Thespo 21 Magazine

e r t a e h on T

THEATRE GROUP YOUTH FESTIVAL

16-21DEC

Prithvi Theatre & NCPA

Welcome to Thespo 21 It’s been a strange journey getting here. To begin with, four socially awkward human beings were handed a two decade old theatre movement. It could (or maybe should) have been a disaster. Because they were made to talk. To other human beings. A lot of human beings: to over 800 theatre lovers at multiple First Calls, more than 230 teams during the play registrations, and countless number of faces at all the community initiatives like the Theatre Bugs play watchers, and the Saturday Open House meetings. There’s a reason the festival theme is Binge on Theatre, because at Thespo, there is no other way! So in an attempt to meet one deadline after another, the coffee powder was exhausted and spreadsheets from years ago were dug up so that more excel sheets could be created. Google documents were used as chat rooms, when all other mediums of communication failed. Contact lists on the phone began increasing, as did the number of people in office and subsequently so did the conversations. In the midst of small talk and shy nods that escalated into passionate discussions about “Why theatre?” and “Why Thespo?”, the awkwardness began to melt into a sense of belonging, as part of a larger community. Then around December, a strange phenomenon occurred. Bags with airport tags and muddy travel shoes ended up at the Thespo workspace. Distance became just a number. And we saw first hand how year after year, we end up finding a family in faces that we didn’t know until a couple of months ago. Why would people from different parts of the country travel and spend sleepless nights into ensuring that a festival runs smoothly? Our volunteers and participants have helped us realise that Thespo is more than just a festival, the only reason it keeps growing each year is because people believe in it. Crazy people, passionate people, people who dare to dream. People like you, who are reading this right now. And people, like the ones you are going to see on stage. Just as the Thespo team is pan Indian, so is this year’s festival line up. While all four full length plays are from four different cities in four different languages, the treatment of both form and theme differ as well. Classical pieces, physical pieces, new writing, satires… phew! And those were just the full length plays. A collaboration with Canadian theatre maker Kathleen Duborg finds itself amongst our platform performances. Fringe performances seem to range from reflections of current day crises to collaborative readings and discussions. Thespo Reads explores plays by contemporary Indian playwrights, and we hope the musical treats in the Foyer will set a warm vibe. Even this booklet has been put together to reflect not just the festival, but also youth theatre from around the country. From the bylanes of Hyderabad to the college corridors of Chandigarh, to a chat room in Tamil Nadu to the remote valleys of Kashmir, we’ve tried to share stories that aren’t always said aloud. We encourage you to come hang at the festival. There’s stuff happening from morning to night. So switch off the world, switch on your senses, and come binge with us.

- Anushka Ghose, Nishika Mehta, Sameer Ayyagari, Shubham Deora (Thespo Fellows, 2019-20) 51

Tue, 17 Dec

AGNI AUR BARKHA 60 mins Jabalpur Hindi

BAKSA 72 mins Bangalore Non-Verbal

BAIN 75 mins Bombay Hindustani, Urdu

SANE ANI COMPANY 75 mins Pune Marathi

O BAITH KAGA Delhi Hindi, Bengali

FOR WHAT WILL DESTROY YOU Mumbai, Canada English

DEAR BAPU Mumbai English, Hindi

O Pune English, Marathi, Hindi

AGNI AUR BARKHA 60 mins Jabalpur Hindi THE GOLDEN DRAGON In Collaboration with Goethe, Mumbai English

SANE ANI COMPANY 75 mins Pune Marathi

UNTEES - IKATEES 2 cultured musicians try to civilise the audience

THESPO READS: Hard Places

(3 pm)

by Kathleen Duborg

AKSARIYAT AKLIYAT Delhi Hindi, English, Kashmiri

BAKSA 72 mins Bangalore Non-Verbal

BAIN 75 mins Bombay Hindustani, Urdu

MANGO A slice of raw sound

(3 pm)

THESPO READS: Bansuri

MASTERCLASS IN NATURALISTIC ACTING

Fri, 20 Dec

LOADED WITH Pune Marathi

by Arghya Lahiri

(10 am) MAGIC HOUR: DERYCK JEFFEREIS LIGHTING WORKSHOP

(3 pm)

by Nipun Dharmadhikari

POEMS AND PLAYS Spoken word on theatre

THESPO READS: Jaal

THESPO READS: Crab

Thu, 19 Dec

AT YOUR OWN RISK

Wed, 18 Dec

UNTEES - IKATEES 2 junglee musicians drive the audience wild

(3 pm)

by Kaizad Gherda

SOUNDS LIKE...

by Faezah Jalali

LOSE YOUR MIND, USE YOUR BODY

Mon, 16 Dec

THESPO 21 AT PRITHVI THEATRE AND NCPA

8pm

9pm

6pm

5:30pm

1pm-5pm

9am - 1pm

7pm

At Little Theatre, NCPA

Fringe Performances at Prithvi House

Plays at Prithvi Theatre

Platform Performances at Prithvi Foyer

Thespo Reads at Prithvi House Adda

Workshops at Prithvi Theatre

Workshops at Prithvi House

THESPO 21 AWARDS NIGHT (5 pm)

Sat, 21 Dec

Contents 40-Odd Days of Bingeing (Curatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note)

Plays

Jury

Workshops

Thespo Reads

Foyer Fever

Fringe

Platform Performances

A Tenure in Friendship

Lifetime Achievement Award: Farrokh Mehta

In Memoriam

Art Kind of Experiment

Ready, Set... AUDITION!

Once Upon A Tale

Sanguine Doctrines

Thespo Throughout the Year

Friends of Thespo

Theatre Group

QTP

Credits and Acknowledgements

Meet The Team

62 3

40-ODD DAYS OF BINGEING Anyone with a social media account might have come across those oft cited figures associated with the Thespo21 screening tour: 40-odd days, 14 cities, 13 languages, and around 200 plays. A good crop for the season, but numbers donʼt quite sum up what was ultimately an experience for the soul. Not the soul of theatre per se — the verdictʼs still out on that — but something much more unexpected, and perhaps much more human. As we (the screening panel) discovered rather early, the screening process is somewhat ceremonial. Setting up shop like government inspectors, then solemnly observing the proceedings with our fingers gingerly on stop-watches. Scribbling away on outsized notepads with borrowed quills, followed by poker-faced feedback sessions. All this, while struggling to make sense of what was essentially an intrepid new generation before us — the last of the millennials, if you will. Still eager, still fresh-faced, anticipation writ large on their faces, even as they effortlessly owned their turf. When the barriers between us and them were occasionally dismantled (and it didnʼt happen as often as we wouldʼve liked), there were exchanges that left us all a little different than when we started. Theatre, of course, played its part. The set-ups were strictly rudimentary, but the sheer talent on display, the appetite for performance, makeshift spaces assembled entirely by jugaad and compelling characters who inhabited them, all gave us a sense of the world that we live in, with its contradictions and illusions. The plays took place across periods and geographies, cultures and persuasions, and despite Thespo being a strictly under-25 movement, there were often multi-generational sagas. In a typical dayʼs work, we hopped from one galaxy to another, traversing borders and mind-sets, immersing ourselves into new stories and old ones. It wasnʼt a particularly seamless experience, but the suspension of disbelief was the least of our concerns. The calibre of presentation varied, and that is par for the course, but very often, the value of an experience transcended the parameters of what our expectations of a quality play might be. Some of the more honestly portrayed characters have lingered around long after they were first encountered. The young rural couple whose foiled elopement becomes an amusing memory when their folks unknowingly ‘arrange’ their marriage. A spirited mountain girl who manages to wean her beau off the object of his affection — an errant cow. The last Japanese holdout in a remote 4

Filipino island, who only surrendered three decades after the end of WWII. A man so devoted to his family that he feels compelled to take on even a murder charge to protect his own, even if they couldn’t care less for his sacrifices. Writer Jayanth Kaikini’s attempts to watch the superhit Kannada film, Choori Chikkanna, even as it was being taken off theatres late in its run. The keeper of a Hindu cremation ground, whose path to enlightenment was one that is uncommonly tread-through considering himself as the reincarnation of the Mahabharataʼs diabolical Shakuni. A self-respecting food delivery man, who gets into a social and class wrangle with a customer in a high-rise. The couple who manages to keep a relationship afloat in a dystopian world in which the words one utters are rationed according to daily limits. The conservative Maharashtrian mother who tries to embrace her sonʼs sexuality, by ʻbreaking inʼ his agreeable male lover as an ideal ʻdaughter-in-lawʼ. All these and more wove a complex tapestry of the human condition, especially when presented all together in what was a virtual smorgasbord of themes and ideas. Beyond fiction and its pay-offs, there was the visible labour of scores of theatre-makers in the making, a veritable throng of enthusiasts that Thespo has miraculously brought under a single fold. Each set-up was a microcosm of sorts, with its own processes and attitudes, mirroring the systems we find in professional theatre in their own inchoate ways. Here, appeared the persisting skew towards old theatre and its hierarchies, but an inclusive collaborative process appeared to be finding its way in slowly but surely. Young blood certainly augurs well for the scene, even if the new voices among them might yet take some time to bubble to the surface. Theatre is, after all, that unforgiving medium that oversees generational shifts most frequently, and Thespo has been, for twenty-one years now, a rejuvenating force thanks to the fresh talent that it unfailingly unearths year after year. - Alok Rajwade and Vikram Phukan (Artwork by Alok Rajwade) Alok Rajwade is a theatre and film actor who also happens to paint. Vikram Phukan is a theatre critic and playwright who also teaches at the Drama School Mumbai.

A child's voice is silenced. Will the family turn towards religion, or away?

bain

(Hindustani - Urdu)

17 December | Tuesday | 6 & 9 pm Prithvi Theatre 6

bain

Mumbai Theatre Arts Mumbai

Story by

Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi

Adapted & Directed by Vishal Sonawane

A girl with a voice gifted by the Almighty, is silenced. Her family struggles to come to terms with their personal faith, and its contradiction with organised religion. Will the family turn further towards religion or away?

Cast

Amruta Shrigondekar, Dhiraj Sirsat, Kajal Kokate, Pallavi Kulkarni, Vikram Tandekar, Vishal Sonawane

Crew

Music: Lovesh Sawant, Shrutika Wankhede Set: Prasad Khadake Lights: Manju Gangawane, Prathamesh Jadhav Sound Design: Amey Chavan, Chinmay Pandit Backstage: Swapnil Bhosale, Vishwajeet Tayade

75 minutes (no interval) 7

)

rbal e V n (No

its of m i l the iance? e r a l t Wha our comp

18 December | Wednesday | 6 & 9 pm Prithvi Theatre 8

baksa DOT Theatre Bangalore

Written & Directed by Amrith Jayan

We are all confined. By space. By language. By learning. By conditioning. By authority. By duty. But what happens when you finally have all the tools to break free? Inspired by Wolfgang Kohlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mentality of Apes, this physical play is an exploration of the patterns of our obedience, and the limits of our compliance.

Cast

Abhimanyu Nair, Mohammed E Lehry

Crew

Sound Design: Raunak Mithra Live Music: Aswin Hiran Stage Manager: Tarun Kapoor Production Assistants: Norman Leslie Doss V, Manu Neeralkatti Backstage Crew: Aasthik Shanbag, Ananya Shanbag, Sana Kahlon, Krutarth K. Karanjkar Set and Costume Design: Amrith Jayan Lights: Adi Shastri

72 minutes (no interval) 9

A theatre troupe tries to reinvent itself, but will their audience accept the new avatar?

19 December | Thursday | 6 & 9 pm Prithvi Theatre 10

Aajkal Pune

Written by Jaywardhan Khot

Directed by

Devendra Charankar

The play is set in a time when opulent sangeet nataks were making way for realistic drama. The story follows the fortunes of a theatre troupe that challenges the status quo, and faces censure from a conservative community.

Cast Atharva Sathe, Devendra Charankar, Jaywardhan Khot, Mukul Sane, Parth Waikar, Prem Mohite, Ratnadeep Shinde, Rohan Khare, Rohan Rode, Sandesh Sonawane, Sarika Deshpande, Saurav Deshmukh, Surabhi Dhamal, Vaibhav Randhave, Vaibhav Kadam, Vajrang Aphale

Crew

Set Design: Anil Gherade, Mugdha Bhalerao Light: Devendra Charankar, Sachin Dunakhe Music: Apoorva Petkar, Prafull Jadhav, Yashraj Awekar Costumes: Mugdha Bhalerao Property: Sandesh Sonawane, Vaibhav Kadam Production Manager: Rohan Khare Backstage Crew: Ajinkya Kulkarni, Aditya Santosh, Chinmay Deo, Hrishikesh Borkar, Sandesh Pawar, Shrinath Gadade, Siddharth Joshi, Ratnadeep Shinde, Rishi Manohar

75 minutes (no interval)

Girish Karnad's powerful play about drought, patricide, caste politics, and primal seduction

AGNI BARKHA aur

(Hindi)

20 December | Friday | 6 & 9 pm Prithvi Theatre 12

AGNI AUR BARKHA Samagam Rangmandal Jabalpur

Written by Girish Karnad

Directed by

Arpit Singh, Harshit Singh, Jyotsna Kataria, Mansi Rawat, Shivam Bawaria

A drought. A massive yagna. A pious priest. A rebellious young man. A family torn apart. A woman repeatedly wronged. And a personal choice. All for just a drop of rain. Girish Karnadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful play about drought, patricide, caste politics, and primal seduction.

Cast

Arpit Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Aziz Hassan, Mansi Rawat, Harshit Singh, Sakshi Dubey Saurabh Yadav, Shivakar Sapre, Shivanjali Gajbhiye, Utsav Hande, Vidhan Katare

Crew

Music: Jyotsana Kataria, Sahil Jain, Shivanjali Gajbhiye, Shivam Bawaria Lights: Adi Shastri Backstage: Satyam Kushwaha

60 minutes (no interval)

Exceptional young talent makes it to the festival every year. Thespo strongly believes young talent like that must be recognised and celebrated. To do so, we have a jury who spend all their evenings during the festival, watching the performances, making due notes and reaching a consensus. We are so grateful to them for taking time out to give Thespo a hand. Presenting the jury for this year: Deepal Doshi is a Mumbai based actor-creator, director and educator. He has a diploma in Growtowsky (a form of physical theatre) and an MFA in Physical Theatre from Dell'Arte International School Of Physical Theatre, California. He is a founding member of MadBall Co. and also works as an actor-creator for other theatre groups, films and commercials. He is also a visiting faculty at various drama schools in India teaching Commedia Dell’Arte, Clowning and Devising. Currently, he is a part of the extended faculty at The Drama School Mumbai. Mita Vashisht, an alumnus of the National School of Drama (New Delhi), is an Indian film, television and theatre actress and a writer. She is also an active humanitarian. In 2001, she established Mandala, a space for arts collaboration and education and the Mandala TAM (Theatre Arts Module). A process based on performing arts, that successfully helped to heal and transform trafficked minors. She continues to inspire by being the powerhouse of energy and ideas that she is, as she performs her 75 minute solo piece titled Lal Ded. Shafaat Khan is a renowned Marathi playwright and theatre director. He has written around twelve full length plays that include titles like Gardit Garditla, Mumbaiche Kavle, Kisse and many more and which have been translated into various languages. Adding more feathers to his cap, he is also credited for starting the theatre groups- ‘Theatre’ and ‘Theatre X’ which have gone on to create many experimental plays. On the educational front, he has presented numerous papers on theatre and has been a visiting faculty to many institutions.

Sukhita Aiyar describes herself as a person who lives and breathes theatre. She was the education and training officer at Jagriti Theatre and has acted, directed, stage managed and taught theatre for more than 15 years in Bangalore. Plays that she has been a part of over the years include Dance Me to the End of Love, Menghaobi: The Fair One, Love Matters and many more. Currently, she is teaching at Drama School of Mumbai, helping young actors hone their skills and talent.

MAY OUR TRIBE THRIVE AND MULTIPLY Toto Funds the Arts Bangalore 16

Magic Hour: The Deryck Jeffereis Lighting Workshop

An Introduction to Lighting for the Theatre by Arghya Lahiri “Light” - If you’re an actor, you need to catch it. If you’re a Producer, you need to cost it. If you’re a Director, you need to shape it. And if you’re a designer, you need to bottle it. ‘Magic Hour’ is an introduction to the craft of lighting for the theatre, in India. It is almost completely hands-on. 16 December | 10am to 8pm | Prithvi Theatre

Lose Your Mind, Use Your Body!

Theatre is physical. Your body is your text. Learn how to use it. by Faezeh Jalali The workshop will focus on the work of Rudolph Laban who created a movement vocabulary that can be articulated and hence executed with a deeper understanding of one’s body and of human movement. It can be applied both to text and in physical story-telling. With Laban work, an actor/dancer/mover can break down a movement into its component parts for cleaner and more precise execution. 16 & 17 December | 9am to 1pm | Prithvi House

Sounds Like…

Imagine sounds beyond your script. Respond to sound beyond your ears by Kaizad Gherda Where do you begin when you design the sound for the play? What does an effective sound design imply? So come and explore ideas about sound and music design used in existing running plays. Discover soundscapes and understand the various relationships between directors' vision and sound design! 16 & 17 December | 1pm to 5pm | Prithvi House

At Your Own Risk

Intermediate Workshop in Theatre Direction by Nipun Dharmadhikari What is the right subject or script? How do you make it your own? How do you analyse the script, find the subtext and finally stage it? Let’s learn! 18 & 19 December | 10am to 5pm | Prithvi House

Master class in Naturalistic Acting

Use imagery, focus and physical articulation to perform a theatrical monologue. by Kathleen Duborg Examine the naturalistic performances from a Canadian perspective, using both film and theatre. Experience how the naturalistic style of the monologue is utilized in Northern America as the ‘calling card’ for actors in auditions. 20 December | 10am to 2pm | Prithvi House

3 PM PRITHVI HOUSE ADDA

Come join us in participative readings of plays by Indian contemporary playwrights where everyone gets to play a character.

Jaal

Writer - Annie Zaidi 17th December | Hindi Constable Gopal is sent on a paid vacation to his village to solve the mystery of a missing engineer.

Crab Writer - Ram Ganesh Kamatham 18th December | English Taking a hard look at the angsty new generation, looking at once for purpose and an emotionally safe space from an increasingly concrete world.

Bansuri Writer - Divya Jagdale 19th December | English The misery-filled journey of self-realisation of a girl who strives to make her life more meaningful.

Hard Places Writer - Farhad Sorabjee 20th December | English It explores the unspoken borders that separate us from our loved ones and the violently disputed borders between countries. 18

Follow @CanadainIndia

www.india.gc.ca 20

Untess-Ikatees

2 junglee musicians drive the audience wild. 17 December

Poems and Plays

Spoken word, or rather a play on words, examining the essentials of stage and life. 18 December

Mango

A slice of raw sound. 19 December

Untees-Ikatees

2 cultured musicians try to civilize the audience. 20 December

hv i Foye r it r P t a m p 8

Unbox’s

Inaara’s

(Pune)

(Mumbai)

17 December | Tuesday Non-verbal | 25 min

18 December | Wednesday Non-verbal | 22 min

A powerful movement piece that traces the evolution of all life, until the age of man.

At a time when all that he stood for is being obliterated, two young friends try to imagine the world that Bapu had promised them. A dramatisation of a K A Abbas story- Bacchhon Ke Khat Mahatma Gandhi Ke Naam.

Written & Directed by Chinmay Pawar and Priyadarshini Indalkar Cast and Credits: Akshada Jadhav, Chinmay Shah, Hrishikesh Deshpande, Onkar Vaidya, Pratik Karyakarte, Ritwik Gondhlekar, Saurav Deshpande, Shubham Dashwant

Written by KA Abbas Directed by Rohan Verma and Vedika Singh

Thespo in collaboration with Kathleen Duborg & Canadian Consulate

Anubhuti – The Street Play Society Of JDMC’s

For What Will Destroy You (Vancouver, Mumbai)

19 December | Thursday English | 25 min Drawing from the Roman myth of Phaethon, this is the story of the son of the Sun God Phoebus, who burned the Earth because of his hubris and pride. This story delves into the human frailty at the centre of environmental degradation. Written by Ovid Adapted by Ted Hughes Directed by Kathleen Duborg

Dear Bapu

Cast and Credits: Aaryan Tandon, Alistar Bennis, Anuksha Shetty, Deepak Yadav, Heym Mehta, Himanshu Jetley, Hrishabh Kanti, Kanchan Khilare, Nandini Handique, Pragati Sharma, Tanvi Rao, Tarun Kapoor, Yashaswee Gandhi

Cast and Credits: Rohan Verma, Vedika Singh

O Baith Kaga (Delhi)

20 December | Friday Hindi & Gharwali | 22 min O Baith Kaaga is a play that sheds light on the uprooted Indian villages leading to creation of ghost villages and exacerbated migration. Written & Directed by Amit Tiwari Cast and Credits: Aditi Solanki, Amrita Praday Vatsa, Aneesha, Anushka Singh, Chandni Kumari, Drishti Dudeja, Gargi Sood, Khushi Sikri, Khyati Bhatt, Kiran Yadav, Kirti Goyal, Kritika Kakka, Lakshita Arora, Mansi Bansal, Mehak Kapoor, Muskan Sharma, Muskan Singh, Rachita, Rachna Yadav, Ragni Bhurji, Sakshi Singh, Sanchita Malhotra, Tarasha Dua, Vaishali Batra

VI HOU H T I R P @ 7 PM Viculp’s

Loaded With… (Pune)

17th December | Tuesday | 55 min Marathi, Hindi & English Food delivery apps are addictive. They are easy to use, convenient, and often enrich your life. But overuse can sometimes impact your life in unexpected ways. Written and Directed by Saurabh Shamraj Cast and Credits: Ashish Abhale, Rameshwar Borude, Saurabh Shamraj, Yash Potnis Alternative Space Project’s

Aksariyat Akliyat

(Delhi)

19th December | Thursday | 40 min Hindi and English Kashmir is complicated. Beautiful and complicated. It always has been. Come listen to the voices of its people as they take you through its history. Written by Karan Chaudhary Directed by Vivek Tyagi Cast and Credits Abhishek Kumar Singh, Aryan Panwar, Diwakar Yadav, Harsh Haldania, Jai Vardhan Rai, Nitin Kumar, Shrey Kaushik, Tushar Ranga A Max Müller Bhavan and Thespo Collaboration

Der goldene Drache (Mumbai)

Supported by

20th December | Friday | 55 min English A dramatic play reading of interwoven stories involving a lamenting cricket, a grandfather who wants to feel young again, a tooth ache, and a Chinese restaurant. Written by Roland Schimmelpfennig Directed by Sharodiya Chowdhury Cast and Credits: Aditi Puthran, Devarsh Shah, Kajol Chugh, Mithil Raj Goswami, Nitya Mathur, Sahir Mehta

A Tenure in Friendship Lifetime Achievement Award: Farrokh Mehta

Theatre brings people together, both literally and metaphorically. It is an expression of a basic human instinct. To mimic, to project stories onto ourselves and others, to create meaning through narrative and metaphor. Theatre is about a feeling. Theatre creates a family. Farrokh Mehta too, subscribes to this school of thought. He says, “If there’s something you want to build, build it on friendship. Friendship outlives everything else.” Which is exactly what he did with his theatre career. These friendships tell stories. Not all stories go according to plan, neither did Farrokh’s love affair with theatre. The story begins with him accidently wandering into Gerson da Cunha’s production of Not According to Plan. It was this play that pushed him to join his college theatre group and build friendships that not only helped him grow professionally, but personally as well. At the Dramatics Club of St. Xavier’s College he found his ace mentors - Deryck Jeffereis and Adi Marzban, who he credits for his career. Gerson too influenced and supported an array of Farrokh’s performances. They also acted together in the longest running English play at that time The Little Hut, which was directed by Adi Marzban. Even today, after years of being contemporaries, they still talk about everything that theatre encompasses and everything that lies outside its sphere. As Farrokh embarked on the journey of discovering theatre and experiencing the joys that came with it, Deryck and Adi encouraged him to introspect and experiment with the plays he worked on. This helped him develop a deeper understanding of the characters he played. From being a grave-digger in Hamlet, to portraying the groucher in a production of A Man Who Came to Dinner, he was able to get into the skin of every character instead of just applying his persona. Another project that is fondly remembered by his family is his role in Cabaret. It was one of the most challenging plays he did. He had qualms about accepting this role as he had no prior singing experience, but with Alyque’s support and Sharon Prabhakar’s guidance he was able to bring authenticity to his character and deliver a really touching performance. Theatre Group Bombay soon became his family. Spending time with them fortified Farrokh’s belief in teamwork. What made this notion much stronger was his directorial debut: Arsenic and Old Lace. He realised, “Without teamwork theatre collapses. From the director to the guy who’s bringing the correct props at the correct time to the correct place; everyone is important. I think theatre requires this ‘being together’ and contributing no matter at what level.” Alyque Padamsee, one of his closest friends, pushed him to take the play on. This production made him more appreciative of his role as an actor. Very early on in his journey he realised that an actor can only ask to be considered for a specific role. He fell in love with the process of establishing plausible behavioural patterns for the characters he played. “Different productions create the need for different actors even if it's the same play. Actors are like prisms 25

the written word is transformed through them.” For Farrokh, it was important that actors created their characters with the experiences that they had lived through. An example of this was Theatre Group Bombay’s four different productions of Death of a Salesman. This play marked some truly memorable performances with Alyque, there were two renditions that stood out to him. In the ﬁrst rendition they played the characters as they were, and while that was still a great performance, the second one was even better. It was built on playing off thirty years of knowing, supporting and learning from each other. This characterised their dynamic in the play, subtly underscoring the bond they shared. Alyque Padamsee, was his oldest friend. Thirty-seven plays. Decades of friendship. And they were still inseparable, always eager to work with each other. Roger Pereira also fondly remembers Farrokh’s role in A Touch of Brightness, which Alyque directed. It was this play, that introduced Farrokh to his lifelong crew partner- Vijaya bai, a well-connected actress who worked on an impressive list of projects before she joined the one that changed her life. The production showcased the red light areas of Mumbai, which caused the government to intervene and eventually red light the project. However, Farrokh and Vijaya chose to stay in touch. They developed a kinship because of their aligned interests like acting and theatre. The fact that Farrokh formed deep, meaningful relationships with Deven and Ravi (the sons) only added to his charm. In many ways, she feels that she owes him her career. That’s what makes Farrokh Mehta’s contribution to the theatre community so unique. As an actor he didn’t feel responsible for just his role, but for the production as a whole. Farid Currim, regards him as one of the most giving actors in the theatre community. One would often ﬁnd him helping his fellow actors and crew members. His contribution to theatre is immense. He’s constantly innovating ideas to sustain it. He tries to add to every aspect that falls under sphere of theatre.

Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Farrokh Mehta at Little Theatre, NCPA on 21 December 2019. - Heym Mehta is a psychology nerd who decided that bunking college was worth the stage. 26

In Memoriam: Legends, they’re like us. Theatres that we perform in, the culture we thrive on, and the stories we tell, are the legacy of many talented men and women. These people started out in a different era, with its own opportunity and struggles. Over decades, they made Indian Theatre the platform it is today. Gifted as they were, it turns out the beginnings of their careers weren’t very different from us. Ex-engineers, kids who ‘started out in advertising’ and even the occasional math nerd! With immense gratitude, we remember those who left us in 2019, where they started out, and what they have left for us to cherish. S Thyagarajan began as an accountant at the National School of Drama (NSD), but his real interest was neither Accounts nor Drama. Thyagarajan went on to become a theatre photographer. He first chanced upon the darkroom in NSD when he started attending workshops after office hours. Eight years later, he was the Senior Photographer at the school. He clicked hundreds of pictures and covered many notable plays. A famous shot of his is of Ratan Thiyam’s Nine Hills where actors and statues pose in such harmony, it’s difficult to tell them apart. Famously, Thyagarajan had mastered the art of making himself invisible to his subjects when was capturing their performances. The accountant whose journey began because he was present in the right place, made being being absent his greatest quality.

S Thyagarajan (1945 - 2019)

Then, there areare those whose mere presence could light upup a scene. Then, there those whose mere presence could light a scene. Dinyar Contractor originally thought he he wanted to be a doctor, butbut hishis Dinyar Contractor originally thought wanted to be a doctor, love forfor performance drove himhim to the stage. And perform he he did.did. With a a love performance drove to the stage. And perform With career spanning 47 47 years, Dinyar became a star with a penchant forfor career spanning years, Dinyar became a star with a penchant comedy comedyin inHindi HindiandandGujarati Gujaratitheatre theatreandandlater laterappeared appearedon on Doordarshan. HeHe started outout under thethe likes of Adi Marzban andand hishis love Doordarshan. started under likes of Adi Marzban love forfor thethe audience, andand thethe audience’s love forfor himhim meant he he kept audience, audience’s love meant kept returning to the stage, even if he waswas injured. “He“He came on on thethe stage in ain a returning to the stage, even if he injured. came stage Dinyar Contractor wheelchair andand stillstill hadhad perfect comedic timing” Bharat Dabholkar wheelchair perfect comedic timing” Bharat Dabholkar (1941 - 2019) recalls. recalls. Ramesh Medhekar, on the other hand, was an engineer in a time when engineers were still rare. Yet, he chose to become an actor on the Marathi stage in its most vibrant period. After a small stint at the Pune Municipal Corporation, he joined Bhaba Kelkar’s Progressive Theatre Association in the late 60s. He was a founding member of the Pune Theatre Academy. As Satish Alekar, one of the co founders of the Academy, fondly recounts “He acted in my plays Mahanirvan and Begum Barve and was one of the finest actors I have worked with.”

Ramesh Medhekar (1944 - 2019)

Manhar Gadhia’s first job was that of a PR professional for Gujarati theatre in 1976 - designing, scheduling and positioning advertisements in local newspapers. Media platforms may have been scarce and the budget was limited, but Gadhia left no stone unturned to fill houses. He would personally call people to invite them for various shows. He made a striking first impression with his love of clothing and accessories, and his energy and kind nature made him a crowd-favorite. Manhar even took up pro-bono assignments to help Manhar Gadhia out amateur groups. He also started producing plays and remained a (1952 - 2019) supporter of good content. He consistently emphasized on being dynamic “Theatre has to move, it can’t be static. This statement has been etched into my mind.” says Pritesh Sodha remembering his mentor. He produced many landmark plays and is considered one of Gujarati Theatre’s greatest stalwarts. Promoting theatre could’ve just been Manhar Gadhia’s first job, but he turned it into his life’s work instead.

Shaukat Azmi moved to to Mumbai after sheshe married thethe poet Kaifi. SheShe Shaukat Azmi moved Mumbai after married poet Kaifi. also married plays andand performance forfor thethe same reason initially, as Kaifi also married plays performance same reason initially, as Kaifi waswas a writer onon a stipend at at thethe Indian People’s Theatre Association. a writer a stipend Indian People’s Theatre Association. Rising expenses ledled Azmi to to take up up acting jobs herself. ButBut it was Rising expenses Azmi take acting jobs herself. it was spending time with theatre lovers, that sheshe became enchanted with thethe spending time with theatre lovers, that became enchanted with form herself andand acted in in several plays. SheShe became a force to to be be form herself acted several plays. became a force reckoned with andand sheshe went onon to lead IPTA andand thethe Progressive Writers reckoned with went to lead IPTA Progressive Writers Association together with herher husband. HerHer book ‘Kaifi andand I’ was later Association together with husband. book ‘Kaifi I’ was later adapted to to a stage play by by herher daughter. It wasn’t exactly passion that adapted a stage play daughter. It wasn’t exactly passion that drove Shaukat to to thethe stage in in thethe beginning, butbut once thethe theatre drove Shaukat stage beginning, once theatre became herher home, sheshe never left.left. became home, never

Shaukat Azmi (1928 - 2019)

The theatre keeda bit Arun Kakade when he was a student in Solapur. He arrived in Mumbai with dreams of being an actor. Little must he have known that he was destined to become the pioneer of the Marathi experimental movement in the city. With Vijaya Mehta and Arvind Deshpande, he started Rangayan in 1971, a theatre group that produced modern classics by Vijay Tendulkar and P. L. Deshpande for 14 years. He developed a taste for off-beat, experimental theatre and he also co-founded the group Avishkar with actors Sulabha and Arvind Arun Kakade Deshpande looking after the management nitty gritties. “He made an (1932 - 2019) effort to get to know everyone in the cast and crew and was the backbone of Avishkar.” say Umesh Jagtap. It was through his ingenuity that Dadar’s Chabbildas school was opened as a rehearsal hall and the auditorium and became the platform for this seminal arts movement. As a backstage manager, accounts manager, publicity liaison, production controller, Kakade Kaka’s career spanned over four decades and more than 225 plays.

Oh and the maths nerd? Also a political junkie, perhaps even a philosophy addict? That was Girish Karnad, considered a pillar of Indian playwriting. The love for calculations influenced his stories, their structure and their stakes. His degree in Philosophy, Political Science, Economics led to a strong socio-political voices in plays like Tughlaq and Yayati among others. Some were historical, mythological stories that explored politics relevant even today. Others had strong interpersonal politics that played out against emotionally rich backdrops. He worked at the Oxford University Press for 7 years before he went on to be Girish Karnad (1938 - 2019) director of FTII and a noted public intellectual. He received a Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and a Sahitya Akademi Award. Girish Karnad’s career spanned several mediums as well as fields, but it was playwriting where he was always most comfortable and he made sure that young theatrewallahs could comfortably use his work as well. Arati Punwani shared her experience with him stating, “I remember being very young like most people at Thespo and reaching out. Somehow I managed to get his email address. Nervous and sans budget I awaited his response. He was happy, excited and pleased that young people found his script interesting to work upon in a theatre festival and he told me not to worry about any money. It was very generous and encouraging for us.” His plays continue to be adapted and reimagined and one of them is even at Thespo 21. “I see a legacy of my generation” Karnad once said of his fellow playwrights. “Together we can claim that we did create a national theatre for modern India.” His quote holds true, not just for playwrights but for many theatre legends of his generation. People who have mastered their art, made audiences laugh and cry, built and ran movements, people who started small - equipped with a fire and love for the arts, they made the world of theatre a richer place for the likes of us who are starting out now. - Kalpak Bhave and Sahil Sur Kalpak Bhave was once called a Thespo enthu-cutlet and has sworn to never grow out of that description. So now he sends us articles all the way from Canada. Sahil Sur, though qualified to write quotes is destined to tell stories.

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sarabhi

Art kind of experiment

(bubbly) Our starting point was folk tales of Tamil Nadu. This in itself was the beginning of realising the possible differences between Sara and I. I was never told such folk lores as a child. However, as we discussed our early years, we sort of moved away from these stories to something that played a prominent role in our upbringing - religion.

Sara’s experiences with her grandmother responding to her innocent questions about religion made me recollect how I was beaten up for making fun of Jesus’ name as a child. (Passionately) I still don’t get it man! Why beat a child for something like that? I do remember loving scripture class though. It seems hypocritical that despite being an atheist, sometimes in moments of desperation I still mentally say, ‘Please God! Just this one time.’ (sheepishly) Hahaha. (settling) Anyway, sharing these stories paved our path to the main plot of the play which centred around a child’s questions about religion. We’re mixing memory and fiction. (gazing into the distance)

The one problem that we are having is coordinating our time because of this physical distance. In spite of that, I like what are creating. The play has two parallel, unrelated stories that have no relation except for the overarching theme that ties them together. One scene that I want to include for sure is that of the scripture class, where all the students stand like the choir and answer the Nun, in chorus. The Nun appears to be using hangman (it's a word game), as a tool to teach them. You know, I’ve never written something this personal before for others to read. Maybe this is a start to a lot more personal work for me.

Up until graduation I tried to subvert the values and norms I grew up with. Funnily enough, it was this journey that made religion such a huge part of my work. Taking a chance on penning down my memories has pushed me to write something I'm proud of.

BEGIN ACT There are two solitary stools on either side of stage. A spotlight on each. Chennai - Stage Right; Tirupur - Stage Left As Sarabhi and Sara get ready to talk about their experience, the spotlight on Stage left fades out.

sara

(poised) I have never met Sarabhi, yet I find that there is a lot we share in common, even our names are similar. My upbringing in Christian household and her being exposed to the religion through her education shaped our minds so differently... (looking off in the distance for a second and then returning) But not in a bad way at all. In fact I find these different perceptions of the same idea very beautiful. It’s interesting how Sarabhi was taught about religion in a quiet classroom while I learned the same over a dinner table.

I like the challenge the play posed with regards to writing about reality. Trying to merge our styles and ideas became the true test of our skills. (pause) I have benefited from being able to walk in her shoes and explore her thought process. I really want to put up our playlet for an audience, nothing much, a simple set up would do.

Encouraging the acceptance of the beauty of different perceptions is a central theme in our playlet. It’s a sentiment I observe on a daily basis. An example of this phenomenon is the local bus I take to work every day. I see people who are seated taking the heavy bags of students who would be standing, regardless of their religion. In that space, the community seems to come together. I know that it would be difficult for an experiment like this, but it would be so nice if Sarabhi and I could meet face to face.

- Yastika Shetty is quite the multi tasker when it comes to dabbling in dance, theatre and design.

Can you co-create with someone you’ve never met? Two girls, hailing from the same state embark on a journey that we observe in a meta way as we read the playlet about their playlet.

Both the spot lights fade out as the curtain draws. END ACT

Read the playlet in the latest of Thespo Ink on https://thespoink.wordpress.com/

Ready, Set...AUDITION! Auditions can be a tricky affair. Sarah Minz explores auditioning processes in Chandigarh. The hot summer sun seemed to drain the colour out of everything – the grass, the sky, the auditorium building, and the faces of all the audition applicants. The nervous college kids getting slow-cooked in the afternoon heat had no way to predict the roasting that was awaiting them inside. Soon, like unwitting sheep they were all herded inside the pitch-black college auditorium. Disoriented by the darkness, the poor idiots unflatteringly bumped into each other and various objects. Slowly and clumsily, everyone found places to sit. Somewhere, during one of the introductory speeches the concept of “Respect your seniors” became the central message (Now, most people in North India don’t offer respect as a common decency but as an age-based hierarchy. “I am older than you and therefore have been here at least a year longer than you, so bow before me mere mortal!”) Why, yes, I thought, I do love being at the bottom rung of the ladder. Oh, is it too late to mention that I too was part of the unsuspecting bunch and that this story is very real? Gasp, shook, yes, all that. Moving on. The applicants were sitting together in a sea of collective nervousness and sweat. The audition was set to begin. In the snap of a finger, though, the mood of the room switched from “drama group audition” to “MTV Hardcore Reality Show Tryouts™”. Some “contestants” were made to do pushups on stage, while others were asked to defeat the final boss (coincidentally, a bald judge from the panel) in a screaming match. The judges may as well have said, “Monologues? Don’t know her.” By the time it was my turn to be on stage, I was petrified. 37

Stressed, depressed and clearly unprepared, for whatever circle of hell this was. After all, I had no upper body strength. I couldn’t do a pushup to save my life! I was convinced I would get eaten alive so I decided to flee the scene and never go back. In a much later conversation about these events, it was pointed out to me that the odd demands might have been made in order to disarm the actors. Acting requires vulnerability. You need to have your guard down to be believable. Different directors use different techniques for opening up the performer so as to allow them to emote more freely. A common method amongst some theatre groups is to strip the actor of their defences using intimidation. In my case, that didn’t work very well. Determined to uncover the audition processes that existed in Chandigarh, I embarked on a journey filled with interviews. Needless to say I stumbled upon less aggressive approaches. Zubin Mehta, Director of Wings Theatre Academy, and Mukesh Sharma, Director of Samvaad Theatre Group, both prefer to have an initial informal interaction with the applicant. After which, Zubin selects participants for a 10 day acting workshop, at the end of which, he chooses the cast for the upcoming production. Mukesh Sharma on the other hand, prefers a classical audition for each role. Group members are expected to prepare lines from the script and perform them for the director. Both these methods seem to be achieving their objectives without shaking up the performers. The difference in audition processes for an independent theatre group vs a college theatre group seems to function on many variables. One of those variables is the amount of time the judge has been judging auditions for. Directors who have been doing it for a number of years are well versed with defining traits of talent that appeal to them. Another variable is the person or people who are conducting the audition. Their demeanour and mood seemed to affect the speed, ease, technique and relevance of the audition process. The third variable is motive or the end of the audition. The process differs depending on whether you are auditioning to join a theatre house, bag a role in an upcoming production, or, in my case- primarily entertainment. All said and done auditions can still be nerve racking, whether it’s in a reality show format or not. Understanding the why’s and how’s of it probably offer some comfort. There is definitely some solace in knowing that if an audition begins, it will also end. - Sarah Minz loves the stage, getting caught in the rain and occasionally being funny. 38

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Once Upon A Tale Knees shake, palms sweat and butterflies flutter around in your belly. The stage begins to seem further away even as you inch closer to it. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever performed, spoken, or even stood in front of a crowd, you will know the feeling I am talking about. Yes! I am talking about stage fright, and you need to know that you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t alone. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a completely normal phenomenon. From Barbara Streissand to Shabana Azmi, every performer experiences these inconvenient somatic jitters. The root cause of stage fright is often feeling under-confident and scared of being judged by your audience. Whether it's a patronising boss, judgemental co-workers, or people who have paid to come and see you. Sometimes, this anxiety can have a crippling effect on people. It can cause the best of us to let go of that one career-changing opportunity, fudge that all-important interview or even miss a romantic break we were looking for. Santosh Mohan, founder of the Hyderabad-based Tale Tellers Troupe (TTT), knew this feeling all too well. Mohan had experienced this flurry of emotions for 32 years before he started the Troupe. A sudden epiphany of all his lost opportunities drove him to start this initiative. With the Troupe started his journey of self-exploration. As a passionate story-teller he learned to navigate his way through this fear. It all started with a bonfire,cvv a few friends and a night which would be a witness to many stories. The bonfires grew as did the circles around them and slowly the stories started holding a lot more meaning. As word of mouth spread, TTT attracted more and more truth tellers, who shared their personal stories, thus growing the club into a popular name on social media amongst the youth in Hyderabad. Perhaps, the beauty of the Troupe and its unique methodology lies in its organic and relaxed format. People are free to choose if and when they would like to share their stories. When they feel like they are ready, each person is given seven minutes to share their anecdotes, often to a room full of strangers. Sharing these stories becomes a cathartic experience. Interestingly, Mohan notes that most of the stories that the youth of Hyderabad have to share are about travel. Maybe because the city is an amalgamation of people hailing from different places whose paths have converged to help each of them meet their personal and/or professional goals. Mohan also explained that practically every member of the Troupe has shared an initial feeling of anxiety, nervousness, and doubt. What helps is actually taking that first step, after which the entire process gets easier. The more you practice your skills out of your comfort zone, the more you begin to feel at ease. Storytelling in the Troupe and getting 40

over overstage stagefright, fright,the themembers memberssay, say,has hasalso alsohelped helpedthem themininother otherareas areasofoftheir theirlives, lives,such such asas relationships, relationships, inin their their workplace workplace and and with with their their families, families, definitely definitely aa positive. positive. Storytelling, Storytelling,performing, performing,and andsharing sharingcan canoften oftenopen openmany manymore moredoors doorsthan thanwe wegive giveitit credit creditfor. for. I Iremember rememberhaving havingtotoperform performininfront frontofofmy myentire entireclass classininfifth fifthgrade. grade.I Ihad hadtotopractically practically beg begthe theteacher teachertotolet letme mego golast, last,because becauseI Iwas wasso sonervous nervousabout abouttalking talkingininfront frontofof everyone everyoneelse. else.I Istared staredatatmy myfeet feetasasI Iwalked walkedtotothe thefront frontofofthe theclass, class,and andI Icould couldfeel feelthe the beads beadsofofsweat sweatforming formingon onmy myforehead. forehead.I took I tookaadeep deepbreath, breath,remembered rememberedthe theadvice advicemy my mom mom had had given given me, me, and and calmly calmly did did my my part. part. InIn fact, fact, even even before before simple simple class class presentations, presentations,my mystomach stomachwould wouldchurn churnand andthoughts thoughtsofofself-doubt self-doubtwould wouldplague plaguemy my mind. mind. Now, Now,some someyears yearslater, later,I Iam amhappy happytotosay saythat thatasasaateacher teacherI Iam amable abletotospeak speakininfront frontofof almost almost40 40little littlehumans humansdaily, daily,without withouteven evenaashred shredofofnervousness. nervousness.This Thisjourney journeywas wasnot not easy easy––atatthe thebeginning, beginning,each eachday daywas wasdifficult, difficult,but butI realise I realisenow nowthat thattaking takingsmall smallsteps stepsare are what whathelped helpedme mereach reachthis thispoint. point. So, So,ififyou youare areever everfeeling feelingnervous, nervous,anxious, anxious,ororeven evenphysically physicallyillillbefore beforeaaperformance, performance,oror the thethought thoughtofoffeeling feelingthat thatway wayprevents preventsyou youfrom fromtrying tryingsomething somethingnew, new,remember remembermy my mother’s mother’swords, words,“Pause, “Pause,breathe breathein, in,breathe breatheout. out.Focus Focuson onyour yourperformance, performance,not notyour your classmates, ”” classmates,and andbegin. begin.

- Ayesha Talreja is currently a Teach for India fellow, who loves her students as much as she loves cheese. 41

Sanguine Doctrines Aditi Puthran in conversation with Hishma Wani in the wake of Article 370. Hailing from Srinagar, Hishma is currently pursuing a triple major in literature, psychology and theatre from a university in South India.

1. Why theatre? What inspired you to study theatre in college? I was always driven towards acting and direction, but I never thought that theatre was a subject that I could pursue, primarily because of my background. Even when I realised that there are courses out there I could pursue, it still felt like a pipe dream for me to choose this path. However, passion supersedes reason. So, even though I seemed to think of it as a far-fetched idea, eventually I gathered the courage to go after it. Growing up, I watched a lot of plays. These were mostly school productions for Christmas and Founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. I remember going home and trying to recreate these plays in my family living room with my sister. It was when I watched Annie, that I completely fell in love with the stage. 2. Have you interacted with your peers from Kashmir? Do you see an interest in the performing arts growing among them? Yes, there is a growing interest among the youth to pursue performing arts. There are a lot of upcoming production houses, who are employing Kashmiri actors. Seeing these projects do well motivates a larger audience to take the leap. There is a gender bias when it comes to pursuing theatre or related fields. The theatre community needs more women to step-up owing to the social issues we face today. However, the safety risks canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be disregarded. Returning to the valley after finding success in another city becomes dangerous. Pragaash, the all girls band from Kashmir which was formed in 2012, had a fatwa issued against them. They eventually stopped performing completely and even apologised for forming a band in the first place. Instances like this deter not only young artists from entering the field, but also ingrain fear in the minds and hearts of the parents, who were once supportive. 3. What has being away from home during the communication blockade been like? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to simplify and articulate what I have been feeling. The looming fear of the unknown is what causes most of my anxiety. The fear of barely knowing what is happening with your own family and being unable to physically be present with them is quite scary. My grandmother recently passed away during the communication blockade, but I only found out about her death almost a month later. Often, I have nightmares about her death and sometimes, I have had to motivate my sister to get through the day. Not knowing will always generate anxiety. 43

4. You had recently visited your hometown. Did that give you clarity on the current situation? When I was in the twelfth grade, schools and the internet were shut down for months due to the curfews. All I heard about was death. This time when I went back, it was so much worse. One day, over breakfast my mother casually mentioned the bomb blast near SMHS hospital. The nonchalant manner in which my mother addressed this tragedy made me realise just how desensitised someone can become. Even being away for a couple of years left me unprepared for the feelings I experienced then. The streets that seldom remained empty were now plagued by only the army. Staying indoors for such a prolonged period has disturbing effects on one’s psyche. I felt suffocated and wanted to get out as soon as I could. When I reached the Mumbai airport, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and automatically felt so safe. It’s sad though, when you have to speak this way about your own hometown. 5. What is it like for you to practice theatre in such times? The irony here is how these trying times are what inspired the journey of self-expression in so many artists in such different ways. Primarily, the stories about Kashmir are being narrated either as films or plays, generating an open dialogue for the masses. An example of which is ‘The Country Without A Post Office’ by Agha Shahid Ali. Secondly, the appreciation you garner for your surroundings after visiting conflict zones like Kashmir. You can begin to avail of opportunities that you never even thought you’d have access to. This motivates you to work harder and optimise the resources that have ceased to exist back in the valley. Theatre helps me confront and endure the reality I live in. 6. Is there anything else that you’d like to share with us? Art thrives when it is appreciated, passion thrives when it is suppressed. It finds a way to manifest itself even in the gravest of situations. So, no matter what anyone tells you, believe in yourself and your art.

- Aditi Puthran loves reading new scripts, has an unhealthy obsession with mysteries and has no regrets about never watching Game of Thrones. 44

Thespo throughout the year Come the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, Thepo makes its way to the home ground, Prithvi Theatre. In our constant efforts to give opportunities to youth theatre groups on a professional playing field, we tied up with Prithvi Theatre and came up with Thespo at Prithvi a.k.a TAP. Plays from our past festivals and other plays weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spotted get added to the curated line-up. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all, we also organise a bunch of cool workshops targeting the varied skills of a theatremaker. Follow us at @thespoindia to get insider updates! Or write to us at tap@thespo.org The Act of Life by Anshuman Jha 5 & 6 March

The Art of Movement by Arpit Singh 5 & 6 February

Workshops Working it Out! by Akarsh Khurana 2 & 3 July

A Few of My Favourite Playwrights by Ramu Ramanathan 3 & 4 September

Trikon Ka Choutha Koun? 2 April Lihaaf 3 & 6 March Andhaar 2 & 3 July

Bhanvar 3 April

Plays Man Maana Square 5 & 6 February 3 & 4 September

Have you ever attended a play alone and wished that someone else had tagged along? Have you ever wanted to have an in depth conversation about the play with the cast and crew? Cue in: Theatre Bugs. The Bugs meet to watch plays together and follow it up with a wholesome discussion about the same. Over the last year weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve watched plays in different cities as well! Join us in our future endeavors by signing up at thespo.org/theatre-bugs/ April

theatre bugs

March

Algorithms | Mumbai A Fist Full Of Rupees | Mumbai Best of Alyque | Mumbai

Ila | Mumbai Every Brilliant Thing | Mumbai Wildtrack | Mumbai

July

May

Kaise Karenge | Mumbai Eidgah ke Jinnat | Mumbai

What Planet Are You On? | Mumbai

June

Two adorable losers | Mumbai Kaumudi | Mumbai

September

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace | Mumbai A Peasant of El Salvador | Mumbai

October

Mausumbi Narangi (Mumbai)

August

Tathagat | Mumbai Dhumrapaan | Bangalore A Few Good Men | Mumbai

November

Tommy Foggo Superhero (Pune) Constellations (Mumbai)

Theatrewallahs residing outside of Mumbai, we've got you covered too! Natyakala, a partnership with the Drama School of Mumbai (DSM), organizes basic acting workshops throughout the country. The goal is to reach as many enthusiasts as possible and celebrate the mutual love for drama. This year Natyakala travelled to six cities. Want a Natyakal in your own city? Write to us on theatre@thespo.org

Kolkata

Bangalore

Pune

by Asif Ali Baig

by Mahesh Dattani

by Deepal Doshi

Loud and Clear

Act and Play!

Act to React

Ahmedabad

Mumbai

Jaipur

by Heetal Varia

by Abhinav Grover

by Nikethan Sharma

Loud and Louder

Act. Play. Repeat.

Act it Out!

Saturday Open House is a new addition saturday to our list of initiatives. People that are open drawn to the movement, head to our house Thespo Adda. With a plate of biscuits and squash, we delve into the whats, whys and hows of Thespo! We have had 10 so far. Come meet us at the Thespo Adda for our next Saturday Open House. For regular updates follow us on @thespoindia on Instagram.

THESPO INK

Once in every 3 months there’s an explosion of drama in our e-magazine. From quirky interviews, opinions, stories from faraway lands, to theatre trivia and play recommendations, all written and designed by those under 25 about those, who under 25. So far we’ve got 21 editions and are definitely looking forward to many more in the future. Want to be a part of our community of young writers, critiques and designers? Head to thespoink@wordpress.com To write for INK email at ink@thespo.org

OTHER PARTNERSHIPS

On the 9th of November Thespo, Bruce Guthrie and Amelia Cardwell came together. What it resulted in, was a workshop on being spatially aware and creating movement within a scene. November also saw a partnership between Thespo and NCPA for their 50th-year celebration - Add Art. Thespo curated a line up of short performances by young emerging artists. These performances were designed to take place outside the formal setting of an auditorium. From musical to non-verbal and physical theatre pieces, to revisiting mythological texts, there was something for everyone to enjoy. You know November has been a busy month when you find out that Thespo also curated a panel discussion for Usha Pravin Gandhi’s LitFest on “What do plays performed by just one person aim at achieving?” Our volunteer exchange program came into fruition in November as well. One of our crew members headed over to Guwahati for their Playhouse Youth Theatre Festival and one of their crew members came down for Thespo21 in December! Being the first exchange of thoughts, ideas and cultures of hopefully many to come. 49

Thespo is a simple idea, enabling young people to access and participate in the live performing arts. But who is enabling the enablers? These are the Friends of Thespo. A committed collective of theatre bingers who, ensure that, year on year, Thespo can continue to make theatre part of young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. In a world of hardcore commerce, and cold numbers and an obsession with quantity, the Friends of Thespo are a refreshing change. They believe in the dream, and the importance of live theatre, and help us create intimate qualitative experiences for young practitioners and audiences, alike. We are forever grateful to these Friends. And we hope their tribe increases, because unlike Facebook, Thespo has no cap on the number of friends.

Enablers. Believers. Creators. A.P. Raman, Aaryan Tandon, Abhay Mahajan, Abhishek Goel, Aditi Malagi, Aditi Ravi, Akash Mohimen, Akhil Gadepalli, Alan Tweedie, Amatulla Zakir, Aniruddha Patankar, Anshuman Jha, Atul Mongia, Avantika Akerkar, Bhagirathi Raman, Bijoy Idicheriah Thazhethil, Christopher Samuel, Deepti Dcunha, Divya Bhatia, Divyesh Vijayakar, Farrokh Mehta, Ganesh Areoalli, Goldwin Fonseca, Harishri Babuji, Harsha Khorana, Harshil Vora, Himanshu Sitlani, Jiten Ramdas Jatania, Lianne Pais, Kiran Kalyan Deep Vanapalli, Mehernosh Bharucha, Mithila Palkar, Mullapudi Koteshwara Rao, Mullapudi Rama Devi, Nandini Sen Mehra, Navroz Seervai, Niloufer Sagar, Niral Shah, Parth Dhoot, Rahul Singh Rajput, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Ravikiran Kantamneni, Robbin Singh, Rohit Gokarn, Ruchira Das, Ruth Crishna, Sameera Iyengar, Sandeep Sanapuji, Sara Govias, Sathya Murthy BC, Saurabh Agarwal, Shanta Gokhale, Shaun Williams, Siddharth Siva, Sonal Gopujkar, Spoorthi BS, Sukrit Sharma, Sundara V Siva, Suresh Venkataraman, Radha Krishna Borusu, Vidisha Kanchan, Vikesh Khare, Warren Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sylva

The Theatre Group to-do list ideas Padamsee, the guy with all the Have someone named Sultan ). by Bob ed sure he’s nick nam create Theatre Group ( Make ia.

Bring Shakespeare’s plays to Ind

World War in India. Perform Macbeth during the 2nd Marzban is, Jean Bhownagary, and Adi Make sure to get Deryck Jeffere involved by 1944. Terrace Theatres. run out of venues and create Perform on terraces when you e to Dinner. Moss Hart’s The Man Who Cam Stage George S. Kaufman and Store sets in a godown when Load sets on a hand cart and

m in the your mother refuses to let the on accompany them to the venue

Go on tour with Candida.

house.

show day.

see & Pearl Padamsee.

Alyque Padam Rope in top notch directors like

Alyque. th of a Salesman with Pearl and Direct four productions of Dea a and Cabaret. like Jesus Christ Superstar, Evit Tap to the tunes of musicals Gerson DaCunha ) rs. ( Hint : Farrokh Mehta and Make sure you have ace acto r Afghan Church. Perform plays on porches nea The Serpent atre with One Way Pendulum, Delve into Experimental The and Exit The King ard in 1966. ing the Sultan Padamsee Aw Promote playwriting by institut and Gurcharan Das. like Gieve Patel, Jerry Sayani Embrace the local playwrights Complete 72 years of binging

on theatre.

. Consistently support Thespo

WhenWhen mostmost people hit a hit landmark year, year, they they people a landmark celebrate, take take stock,stock, and and stop stop to count the the celebrate, to count accolades. Not QTP. They They decided to dotowhat accolades. Not QTP. decided do what they they do best. Get busy. Hence 2019,2019, whichwhich do best. Get busy. Hence marked 20 years sincesince a bunch of youngsters marked 20 years a bunch of youngsters camecame together in a college classroom to form a together in a college classroom to form a theatre company, has been their their mostmost prolific theatre company, has been prolific to date. to date. They Theystarted startedtheir their ‘celebrations’ by opening a ‘celebrations’ by opening a play play that that had been very very had been closeclose to their heartheart for for to their a while. The The incredibly a while. incredibly fragile, delicate, pertinent, fragile, delicate, pertinent, and and important EveryEvery important Brilliant BrilliantThing.Thing.The The uplifting play play aboutabout love, love, uplifting life, family, mental healthhealth life, family, mental and and a lista of list all of the all the wonderful thingsthings in the wonderful in the world,world, has has ended up up ended performing acrossacross the the performing country in allin sorts of of country all sorts venues. FromFrom officeoffice venues. canteens in Bombay to to canteens in Bombay libraries in Bangalore, to conferences in Calcutta to festivals in Chennai and and libraries in Bangalore, to conferences in Calcutta to festivals in Chennai Delhi.Delhi. The play performances in 8 short months, and isand stillis still The has playhad hasover had thirty over thirty performances in 8 short months, goinggoing strong. strong. It seemed fittingfitting to commemorate two decades by bringing back back a playa that It seemed to commemorate two decades by bringing playisthat is almost as old, of Karmali Terrace had ahad runaofrun performances almost as so old,Khatijabai so Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace of performances earlierearlier in theinyear. And then after after a three year hiatus, A Peasant of El Salvador the year. And then a three year hiatus, A Peasant of El Salvador was brought back back just in for the elections; drawing parallels was brought justtime in time for general the general elections; drawing parallels between the events that led civil war between the events thatup ledtoupthe to Salvadorian the Salvadorian civil and war our and own our own scenario, including the agrarian crisis.crisis. scenario, including the agrarian 56

All ofAll this for QTP ofleft thisvery left little very time little time for to QTP to produce a new showshow for the produce a new for Aadyam the Aadyam 2019 2019 season. So, they went went aboutabout season. So, they helping otherother theatre companies realise helping theatre companies realise their lavish vision.vision. QTP handled the stage their lavish QTP handled the stage management for the original management for massive the massive original musical Sing Sing IndiaIndia Sing, Sing, worked as as musical worked scenographers on the A Few scenographers on riveting the riveting A Few GoodGood Men, Men, and designed the lights for for and designed the lights the runaway hit The All large the runaway hitKite TheRunner. Kite Runner. All large scale scale productions, that contrasted nicelynicely productions, that contrasted with with the intimate experience of their the intimate experience of their homehome productions. productions. QTP QTP also also helped local local audiences and and helped audiences practitioners access somesome wonderful practitioners access wonderful international showsshows and and collaborators. international collaborators. They They were were production managers on on production managers CurveCurve Theatre Leceister’s staged reading Theatre Leceister’s staged reading of The Pink Pink Sari Sari Revolution, the the of The Revolution, workshop production of Mira opulent Monsoon Wedding, and NCPA’s workshop production of Nair’s Mira Nair’s opulent Monsoon Wedding, and NCPA’s remounting of Constellations. They They also managed an India Tour of Matthew remounting of Constellations. also managed an India Tour of Matthew Sharp’s brilliant Tommy FoggoFoggo - Superhero, and are in rehearsal for for Sharp’s brilliant Tommy - Superhero, andalready are already in rehearsal NCPA’s new production The Mirror Crack’d, that’sthat’s helmed by British director NCPA’s new production The Mirror Crack’d, helmed by British director MellyMelly Still. They also facilitated a week long workshop with another BritishBritish Still. They also facilitated a week long workshop with another director, Tim Supple, and aand radio play for the Undercover Mumbai. director, Tim Supple, a radio play forBBC, the BBC, Undercover Mumbai. In keeping with their beliefbelief that live is theisbest In keeping with their thattheatre live theatre the way best way to communicate and entertain, they they built built an interactive to communicate and entertain, an interactive piecepiece on the of today’s children for HSBC, and are onneeds the needs of today’s children for HSBC, and are helping stagestage manage the performance section for the helping manage the performance section for the annual Aditya Birla Group Awards. annual Aditya Birla Group Awards. Add to that of Tata Live! Live! The The Add to the thatmanagement the management of Literature Tata Literature Mumbai International Litfest, and Thespo’s year year roundround Mumbai International Litfest, and Thespo’s activities, including the end year it’s safe sayto say activities, including the of end of festival; year festival; it’s to safe that QTP truly been binging on theatre! that have QTP have truly been binging on theatre! Here’sHere’s to many moremore such such years,years, for them, for us,for us, to many for them, for everybody! for everybody! 57

Cadence Theater Mumbai Anshu Bhatacharji

Actor | Acting Coach | Founder President

Cadence theatre Mumbai was started by Anshu Bhatacharji. Cadence means positive rythmic vibrations. And this is what the theatre group believes in. It conducts workshops for all age groups(6 to 14 years & 15 years +) The workshops primarily include concepts like Improvisation, meisner, method acting techniques and a newly introduced concept of Short ďŹ lms where students themselves make an entire short ďŹ lm from acting, ma writing, directing and editing. Every student gets to perform a stage play at the end of the course which gives each student exposure and experience in front of live audience. 16th January 2020 Cadence will celebrate its 10th birthday to the future hoping to greatly contribute positively to theatre in India and globally.

8169287040 | 9819099970 cadencethtrmum@gmail.com 58 www.cadencetheatremum.com

@cadencetheatremum @cadencetheatremum @CadenceMumbai

Credits & Acknowledgements Venue Partners

Supported by

Accessories Partner

Media Partner

Managed by

Theatre Group Bombay - whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve helped us binge on theatre all these years. Kunal Kapoor, Lalit Sathe, Sanjay Pawar, Chitransh Pawar and everyone else at Prithvi Theatre - whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been with Thespo for more than half our lifespan. Bruce Guthrie, Surabhi Shrivastava, Binaifar Bhesania, Rajashree Shinde, and everybody at NCPA for celebrating young theatre bingers. Amol Parashar and Jim Sarbh for helping us get the year started with our First Call Alok Rajwade and Vikram Phukan for travelling to 13 cities, watching over 175 performances in 40 days, and for extending their support whenever we needed guidance. Archana Parsai Gehlot of Asmaakaam (Indore), BMCC college for Pittie Hall (Pune), Delhi Technological University, Girish N and Valene of St. Aloysius College (Mangalore), Hardik and Nikhil at Sitara Studio (Bombay), Kumaraguru College of Technology (Coimbatore), Lourd Vijay and Sapna Noronha for The Studio by LVDS (Bengaluru), Nitesh and Sampat at Veda (Mumbai), Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (Ahmedabad), Rachana Shah of Bright Day School (Vadodara), Radhika Goswami of Agora - The Space (Guwahati), Sanchayita for Janus Cultural Society (Kolkata), Shilpi Batra for The Open Space Society (Jaipur) for letting us spread the theatre fever. 59

Abhiuday Pareek (Jaipur), Aniket Parmar of Scrapyard (Ahmedabad), Haresh Gehlot, Harish Deora and Rekha Parihar (Bengaluru), Manan Mehta and his family (Vadodara), Shimli Basu (Kolkata), for giving our curators a roof over their heads on their journey for THESPO 21. Alok Rajwade, Arti Punwani, Bhushan Vikas, Vikram Phukan - our veteran bingers of drama who mentored all our performances this year. Anahita Uberoi, Dalip Tahil, Deven Khote, Dolly Thakore, Dr M L Kanchan, Farid Currim, Gerson da Cunha, Kabir Bedi, Roger Pereira, Sabira Merchant, Sharon Prabhakar, Vijaya Bai, Viraf Pocha for all the insights and anecdotes from Farrokh Mehta’s journey. Bhagirathi Raman, Gurleen Judge and Yuki Ellias for leading a panel discussion for Usha Pravin Gandhi’s LitFest. Aadyam, AKVarious, Bhasha Centre, D for Drama, Out of The Box, and Rage Productions for bringing plays that theatre bugs could burrow in. Hrishi K and Radio One 94.3 for making us heard, loud and clear! The Canadian Consulate for being invaluable in enabling exciting collaborations. Abhishek Goel and Mehernosh Barrucha for becoming one of Thespo’s most supportive friends. Uttiya Dey, Atul Agarwal, Jayaa Sapkale, Soumendra Mattagajasingh, and Manish Chhabra for so willingly extending their support and love. Bahadur Bhaiyya, Kalpana Aunty, Raju Bhaiya and Sheetal Aunty for making the office feel like home.Whether it was the meals we needed to get through the day or just helping us maintain some semblance of organisation. Thespo 21 wouldn’t have happened without them. Arghya Lahiri, Christopher Samuel, Nadir Khan and Vivek Madan, for always being a phone call away. Dolly Aunty, for having raised the 21 year old Thespo since Day 1.

VEDA FACTORY - ART STUDIO VEDA LIVE

VEDA FACTORY-ART STUDIO & VEDA LIVE is a space for creative souls, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to catalyse artistic activities, connect contemporary artists, audiences, and resources, and to enrich art experiences and activate art forms such as theatre, film, music, spoken word-poetry, stand-up comedy, story-telling, Yoga, pottery, painting, and other performing and visual arts.

WE HAVE SOME EXCITING STUFF COMING SOON SO IF YOU WISH TO BE PART OF YOU CAN WRITE TO US AT INFO.VEDAFACTORY@GMAIL.COM

The Binge Squad

Fellows Fellows Nishika NishikaMehta: Mehta:She Sheisisa amass massmedia mediastudent studentwho wholoves lovestotopaint paintand andhas hasaccepted acceptedthe thefact fact that thatdance dancecourses coursesthrough throughher herveins. veins.Juggling Jugglingcollege collegeand andThespo Thespotogether togetherisisaafeat featshe she managed managedwithout withoutbreaking breakinga asweat! sweat!Being Beingthe theonly onlyMumbaikar, Mumbaikar,she shehas hastaken takenititupon upon herself . Wait! herselftotofeed feedususoutstation outstationfellows fellows'garam 'garamgaram garamghar gharkakakhaana' khaana' . Wait!We Wedid didmention mention sheisis1818right?! right?! she AnushkaGhose: Ghose:Giver Giverofofthe thewarmest warmesthugs hugsallallaround, around,this this2121year yearold oldThespo Thespofellow fellowisis Anushka alwaysready readytotojoin joinlate latenight nighttheatre theatrediscussions. discussions.She Shehas hasaadegree degreeininTheatre, Theatre,psycholopsycholoalways andliterature literaturefrom fromChrist ChristCollege CollegeBangalore Bangalore(I(Iknow knowright!) right!)and andjust justlike likeher hersinging singingshe she gygyand alwayshits hitsthe theright rightnote notewith withThespo's Thespo'scommunity communitybuilding buildingactivities. activities.Pro Protip tip--she sheisis always stellaratatcracking crackingdark darkjokes. jokes. stellar ShubhamDeora: Deora:Our OurBangalore Bangaloreposter posterboy boywalks walksthe thefine fineline linebetween betweenfunny funnyand and Shubham awkwardrather rathergracefully. gracefully.This Thisintrovert introvertisisthe themost mostintuitive intuitivepeople peopleperson personyou'll you'llfind, find, awkward he'llknow knowwhat whatyou're you'rethinking thinkingbefore beforeyou youcan caneven evenspell spellitit( (yes yeswe werefrain refrainfrom fromcalling calling he'll himEdward EdwardCullen Cullen- -even eventhough thoughhe heisiscute! cute!) )This ThisChrist Christfoodie foodiehas hasan anaptitude aptitudefor for him organizationand andplanning planningwhen whenititcomes comestotoworkshops workshopsbut butititmysteriously mysteriouslydisappears disappears organization whenititcomes comestotohis hisdaily dailygym gymschedule. schedule.Typical Typical2121year yearold, old,right? right? when SameerAyyagari: Ayyagari:Another Anotheravid avidconnoisseur connoisseurofofthe thedarkest darkestjokes jokesand andthe thedankest dankestmemes, memes, Sameer the66feet feetboy boyhailing hailingfrom fromVisakhapatnam Visakhapatnamhas hasbecome becomeaapillar pillarofofstrength strengthfor forThespo. Thespo.He He the designs,accounts, accounts,resources resourcespeople peopleand andmanages managessosomuch muchmore. more.But Butdon't don'tlet lethis his designs, hardworkingstreak streakfool foolyou, you,trouble troublemaker makercould couldpractically practicallybe behis hismiddle middlename. name. hardworking FriendsofofThespo ThespoCo-ordinator Co-ordinator Friends PreethiKashyap: Kashyap:This This2121year yearold oldBengaluru Bengalurugirl girlcan canonly onlybe bedescribed describedasasthe theoffice officeenergy energy Preethi bomb.AAhardworking hardworkinggirl girlwho whoininno notime timehas hasbecome becomethe thebest bestfriend friendofofThespo. Thespo.Her Her bomb. sweettooth toothisisinsatiable insatiableand andyou youusually usuallyfind findher hertwirling twirlingaround aroundoffice officeon onaasugar sugarrush. rush. sweet Headtotoher herfor foradvice adviceininthe thebest bestsnapchat snapchatfilters. filters. Head 62

Interns Interns Antara AntaraCCSateesh, Sateesh,Neemesha NeemeshaBianca BiancaReghelini, Reghelini,Nupur NupurBansal, Bansal,Palak Palak Mehta, Mehta, Pankhudi PankhudiSrivastava, Srivastava,Tanay TanayShah, Shah, The TheFirst FirstCall Call Adi AdiShastri, Shastri,Aditya AdityaBansod, Bansod,Atrayee AtrayeeChowdhury, Chowdhury,Ami AmiChavda, Chavda,Bhargavi Bhargavi Naik, Naik, Gouri Gouri Bhuyan, Bhuyan, Hrishabh HrishabhKanti, Kanti,Kajol KajolChugh, Chugh,Madhusmita MadhusmitaDas, Das, Palak PalakMehta, Mehta,Pankhudi Pankhudi Srivastav, Srivastav, Pranav Pranav Pawar, Pawar,Pratik PratikYadav, Yadav,Pushpanshu PushpanshuKhale, Khale,Rachit RachitKhetan, Khetan,Rajat RajatTiwari, Tiwari, Reema Reema Sunil, Sunil, Robin Robin Patel, Patel, Sai SaiGanji, Ganji,Sanjay SanjayBharadwaj, Bharadwaj,Shifa ShifaZoya, Zoya,Shriya ShriyaSingh, Singh,Sukrutee SukruteeBhosale, Bhosale, Surabhi Surabhi Apte, Apte, Tanvi Tanvi Rao, Rao,Tarun TarunKapoor, Kapoor,Tirupatibala TirupatibalaVaishnav, Vaishnav, Tridisha TridishaGoswami, Goswami,Vara VaraRaturi. Raturi. The TheFirst FirstCall CallOutstation Outstation Isha IshaSolanki Solanki(Ahmedabad), (Ahmedabad),Akanksha AkankshaDev Dev(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru),Amarendran Amarendran Manivannan Manivannan (Bengaluru), (Bengaluru), Esha EshaPatil Patil(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru), Lavanya LavanyaKrishna Krishna(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru),Mohammed MohammedEE Lehry Lehry (Bengaluru), (Bengaluru), Ninad NinadSamadder Samadder(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru),Shradha ShradhaRaj Raj(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru),Snigdha SnigdhaRana Rana (Bengaluru), (Bengaluru), Pavan PavanHS HS(Bengaluru), (Bengaluru),Hitesh HiteshKhanna Khanna(Delhi), (Delhi),Sarishtha SarishthaSaha Saha(Delhi), (Delhi), Manav ManavChaudhuri Chaudhuri(Guwahati), (Guwahati),Rachit RachitKhetan Khetan(Jaipur (Jaipurand andLucknow), Lucknow), Shimli ShimliBasu Basu(Kolkata), (Kolkata),Tanvi TanviKotkar Kotkar(Pune) (Pune) Screening ScreeningSquad Squad Aditi AditiKothiyal, Kothiyal,Aditya AdityaPawar, Pawar,Arjun ArjunAiyer, Aiyer,Atrrayee AtrrayeeChowdhury, Chowdhury,Ayan Ayan Ganguly, Ganguly, Chitrak Chitrak Sen, Sen, Gehna GehnaDewan, Dewan,Haritha HarithaMenon, Menon,Himanshu HimanshuKarwal, Karwal,Kamal KamalNayak, Nayak,Lianne Lianne Pais, Pais, Manav ManavChaudhri, Chaudhri,Mohana MohanaGowtam, Gowtam,Nidhi NidhiMurali, Murali,Nikita NikitaMangesh MangeshKalsekar, Kalsekar, Nupur Nupur Bansal, Bansal, PriyaShewakramani, Shewakramani,Ratnadeep RatnadeepShinde, Shinde,Sarah SarahMinz, Minz,Sarishtha SarishthaSaha, Saha, Satarupa Satarupa Gupta, Gupta, Priya SankalpSuman, Suman,Shreesh ShreeshRatnaparkhi, Ratnaparkhi,Soham SohamJogalekar, Jogalekar,Tanya TanyaRavindran, Ravindran, Sankalp VaibhavSharma, Sharma,Vishesha VisheshaNirmal Nirmal Vaibhav Crew Crew AasthaSoni, Soni,Aathithya, Aathithya,Adi AdiShastri, Shastri,Aditi AditiPuthran, Puthran,Ami AmiChavda, Chavda,Amulya Amulya Ananth, Ananth, Aastha ArjunAiyer, Aiyer,Armaan ArmaanHaq, Haq,Ashutosh AshutoshShinde, Shinde,Atrrayee AtrrayeeChowdhury, Chowdhury,Brignesh Brignesh Goswami, Goswami, Arjun ChetanDhawan, Dhawan,Devika DevikaSah, Sah,Gaurav, Gaurav,Gehna GehnaDewan, Dewan,Haritha HarithaMenon, Menon, Heym Heym Mehta, Mehta, Hitesh, Hitesh, Chetan HimanshuJetley, Jetley,Hrishabh HrishabhKanti, Kanti,Kartik KartikSharma, Sharma,Kunal KunalSharma, Sharma,Lianne Lianne Pais, Pais, Himanshu MadhusmitaDas, Das,Manav ManavChaudhuri, Chaudhuri,Nishika NishikaMehta, Mehta,Preethi PreethiKashyap, Kashyap, Rachit Rachit Khetan, Khetan, Madhusmita ReemaSunil, Sunil,Rohit, Rohit,Ruturraj RuturrajMore, More,Saniya SaniyaKhambaswadkar, Khambaswadkar,Sanjay Sanjay Bharadwaj, Bharadwaj, Reema SatarupaGupta, Gupta,Shubham ShubhamDeora, Deora,Shubham ShubhamDubey, Dubey,Shweta ShwetaMaria Maria Titty, Titty, Srishti Srishti Ray, Ray, Satarupa SukruteeBhosale, Bhosale,Tanya TanyaRavindran, Ravindran,Vaibhav VaibhavSharma, Sharma,Yagya YagyaShagwat Shagwat Sukrutee Design Design FestivalIdentity: Identity:Divya DivyaBhatia Bhatia Festival DesignCrew: Crew:Chetan ChetanDhawan, Dhawan,Robin RobinPatel, Patel,Sameer SameerAyyagari, Ayyagari,Srishti Srishti Ray Ray Design MagazineCredits Credits Magazine ContentEditors: Editors:Anushka AnushkaGhose, Ghose,Heym HeymMehta Mehta Content MagazineLayout: Layout:Sameer SameerAyyagari, Ayyagari,Srishti SrishtiRay Ray Magazine Contributors:Heym HeymMehta, Mehta,Aditi AditiPuthran, Puthran,Yastika YastikaShetty, Shetty,Ayesha AyeshaTalreja, Talreja, Sarah Sarah Minz, Minz, Contributors: VidushiSingh, Singh,Manav ManavChaudhuri, Chaudhuri,Sahil SahilSur, Sur,Reema ReemaSunil, Sunil,Namrata Namrata Bhattacharjee Bhattacharjee Vidushi

#BingeOnTheatre PRITHVI THEATRE

Workshops from 10 am to 5 pm Thespo Reads at 3 pm Fringe Performances at 7 pm Platform Performances at 8 pm Plays at 6 & 9 pm THESPO 21 AWARDS NIGHT 21 DEC, 5 PM AT LITTLE THEATRE, NCPA

BAKSA (BENGALURU, NON VERBAL) An exploration of the patterns of our obedience, and the limits of our compliance.

BAIN

(MUMBAI, HINDUSTANI - URDU)

A child's voice is silenced. Will the family turn towards religion or away? 17 DEC | TUE

SĀNE ĀNI COMPANY (PUNE, MARATHI) A theatre troupe tries to reinvent itself, but will their audience accept the new avatar? 19 DEC | THUR

Tickets at Rs. 250 Student Tickets at Rs. 150 bookmyshow.com Prithvi Theatre - 26149546

18 DEC | WED

AGNI AUR BARKHA (JABALPUR, HINDI) Girish Karnad's powerful play about drought, patricide, caste politics, and primal seduction. 20 DEC | FRI

For more details: +91 7506025456 thespo21@thespo.org www.thespo.org Thespo India