Youngistan on stage
There was perhaps more drama in real life than on stage with the likes of Kodas, Radia and A Rajas taking centrestage last year. Though it could have been tough to match with the real-world musketeers, it has to be said the year 2010 was a defining moment for theatre. Insinuations aside, the year saw the emergence of increasing number of plays centered around the trials, tribulations and angst of the urban youth. Besides, the stage also saw the rise of the young playwright. Not since the generation of Karnad and Kambar has Karnataka seen so many new playwrights.
THE RISE OF THE YOUNG
Leading the brat frat is Ram Ganesh Kamathan, who is now being identified with urban, city-centric theatre, the same way Karnad was identified with folklore and mythology once. Kamatham's big plays include Bust, Dancing on Glass and Creeper. Another new playwright making his mark is Abhishek Mazumdar, a “sensitive” young playwright, making ripples with new plays like Lucknow 76, Harlesden High Street(winner of the Metroplus award) and the latest Rizwan!
KANNADA ON THE RISE
“There is a lot of young city-centric work coming up in English Language theatre, but it's still not as prolific as Kannada theatre,” says Arundhati Nag of Ranga Shankara, who incidentally will be acting in Mazumdar's Harlesden High Street to be directed by a Delhi-based writer and director Neel Chaudhuri. The play is set to open in Bangalore in the first week of January.
Other young playwrights to watch out next year is Swar Thounougam, who has written and directed Fake Palindromes, which is set to open at Ranga Shankara in January and the staged readings of his latest work, Trivial Disasters by Ajay Krishnan.
NO NOTABLE TREND OF ENGLISH
While there hasn't been any notable trend in the English language theatre, one of the best observations — on what could be construed as a trend — was made by actor-director Prakash Belawadi about the increasing number of “one-actor plays and monologues” based more on convenience than need. With films, television,public transport and shortage of funds emerging as major obstacles in the act of both creating and viewing theatre, the obvious answer to some of the problems has been to create plays with a small cast.
For all theatre-lovers, there is good news for 2011.
New theatre takes it roots
A new theatre, Jagriti, owned and run by Jagdish and Arundhati Raja of Artistes Repertory theatre, will open its doors in January 2011 and promises to bring quality theatre to residents in Bangalore East. With the increasing population of expats centered around, Whitefield, Brookefields, Marathahalli and Indiranagar Jagriti are sure to emerge as the new destination for performing arts.
“Our main focus will be English Language theatre, but we will also host plays in other languages as well as music and dance,"" says Arundhati Raja. What better New Year gift Bangalore could have asked for? A new theatre space and a never-ending supply of performances to look forward to. Cheers and break a leg.
