World Theatre Day was celebrated on March 27, 2021. SHALINI SAKSENA speaks with industry insiders who talk about the challenges it faces, way forward and what more needs to be done
The most famous speech in As You Like It is the Seven Ages of Man. It begins with: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. This is perhaps the most famous of phrases written by William Shakespeare. It is a speech by philosopher Jacques talking to Duke Senior. Since hen theatre has been an important part of entertainment. Therefore, it is not surprising that the World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute, France. Since then World Theatre Day is celebrated globally on March 27.
Industry insiders in India tell you that theatre has always struggled and with it the artists. Sadly, the present pandemic has had an adverse impact.
“The impact has been huge. We are essential a business that relies on large gatherings. That has not been possible for the last year. The entire arts sector has had to rapidly readjust the way it makes work and our relationships with audiences. Arts organisations have been doing what they can to continue moving forward in whatever way they can, so when we can open our doors again, we are ready to welcome audiences safely and provide artists with the right circumstances to do their best work,” Bruce Guthrie, head of theatre, The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) explains.
Highligting the challenges that theatre faced last year Guthrie tells you that moving completely online has been a huge challenge.
“Many of our team members have had to retrain in areas that have been unfamiliar to them up to now. Communication has had to be predominantly online. For all the technical wizardry, it is much slower working remotely than it is when we are all together in a room. Digital platforms to stream pre-recorded and live shows have taken huge leaps forward in the past 12 months.
“The challenge here is engaging with the audience. Live events are best experiences in person rather than on a screen. Our challenge is to give audiences a different experience, one that offers them something unique where they will want to experience the show in person but would also be happy watching at home,” Guthrie says.
Sonali Kulkarni, who did plays like White Lily and Night Rider that aired on Zee Theatre tells you that COVID-19 has led to unprecedented times with a real danger of people catching the infection. “The new normal has taken a toll on socialising and creative collaborations so theatre has been affected in a big way. Because theatres shut down, tours and performances got canceled, the entire theatre fraternity is suffering financially. At this time, the digital path seems to be the only available way forward.
She tells you that there is need to find ways to generate income for all the people who are associated with theatre. “Theatre in India has never been very lucrative and earlier many people who chose theatre, did it for the passion, as a hobby, and also had part-time or even full-time occupations that kept their kitchen fires burning. Today many people depend on theatre for their livelihood and hence their suffering is immense. Right now, as a producer and actor, I feel helpless because I cannot help everybody in need. So, we are doing what we can. We have to keep up the creative momentum and find ways to create a strong, reliable source of income,” Kulkarni opines.
Mahesh Dattani who has directed plays like Dance Like A Man and Where Did I Leave My Purdah says that time, space and motion has always been a prior, but now there is a disintegration in the theatre’s fundamental building blocks. “However, all things are born again in the art world, and the same will happen to the theatre. This revisioning has been thrust upon us, but we must have an ongoing relationship with the here and now theatre artists. A reality with all its surprises and twists is something we have always embraced,” Dattani says. He opines that theatre people are resilient.
“When have we not kept our hopes alive? Yes, we may have our fragile egos, and we tend to pull each other down, but that has made us stronger. We have braved the endemic of petty jealousies, backstabbing, insecurities all along. We do it; others do the same to us. The pandemic is a hiccup compared to what theatre people have to go through. One good thing that has happened is that our true selves have come out during this pandemic. Artists have helped each other, unlike any time before,” Dattani says.
Aahana Kumra, who played Sarla in Sir Sir Sarla believes that one has to move where the future is moving. “I remember having a few arguments with Makarand (Deshpande) sir for the need to digitise this play. This was before the pandemic. He told me we have to move with time. In hindsight, I get what he meant. I know now that digitising art and making it more accessible is the way forward. This is also the space where the millennials are,” Kumra tells you. She says that those who want to watch a play in a theatre will come and watch irrespective of whether it's already on a digital platform and if a play gets wider exposure via the small screen, all the better.
This is where platforms like Tata Sky Theatre have stepped in. “Television viewership is growing stronger. Theatre has a staunch following but with paucity of time and the fact that some plays have select or limited runs. The need of the hour was to bring theatre to people on a platform that is convenient to today’s viewers. This gap was compounded and we were able to bring theatre and performances to people in their homes when almost no one could leave their homes,” Pallavi Puri, chief commercial and content officer, Tata Sky, says.
And it all began with plays in Hindi. “The endeavour was to get people to see plays from different regions in other regions. For example: How does a Bengali watch a Marathi play without knowing Marathi? Since the story is interesting, all the content was translated and performed in Hindi. The plays have been recreated to suit the sensibilities of today’s viewers. The result gives viewers an experience of watching excellent content and enjoying acclaimed theatre performances sitting at home,” Pallavi says.
Lillette Dubey, who has directed Zee Theatre plays like Adhe Adhure tells you that for those who earn their livelihood from theatre, this phase is going to be very difficult. “We just have to find a way to survive, make money and if the way forward is online productions, there is no harm in it. But these are temporary stop-gap arrangements. I am confident that theatre will bounce back. It’s a matter of time. We have to be patient. No matter what the odds, theatre is not going to disappear. I am very sure of that. We need is to try other ways to be creative till we can all perform on stage once again,” Dubey opines.
Interestingly, despite all the problems, artists opine that theatre has been around for thousands of years and endured through times of tremendous difficulty. “It will be important and vital than ever coming out of this pandemic. We will experience a sort of renaissance period. A celebration of arts, culture and entertainment the likes of which we have never seen or experienced in our lifetimes. People want to be together and experience the world together. There will be such joy in being able to connect and feel together. That energy will drive theatre and performance for years to come,” Guthrie says.
