren from the Jai Vakeel Foundation rehearse for The Sad ClubRoad to inclusivityOne of the highlights this year has been the participation of the 19 children with intellectual disability from the Jai Vakeel Foundation and Research Centre in the play The Sad Club Director Shivani Vakil Sawant spent time from August in workshops with the children ldquoI have always found children of special needs less inhibited They are less afraid of making mistakesrdquo she observesA group of children rehearse for the play Back In The DayPatel shares ldquoThe school was extremely helpful in offering assistance These kids do not have a chance to do such complex plays often and doing a 35minute piece is not easy We had to be sensitised on aspects from lighting design to sound production as wellrdquoSawant adds that for the kids to be performing in front of an audience who are not family or teachers is a thrill ldquoIn terms of getting them to watch a play a tour of the backstage time and space to learn about things with light and sound it is a first time for a lot of themrdquo she admitsGuthrie shares that this is part of the longer process ldquoConnections is a wonderful way to level the playing field for children It is a living breathing experience that has to improve each yearrdquo he concludesFROM Today to January 26 545 pm onwardsAT Experimental TheatreNCPA Nariman PointLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcom ncpamumbaicomCOST Rs 90 onwards members Rs 100 onwards nonmembersCatch these shows Ailie and the AlienON Today 545 pm The Blue Electric WindON January 17 545 pm PurvaiyyaON January 18 545 pm Level UpON January 19 730 pm The Sad ClubON January 23 545 pm Hence ProvenON January 25 545 pm Age is RevoltingON January 26 545 pm