Theatre in B'luru adapting to post-lockdown times

Plays tend to be shorter and multiple actors are rehearsing a single role. March 27 is World Theatre Day

Once pandemic-related lockdowns were lifted, plays became shorter, say practitioners.

Metrolife spoke to theatre groups ahead of World Theatre Day, which falls on March 27, and gathered how their work had changed over the past two years.

Many groups like the 34-year-old Sanchaya switched to Zoom for script readings and small shows. Keerthi Bhanu, general secretary, says rules about 50% capacity and display of vaccination
certificates added to the fear and kept people away.

Cheerful content

An effect of the pandemic is that not everyone wants to watch “intense plays” or plays with lofty messages.

“People have experienced so much tragedy in the last two years that they want to see plays that celebrate life now,” he says.

The group’s latest work ‘Kamaroopigal’, directed by Ganesh Mandarthi, stylises portions of the Ramayana, and features 42 songs and dance sequences.

Abhishek Iyengar, co-founder, WeMove Theatre, recollects how ‘Lockdown’, an anthology of plays about the pandemic, drew a small audience. “People were afraid to watch the play because of its title, despite it being a satire. Many didn’t want to revisit their dark memories,” he says.

He has heard many big voices in the theatre circuit saying they want to work only on humorous plays now.

Fresh new content is in demand, according to YouAndMe, a group that hosted a theatre festival recently.

Rajashree S R, founder, says, “Scripts are not driven by the pandemic anymore. People are trying to bring back ideas they wanted to work on and also coming up with new concepts,” she says.

Bengaluru’s theatre buffs have returned and shows are now houseful, she adds.

Length in question

Abhishek says that the attention span of most people has shrunk.

On an average, a pre-Covid play would be between 90 and 100 minutes, but there is talk about bringing the length down to 70-75 minutes now. “After two years of not attending live performances, there is fear that the audiences might not sit through long performances,” he says.

‘Need to beat inertia’

Performances were limited after the first two waves but things are looking up, says Sridhar Ramanathan, convenor-trustee of the Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation.

“A year ago, we did a few pieces designed for smaller spaces, with just two people performing. Soon after, the Covid second and third waves hit us. In March, we resumed our activities with a retelling of ‘Kabuliwala’ for Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary, and it attracted enough people,” he says.

However, not all plays see houseful shows. “The hardcore theatre-loving crowd is back, but getting the general public back will take time,” says Sridhar.

With tighter production budgets, the group takes extra care not to spend more than it can recover, he explains.

CONCERNS
A big concern for directors, in the course of the pandemic, has been to have backup actors, says Abhishek Iyengar, co-founder of WeMove Theatre. “Many groups have had to cancel shows because their artistes turned Covid-positive. We now rehearse with two backup artistes for each role. This is also why plays have
fewer artistes,” he says.

SHOWS TO WATCH

* Bangalore Hindi Theatre Association hosts World Theatre Day on March 27, 6.30 pm at Kalagrah, Sarjapur Road. A panel discussion and a standup
comedy session are lined up.
* Kathputliyaan is presenting a panel discussion on ‘Theatre Post-Covid’, at Alliance Francaise, on March 27, 5 pm. ‘Saadhe Chay Rupiye’, directed
by Zafer Mohiuddin, a short French and Kannada monologue, and a short Hindi play follow. Entry is free.
* The Crucible — A Rehearsed Reading, directed by Arundhati Raja, is slated for March 27, 3 pm, at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield. This is the first of
several events under the Rebuilding Resources Initiative at the theatre. Tickets on BookMyShow.