’TIS THE SEASON FOR STAGE ACT As the end of the year approaches, the theatre scene perks up

PLAY MATES

’TIS THE SEASON FOR STAGE ACT

As the end of the year approaches, the theatre scene perks up

    Tickets for the Prithvi Carnival, which was meant to mark the end of the theatre festival, took place a week later, but with the enthusiasm of the participants intact. The audience turned up in large numbers too, and many had to go back disappointed.
    It was lovely and a warm evening as some theatre regulars like Makrand Deshpande, Utkarsh Mazumdar, Trishla Patel, Lubna Salim and some irregulars like Ila Arun came together to celebrate the space that has contributed so much to Mumbai theatre. Kunal Kapoor looked pleased and watched a lot of the short plays that made up the Carnival, sitting on the carpet. Makrand Deshpande, Sunil Shanbag and Trishla Patel emceed the three sessions, and though the quality of the short plays was uneven, the delight of the evening was not diluted in any way.
    Maximum applause went to Joy Fernandes, who did a piece called Seeing Things with his talented daughter Jonina. He played a harried executive, whose wife has just had a baby, adding to his stress. In a park he meets a precocious little girl, whose parents have left her to her own devices. The encounter leaves him shaken enough to change his own attitude towards family and career. Not just a complete natural, Jonina sings well, too. At the end of the show, she accepted compliments with solemn graciousness.
    Ila Arun and Ravi Jhankal did a riotous piece about Henrik Ibsen and a ‘phad’ painted in his plays in Rajasthan, at the same time, exhorting the theatre to give dates to her group. Ila did a show called Mareechika last year, based on Ibsen’s Lady from the Sea, but has otherwise been away from Mumbai theatre for a while. It’s time for homecoming for her group Surnai.
   
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Meanwhile, over at the NCPA, several theatre groups gathered to present previews of their plays, that will be staged at the Centrestage Festival.
    Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah shared the same space after a long time — both are doing plays at the festival; it would be great to see these two thespians in a play together. Actress Divya Dutta returns to the theatre too, with Om Puri and his production Teri Amrita.
    Pritesh Sodha, who does unusual Gujarati plays like Korat and Pramey, is doing a new play called Made In America, which is very offbeat for Gujarati theatre, but also with the high level of drama they like. It’s about a 25-year-old who suddenly discovers that her mother had opted for sperm donation and she wants to hunt for her real father.
    Faezeh Jalali and Anand Tiwari have set up a new group FAT Productions and are doing a play by David Ives, called All In The Timing. The extract presented was hilarious, with three men trying to attract the attention of three young women, sitting alone in a café and reading — what could the possible outcomes be, when he asks her, “Is this seat taken?” Many, it would appear, and all quite funny. It’s FAT’s debut production, and it shows immense promise.
   
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The ever popular stage pair of Apara Mehta and Feroz Bhagat have revived one of their old hits, by public demand. Adhura Toye Madhura is about a couple left homeless due to the selfishness of their children, and how the old couple teach them a lesson. Adapted by Pravin Solanki from a Paravin Shantaram original, the play sounds grim, but is replete with humour. The show comes back for just 15 shows, so those who like the work Bhagat does with Mehta, would do well to catch it.
   
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And finally… Thespo is just a few days away. The 14th edition of this youth festival has plays from Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Nagur, along with workshops and music and lots of fun.

A still from
Made In America