After the success of the monologue show One on One, Rage launches a sequel One on One Part 2 starring Rajit Kapur, Neil Bhoopalam, et al. ByRupinder Kaur
An American Desi boy is invited to India to meet a prospective bride, but the investment climate looks much more interesting.
Then there is ticket collector Rasbihari who gets slapped. He has been slapped many times before. But he is very upset today. Because today it was not his fault.
The two monologues, directed by Rajit Kapur, and seven other stories are relevant to the present day India and the common underlying theme is the various situations facing the common man. The play One on One Part 2 presented by Showhouse will be staged in August 23 in Siri Fort Auditorium.
What was the genesis of the playIJ
Rage conceived the concept of One on One in 2010 as a series of bringing together various writers, directors and actors under one roof. Plus we always been fond of the 12-14 minute monologue. We felt the time was right. And when Omer Haidar of Showhouse suggested we collaborate on the sequel the stage was set.
Can you talk about the concept of monologueIJ It’s opposite to the popular classical drama and what will be the common thread since there is not one single narrativeIJ
So as the term suggests the monologue is a single person addressing the audience, he can either be talking directly to the audience or to an unseen person. But it is treated as a single narrative as all the classical aspects of theatre must be observe — conflict, reversals, antagonist and protagonist — the story has to be told in the same way as a play, except by one person. There are no common threads except that they are all set in India — the themes — NRI Gujaratis returning to India, bureaucracy, karaoke, Bollywood, Kargil border wars, marriage et al.
Popular directors are coming together on a single platform. How did
you manage to get them togetherIJ
All the directors and writers on this project are people that we have been collaborating and enjoy working with — Argyha lahiri, Akarsh Khurana, Faezah Jalali and Puja Swarup plus Nadir Khan — they are our family as well!
Are these monologues published or purely improvised piecesIJ
Each of these pieces has been commissioned and written originally by writers like Rahul daCunha, Anuvab Pal, Farhad Sorabjee, Ashok Mishra, Sumeet Vyas, Ayeesha Menon, Ashish Jagtiani (RJ Jaggu) and Hussain Dalal
Can we call it a new genre in theatreIJ If yes then what are the manifestationsIJ
It’s actually one of the oldest genres of theatre dating back to ancient Greece. But it has become a very popular kind in India.
How was the audience response for the earlier versionIJ
The play still manages full houses even after 5 years.
Of all the monologues, which one do you find the most interestingIJ
Each one has an interesting theme.
Travelling with the play to other cities as wellIJ
Yes we are travelling to seven cities and there are 11 shows pan India. We have already done four shows in Mumbai.