Chenai Art Theatre & Masquerade are Unlocking Theatre in Chennai

THEATRE UNLOCKED

Chennai Art Theatre (CAT) and Masquerade – the Performance Group (Chennai), two of Chennai’s popular event producing companies, come together, for the first time, to host a SPECIAL WORLD THEATRE DAY EVENT.

World Theatre Day is celebrated on MARCH 27^th annually, since the 1960s, across the world in a big way. In Chennai too, city’s theatre groups have individually for the past few years celebrated MARCH 27^th.

Masquerade started celebrating WORLD THEATRE DAY in the year 1997, when its Founder-Artistic Director, Dr. S. Krishna Kumar, came back from Berlin, after a stint at professional theatre in Germany, where he met international artists at a World Theatre Day celebration in 1996. Since then, Masquerade has celebrated World Theatre Day annually.

This year, Masquerade joins hands with Chennai Art Theatre, headed by A. Charles & Gowtham Ganesan, to bring SIX of city’s prominent stage drama companies on this GRAND OCCASION.

This is the largest coming together of city’s theatre groups in more than a year, since the city went into LOCKDOWN due to COVID-19.

CAT & Masquerade are UNLOCKING THEATRE back to its LIVE status. Hence THEATRE UNLOCKED.

Over 6 performances on 26^th & 27^th (3 performances each day, at 4 pm, 6 pm and 8 pm), 6 city groups will stage the event.

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THE SIX PLAYS AND DETAILS:

26^th March – 4 pm – Naveena Koothupattarai presents BAHISHKAARA (Relegation) – in Tamil

Synopsis:

Bahishkaara (Relegation) brings together the untold stories of unsung heroes from the great Indian epic. The play seeks to unearth the tales of Duryodhana, Aravaan, Shikandi and a few other overlooked yet salient characters through music and dance.

Conceived & Directed by Aadhira Pandilakshmi & Sathish

Running Time: 45 minutes (approximately)

Tickets here: Checkout  https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/bahishkaara-relegation/ET00308214 

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26^th March – 6 pm – Narjaya presents PASI (Hunger) – in Tamil

Synopsis:

A man, a woman and abundance of time. It’s funny, it’s scary and it’s real.

‘Pasi’ is a Tamil absurdist fiction written by Padmasri. Indira Parthasarathy, who is the only Indian writer to have won both the Sangeet Natak Academy and the Sahitya academy award. Crafted in a space supended from time, ‘Pasi’ (hunger) is a play to look forward to.

Cast: Kamatchi Kaleeswaran  & Karthik Gowrisankar

Written by Indira Parthasarathy

Directed by Karthik Anantharaman

Running Time: 45 mins (approximately)

Tickets Here:  https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/pasi-hunger/ET00308217 

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26^th March – 8 pm – Veshadharis present ASHWATTHAMA – in Tamil

Synopsis:

Is Ashwatthama still alive?

A delusional depiction of a meeting between Ashwathama and Parikshit the last heir Pandavas… Come and witness the battle of gratitude and grief… with a dose of contemporary overtones and satirical humour

Written by Chandrasekar Venkataraman

Directed by Sudarsun & Chandrasekar

Running Time: 45 mins (approximately)

Tickets Here:  https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/ashwatthama/ET00308213 

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27^th March – 4 pm – Stagefright Productions present – COFFEE  – in English

Synopsis

Three couples, three different conversations and coffee. Some humorous, some hilarious, some whacky! Sure to leave you entertained!

Title: A Love Story

Written by Rajesh Rajamani

Performed by Vinithra Madhavan Menon and Abishek Joseph George

Directed by Sandeep John

Title: Arranged

Written by Belinda Peter and Zubin Vincent

Adapted from Holidays! by Ethan Tucker

Performed by Susan Jacob and Zubin Vincent

Directed by Zubin Vincent

Title: Surprise

Directed by Deepa Nambiar

Running Time: 45 minutes (approximately)

Tickets Here:  https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/coffee/ET00308215 

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27^th March – 6 pm – MASQUERADE presents G.O.M.D… (Of Gods, Girls, Graves) – in English

Synopsis:

A woman, Goddess nonetheless… A man, a grandson with a duty… and their gripes and coffin tales! Two hilarious takes on marriages, affairs, legacies!

Devised for stage / Directed by Krishna Kumar. S

Running Time: 60 minutes (approximately)

Tickets Here: https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/g-o-m-d-of-gods-girls-and-graves/ET00308216 

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27^th March – 8 pm – Theatre Arlequin presents THE HEART HAS ITS REASONS – in English

Synopsis:

Two different scenarios…two variations on the same theme ….. quest for a soul mate !!! Or is it sole mate ? Come with your funny bones… if not with a mate.

Titles:

The Language of Love : Language is essentially a tool of communication that should bring people together in an exchange of ideas. However some people use language to incite hatred or to hide the truth: politicians are masters in this. So sometimes it is necessary to invent a new language… especially for love.

The Mating Game: Since time immemorial man’s quest for a mate has involved meandering in a tortuous  labyrinth  of relationships and lost chances. One wrong word or a gesture can break a burgeoning romance. So what is the secret to this mating dance? Perhaps it is just the hand of destiny!

Directed by R. Amarendran

Running Time: 55 minutes (approximately)

Tickets Here: https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/the-heart-has-its-reasons/ET00308218 

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Each of the performances would be followed by a moderated audience Interface with the Director/Production Company (if the company is open to it!)

For further details, buzz me (KK) at 9884029865 & A.Charles at 9841495497

Let's Play Madras on August 22nd

This Madras Day, on August 22nd, between 7 pm and 11 pm… Experience Madras like never before and showcase how Madras-savvy you are!

The Great Madras Board Game 

To Register, Click HERE

Event Description :

It’s AUGUST 22 – It’s MADRAS DAY – The Day this city was officially established as a little Trading Post off what’s today our own Marina Bay…
And we are celebrating it WITH A BOARD GAME. For Once, we produce, you are the actors, ARE YOU WILLING TO STEP UP TO THE STAGE AND PLAY?
Conceived over 12 years ago, in 2007, we’ve worked constantly on and off to get here… We’ve developed a BOARD GAME FOR YOU… THE GREAT MADRAS TRIP
How well do you know your city?
You think you’re a hard-core North Madras beast? You think the ECR and the OMR are the palm of your hands? Or are the creature that’s lost in CHENNAI without your Google Maps and GPS?
Show us, strut your knowledge of WHAT WE CALL MADRAS and you call Chennai.
BASIC GAME DESCRIPTION: You’re a traveller. We give you starting points to choose, we provide you the destination based on the origin. And you have to get there. You roll the dice, you strategise the route using modes of city transport we provide and a certain amount of resources to use. As you (and your partner – did we not say it’s a team of two game ? Oh my !!) explore the city, you’d come across challenges we pose (after all Mario and Luigi can’t get to Super Mario Central without challenges and obstacles, can they?). This is going to test your knowledge of Trivia and Heritage as well as the HISTORY OF THIS MARVELLOUS MADRAS… and of course, what is city traffic without situations that prompt delays and stuck-ups !

SOUNDS LIKE YOUR KIND OF FUN AND CONNECT WITH MADRAS?
Sign up using the Google Form found in the link above! We’ve 3 slots of time, choose your time, come with your partner, pay your registration fee and you’re all set to Explore Madras.

WE ARE GAME, ARE YOU? LETS PLAY MADRAS….on THE GREAT MADRAS TRIP – 22nd AUGUST, 2019 (THURSDAY). 

TOTAL MOONSENSE

... is a summer-time comedy play for all you who are 8 years old and above!

TOTAL MOONSENSE ? What's that ??

Inspired by James Thurber's classic short story "Many Moons" comes this TOTAL MOONSENSE

Princess Lenore of Lenoress Town wants the Moon. And she falls sick. Yeh Dil Ki Baat Hai!!!

From the good old time of doting Kings and lovable Princess, bumbling Jesters and bungling Prime Ministers (these days they are bumbling dime a dozen, don't they!!!)...

Goofy Royal Magicians and Royal Mathematicians who can't get their numbers right... comes this story.

Add to this mix of bumbling characters in this comedy of errors our own INDIAN ASTROLOGER - Panchu Mama - and a bunch of travelling Bollywood shooting-stars!

It's an approximate hour of riot we've lined up for you, your family and YOUR KIDS!

TOTAL MOONSENSE that is not completely total non-sense!

In the cast: Abhishek Ramabhadran, Aravind S, Ashvi KS, Krishna Kumar S, Pranav Diwakar, Priyanka Sankaran, Shrivatz A, Shubh Mukherjee, Utsav Raj, Varsha Varadarajan

Script by KK
Directed by Shrivatz Agaram

TICKETS - ₹ 200/-

At CurioPlay, Alwarpet on 25th May (Saturday), 2019 - 5 pm and 7 p.m
Available on Townscript here - BOOK TICKETS FOR TOTAL MOONSCRIPT 

For further details, call us at 9884029850 or email at bearandbeanbag@gmail.com

Surendra Verma's FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE

We Present to you...

On OCTOBER 7 & 8, 2017

At Spaces, Besant Nagar, CHENNAI

Time: 7:15 p.m

Duration: 1hr 50 mins (with 10 min. intermission)

All Are Welcome - Entry Free

JANOSCH - The Tiger & Bear Tales for Children...

JANOSCH - The Tiger & Bear Tales

JUNE 18, 2017 - SUNDAY 

@ Spaces, Besant Nagar, Chennai, INDIA
Two Shows: 5:30 & 7:30 p.m - 70+ mins duration - for audience 5+ years old...

The Bear & Beanbag Children's Theater Company

a unit of

presents...

JANOSCH

The Tiger and Bear Tales

 

About the performance:

Is it better to stay home with all the given comforts? Or a little adventure in getting around the world to get some perspective? Is that perspective worth the trouble of going around? Join the Bear and the Tiger on their adventure to THE LAND OF THEIR DREAMS... meet several lovely little friends they make on THE(IR) TRIP TO PANAMA...

And while we are on it... WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU RECEIVED A LETTER? Or have to forgotten the good old post card? Not the Tiger, not the Bear... nor Aunty Goose. Explore a whole 'OLD' world of writing letters... a world where they still use a Phone as a Phone. Where a PHONE means a PHONE and does not come with Cameras for Selfies and Groupfies... A LETTER FOR TIGER... 

JOIN US AT SPACES (Elliot's Beach, Besant Nagar, Chennai, INDIA) for a show of JANOSCH... at 5:30 p.m and 7:30 p.m on SUNDAY the 18th June, 2017 with all your kids (yours, those in the neighbourhood and any and every kid you can bring along!)... and the KID IN YOU!

It's a show for 5+. ALL ARE WELCOME!

DURATION: 70 mins.

Poster and Promo concept: Arvind R Vyaas
Costume Design & Conception: Mitra Visvesh
Accessories, Props, Animal Ears & Hood: Ashvi K.S. (Intern)
Assistance in Production & Backstage: Rohit Narayan and Akshita Iyer
Assistance in Direction: Arvind R Vyaas
Lighting, Sound & Artistic Direction: Krishna Kumar. S (KK)

Cast: 
Pranav Dwaraknath (Little Bear), Madhumeeta B (Little Tiger)
Dhiraj Athreya, Shrivatz Agharam, Shriram Sivaramakrishnan & Vishal Vijayakumar
(Multiple Roles & Narration)
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TOURING TALES - performed by KK (Masquerade), August 2015

At Hippocampus, Chennai. All above 7 yrs are welcome.

The Little Clay Cart

Finally... started work.

The Little Clay Cart or Mrichchakatika by King Shudraka

Hopeful premiere - World Theater Day, March 27 in Chennai

Details shortly!

BRER RABBIT CHRONICLES...

Subaltern forays

I've had too many things happening and too little time to surf decent for anything other than work. Hence no yadda yadda yadda from me till now. To think that this is my first post in 2 months and more...well,well,well...you know now!

Anyway, been doing a lot of researching and reading as part of my latest work. YES, I said it. My next production is coming up and soon...

I've been reading from Racism to Aryan Race Theory to Game Theory and beyond and finally to terrorism, subaltern studies... am too cramped in brain with info, can't exactly decide what to put and what not!

The image you see above is an artwork design done by M.Siva (known for his mask works and as brother to Palani of Koothu-p-pattarai, sadly enough, coz he's such a good artist himself!) for the forthcoming show.

It's actually more an event than a show. There are two parts to the event.

One is the theatre play produced by Masquerade and directed by Moi (KK), it's Poile Sen Gupta's THUS SPAKE SHOORPANAKHA, SO SAID SHAKUNI - a contemporary take on history, myth, terrorism, love, war, revenge... righting the historical wrongs and restoring unrepresented and alternate, albeit truthful, voices to their rightful positions in the annals. Whew! If that's confusing, let me make it simple. It's a beautiful play, not as complex and heavy as it sounds. It is simple, interesting and very contemporary. But in order to make it interesting for you ppl who'll (definitely you're not gonna miss this one!) watch this, I had to go into so much reading and research.

Two is the unique art exhibition titled SUBALTERN FOOTPRINTS featuring works created by five of Chennai's contemporary and young artists - Asma Menon (there we go Asma, you're young!), Jacob Jebaraj, B.O.Shailesh, M.Siva and Benita Perciyal - works that are inspired by this play specifically for this occasion.

The Overall Reason and Cause.... Reason - a 9-day WORLD THEATRE WEEK CELEBRATION. WORLD THEATRE DAY is March 27th (the last night of the theatre performance). March 26th is the first day and inauguration of the exhibition that will run till March 31. CAUSE - The Theatre Play is a tribute to Bagyam (Bhagirathi Narayanan under whom this was my first production in the capacity of Technical Director) and the Exhibition is a Fund-Raiser for a Theatre House (Institution cum Training space - Manram as we call it in Tamil) to be constructed at Purisai - 120 kms away from Chennai - to nurture Theru-k-koothu. The proceeds from the sale of art works and from the gate collection of the play would go towards this cause.

SO PLEASE PLEASE LAND UP. Also, we gonna have a great inauguration on 26th at 6 pm, followed by the play at 8 pm. The performance only lasts 60 minutes. So it doesn't go on and on!

For further details about exact dates, show timings, tickets availability... further posts about my research and readings of the play... keep glued to this spot. Regular post for the next month would bore you to death about this play and contemporary issues the play throws up!

Adieu for the moment!

IT'S TIME FOR SOME HILARIOUS LAUGHS

COMING UP Next...

from MASQUERADE - the performance group

small
Medium
@
LARGE

Three Short Hilarious Bedroom Farces of varying lengths

In the cast: Amit Singh, Karan Ram, Gitanjali Raman, Tara Raman, Krishna, Abhinav & Gayathri

Directed by KK

Venue: TOP STOREY, Alliance Francaise, Chennai
Dates: 9th & 10th December, 2006
Time: 3.30 pm & 7.15 pm

Tickets - Rs. 100/- available at
Alliance Francaise (Reception - 28279803/28271477)
Landmark (Nungambakkam)
Hippocampus (Abiramapuram, next to Sony World - 24661544)
Words & Worth (Besant Nagar)

Upon Advance Direct Purchase:
Rs. 80/- only upon purchase done before 5th December
Email masquerade@vsnl.net with Subject: Tix for SML
or call Masquerade Hotline at 93802 86129 RIGHT NOW!

Brief about the show: SML brings to you a package of three light-hearted plays that take a dig at Dating, Marriage, Divorce, Suicide... the women & men who cause it... and the average Joe's like us who try and help people and go through the third-party agony.

Damn...damn...damn...
WOMEN - you can't live with them... you can't live without them
Damn...damn...damn!!!

* - Performance not advisable for person below 16 years. We've warned you, it's upto you!

Masquerade - the performance group: NATAK...

NATAK is back... NATAK 2007. Click the link below!

Masquerade - the performance group: NATAK...

Please Right click to open in new window!

FINAL SOLUTIONS by Mahesh Dattani

MASQUERADE
the performance group

presents

FINAL SOLUTIONS
an edited dramatized reading in English

by
Mahesh Dattani

Directed by Krishna Kumar. S

Sunday, 27th August 2006 - 7.15 pm
Top Storey, Alliance Francaise
Performance duration – 1 hr. 15mins.
ADMISSION FREE - ALL ARE WELCOME

Join us as we take this opportunity as a farewell token to Mr. Jean-Pascal Elbaz, the Director of Alliance Francaise de Madras.
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Directed by Krishna Kumar. S, Masquerade – the performance group brings before you a dramatized reading of one of the watershed plays in contemporary Indian theatre – FINAL SOLUTIONS by Mahesh Dattani – in a gesture of thanks and bidding farewell to Mr. Jean-Pascal Elbaz, Director, Alliance Francaise de Madras, who after his tenure at Chennai, is moving to his next place of office.

The cast for the evening: Mohd. Yusuf, Krishna, Abhinav Suresh, Vandana Rangarajan, Prema Venkat, Tara Raman, Sonali Ranjit, Karan Ram, Abhishek & Nishad.

The performance runs to approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Please visit the show and join us in our farewell gesture. Do spread the word around and bring one and all!
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We thank Mahesh for his kind gesture to stage this performance.

Gautam among other things...

OK... it's been a pretty long time... and to think my last post was about something that happened two months back! That's awful. But tooooo challenged for time and patience with Gautam's Three breathing down to snuff me out. I just got my stage coordinator confirmed, ok. And the last few OSTs arrive from GD only tonight. It's been too tough. Anyways... among other things I am fixing a pix card of GAUTAM's THREE. Hope you make it to all three performances. And letting a cat out of the bag... we are launching sometime this month unofficially and next month officially The Bear and Beanbag project. It would later extend to include both the M4Kids that we have been doing and my dream JANOSCH PROJECT once MMB moves to its new venue early 2007. Until then...

Getting into the Skin

Getting into the Skin
an introduction to acting essentials

May 22 – 30, 2006
(Weekends excluded)
10.00 am to 1.30 pm

· Age Requirement: 16 years and above
· Casual and stretchable cotton clothing is mandatory
· No denims nor jeans
· Max. 24 participants only
· Last date for submission 15th May, 2006 (MONDAY)
· For Application Forms & further details email masquerade@vsnl.net
with Subject: "Getting Into The Skin" or call 98840 29865

WORKSHOP DESC. & OBJECTIVE:

"A trained actor can make a huge difference to a production even beyond the director's inputs... Because acting is more a craft than an art"

This is the first workshop that Masquerade brings to a participant outside the repertory. Until 2005, Masquerade has been offering Summer Theatre Workshops solely concentrated on the teens and youth between 13 and 19 years, through Landing Stage Youth Theatre Group. With the need to train oneself as a good actor increasing among the existing young crop of theatre aspirants, Masquerade realises the time has come to open the doors beyond the teen and youth segment.

The Workshop attempts to train anyone who is 16 years and above and is interested in discovering how deep their perception towards acting goes. The workshop would seek to open a whole new way of approaching acting rather than just taking up a role and memorising lines and rehearsing. At the workshop, as a participant, one would get opportunities to play with the given material like a child with a spoon and discover new approaches.

One would get to learn the upkeep of an actor's most precious possession - oneself. One would soon realise the power of the body, the gesture, the space and movements beyond words can explain!

The workshop is contingent to a minimum of 15 participants. Otherwise cancelled. The workshop would be conducted by Krishna Kumar. S & Pritam Chakravarthy.

Three @ Twenty

Are you a playwright? And most playwrights are closet playwrights till they get read in public, because a play's not a thing... like they usually say. It is something to be lived, loudly read, performed (better still!). So if you have been doing some writing and being an Emily Dickinson, quietly hiding away your stuff... or if you know people FROM CHENNAI (on priority) and perhaps others who were from Chennai and working elsewhere or have migrated (all we need is a tenuous Chennai link)... spread the word.

REALLY S P R E A D the WORD. Masquerade is looking for new and exciting (young or old) talents who could write plays. We will give you a reading. Mail us at masquerade@vsnl.net with details, script whatever!

AND VISITORS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COPY THIS POST IN ITS ENTIRETY AND POST ON YOUR BLOGS SO THAT PPL WHO DON'T KNOW MY BLOG (AND THERE ARE GAZILLIONS OUT THERE!) CAN ALSO BENEFIT!

Thanks and cheers

WORLD THEATRE DAY

Hello and welcome to Theatre Today...

A VERY HAPPY WORLD THEATRE DAY - MARCH 27 -

to all ye who visit this blog and are into theatre bashing and praising if not theatre watching!

WORLD THEATRE DAY was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theatre community, various national and international theatre events being organized to mark this occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the International Message traditionally written by a theatre personality of world stature at the invitation of the International Theatre Institute.

Usually at Masquerade we celebrate World Theatre Day by doing an extended weekend of silly comedies just to keep people happy and laughing while we otherwise do a little more serious work through the year. But since last year we have taken to launching our new annual theatre season. This year, originally our Launch Nite for 2006-07 was supposed to be today. Due to some extenuating circumstances we have moved to April 3. So if you're interested to catch up with our event... here goes the details:

Event: Masquerade's 2006-07 Theatre Season Launch Nite

Performance: ARTIFICIAL REALITIES - a 50 minute presentation of comedies

Place: CEDARS - the specialty Mediterranean Restaurant, Kotturpuram

Time: 7.30 PM

Date: April 3, 2006

Cover Charges Rs. 250/- apply.

Theatre performance to be preceded by Drinks and followed by Specialty Buffet.

You can Call Cedars - 2447 5073 or 5585 5111 for reservation. Limited Walk-ins as this is a private and press launch.

So what have we at Masquerade this season?

• 2 Mainstream Productions
• An extended weekend of 3 full-length productions
• A festival of Short Plays
• A Festival of Youth Theatre
• A year long New Writing in Theatre program…
• Workshops, neighborhood theatre events, collaborative theatre events with schools… many more!

Right Click my title above to reach out a very unique site dedicated to Theatre. Incidentally it was also the organisation - International Theatre Institute - without whose backing and help I could not have had my theatre training in de Vaterland back in 1996. Each year a personality - a theatre personality - is chosen to represent and be awarded with prize for contribution to theatre by ITI and his/her World Theatre Day speech is published here. This year it is Víctor Hugo Rascón-Banda.

Keep doing/supporting theatre. And don't listen to the umpteen entertainment reporters in town, they just write to fill their column centimeters with sound bytes and would write anything to distort reality, depending on who feeds their next meal and washes with their next cocktail. However, there are a couple of critics still left. Thank god for small mercies. As I quote my favourite tactician - the twentieth century Kautilya - and a certain Kerpener who races F-1: Too Much Mass and Too Little Class.

And to add to that, I state, TOO LITTLE CLASS AND TOO MEDIOCRE A CRITICAL MASS!