The Script. August 2007. Issue 8

The Script
The Script, August 2007. Issue 8.

Dear Drama lover,

Hello again! The theatre scene never had it so good with an array of plays performing on different themes, like Karode Main Ek, Ilhaam, A Special Bond and Cotton56, Polyester 84 in the month of August.

On the QTP front, we are proud to present our brand new play, To The Death of My Own Family which we are able to bring down from New York with the help of YES Bank. Also, we are back with more shows of The President is Coming and returning after a long hiatus, Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace. Apart from that, Thespo at Prithvi continues to bring you some more youthful talent. This month 'Moksh Theatre Group' presents an adaptation of Badal Sircar’s 'Juloos' preceded by a workshop on 'Protest Theatre' to be conducted by Salim Arif. Our regular event, 'Great Texts' will be in full swing on the last Monday of August. We hope to see you there.

In this month's edition of The Script, Dolly Thakore tells us of her experience on being a part of the selection panel of The Academy of Theatre Arts and Akanksha Gupta reviews the Jaimini Pathak's 'Arabian Night'.

Yours Sincerely,
On Behalf of Q Theatre Productions,

Himanshu.
Editor, The Script.

Trivia Time
"Theatre" First
The very first use of the word "theatre" in Western literature is found in Shakespeare's Richard II.
In fact, the theatre to which Shakespeare alludes was the very first London playhouse,
built in 1576 by the English actor and entrepreneur James Burbage, father of the great actor and friend of Shakespeare, Richard Burbage.

Quick Links:
Corno-Q-pia: The President is Coming, Khatijabai, To The Death of My Own Family, Thespo at Prithvi & Great Texts
Point of View: Akanksha Gupta reviews Arabian Night.
4 Corners: Dolly Thakore gives us an account on her being a part of the selection panel of The Academy of Theatre Arts.
Up & Coming: All the exciting plays happening in the city!
Great Stuff: Auditions and much much more!
Curtain Call: Enid Bagnold tells us about the second name of theatre.

Corno-Q-pia
The horn of plenty of QTP events and happenings.

BACK ONCE AGAIN: After the the resounding response to our newest play at NCPA Experimental and St. Andrew's Auditorium, we present more shows of Anuvab Pal's newly written farce about 6 characters short listed to meet the President of the United States.
The play stars Avantika Akerkar, Shivani Tanksale, Namit Das, Vivek Gomber, Anand Tiwari, Satchit Puranik, Khushboo Hitkari, Choiti Ghosh, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee and Anup Burte. It has been directed by Kunaal Roy Kapur.
Audiences rolled in the aisles and it was heartening to see the long lines queuing up for returned tickets.

'In a dog-eat-dog world of young competitors, reality television and short-lived fame, this comedy explores a day in the life of 9 people will stop at nothing because
'THE PRESIDENT IS COMING'

“Pal’s satire is refreshingly witty and sharp lends itself well to the stage with an intelligent mix of action, pace and dialogues.”
“Kunaal Roy Kapur’s treatment of the play is bright stylish and slick…..high dose of entertainment…succeeds in making the audience have a great time.”
“The effort is laudable for its subversion and its potential to spark very pertinent debates.”
- Mumbai Mirror

“Playwright Anuvab Pal’s entertaining slapstick comedy draws the guffaws… ”
"One particularly hilarious contender is Bangalore based Ramesh S (brilliantly portrayed by Namit Das).”
"The plays facile humour is also laced with irony and wit – after a first half of jibes at the US, the jokes take on satirical overtones.”
- Hindustan Times

“An entertaining piece of work that was one of the better productions to emerge from January’s Writers’ Bloc festival”
“Pal’s inventiveness allows for buckets of dramatic potential that director Kunaal Roy Kapur exploits successfully.”
- Time Out Mumbai

“Very funny…had the audience rolling in the aisles”
“The cast is terrific…Enjoyable watch”
- Times of India

The President is Coming will be playing at the Prithvi Theatre (26149546) on the 23rd of August at 6 & 9pm.
For more information or to book tickets over the phone, call 26392688 or email us on qtp@vsnl.com

Crab: Unfortunately our other brand new play, is on a bit of a hiatus. However the play written by Ram Ganesh Kamatham and directed by Arghya Lahiri will be back soon. Watch this space for more details!
'Rocky polishes a pair of boots. Jojo smokes. Priya is packing up. Zameil is climbing, wandering, searching...Three lives twisted in different directions because of a fourth. Grappling with a world hanging in mid-air. Locked in a world where things move sideways.'
Starring Ankur Vikal, Freishia Bomanbehram, Devika Shahani Punjabi and Ali Fazal.
'….very creative expression and was aptly communicated in the imaginative set-design’ - Tehelka

To The Death of My Own Family: Q Theatre Productions and YES Bank are present TO THE DEATH OF MY OWN FAMILY, a stunning truth told through the eyes of Nadeema, an Afghan-American woman who returns with her immigrant family to Afghanistan to help her father escape the ravages of war, only to witness the carnage of her entire family. This compelling story is not one of war or an individual. It is about the pain and suffering one bears when one’s human rights are violated and one has nowhere to turn.

The play is written by David L. Meth, and directed by Broadway veteran Peter Ratray, this critically acclaimed show comes to India after enthralling audiences in the US for over two years.

New York-based actor, director and teaching artist, Farah Bala stars in this one-woman show which brings to the Indian stage the definition of a lost truth, and revives it through her heart-wrenching performance.

When the woman, Nadeema, was a little girl, her mother fled Kabul with her and her brother and sister (three children in all), leaving the father behind. They ended up in New York where they grew up without their father. Years later, they all travel back to Afghanistan to bring their father to America which is when a series of dire events result in the death of her entire family. What follows is the desecration of the human mind. Her spirit still intact, she returns “home” to the United States, where she suddenly interrogated as a suspect, detained, humiliated and forced to justify her journey east in order to reclaim her rightful US citizenship.

To The Death of My Own Family will be playing on:

4th of August at 7:30pm & 5th of August at 3:30 & 7:30pm at Ranga Shankara, Bangalore
7th of August at 7pm at Adishakti, Pondicherry
9th of August 2007 at 6:30pm at NCPA Little Theatre, Bombay
11th of August 2007 at 6:30pm at NGMA, Bombay
12th of August 2007 at 11am at Prithvi Theatre, Bombay

The play will be followed by a discussion with the Writer and Director.

For more information or to book tickets over the phone, call Himanshu on 9820356150 / 26392688 or email us on qtp@vsnl.com

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace: It is back with a bang. Khatijabai, is a play about an orphan girl who grows to become the matriarch of one of the more powerful families in newly Independent India.
This one woman play is performed by Jayati Bhatia and is directed by Q.

“The show started and what a show! One actress, Jayati Bhatia, a show stealer of the silver screen, kept the whole hall enraptured with her movements and dialogues. My heart went out to her. I wished so hard that I too could some day act like her. For one hour and fifteen minutes, we were mesmerized by Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace, a Q Theatre Production. And after the show, we all stood there and applauded for a whole 5 minutes, while Jayati just smiled back at us thanking us profusely with folded hands.”
– The Assam Tribune

“Portrayed brilliantly…deserves applause”
– NGAGE, Mumbai.

“Brilliantly layered…wonderful portrayal”
– West Side Plus, Mumbai.

“Vivacious…Skillful…Innovative…Stimulating…Successful”
– Time Out Mumbai.

“One of the most memorable acts in recent times…standing ovation…brilliant performance..”
– The New Indian Express, Bangalore.

Khatijabai will be playing at the Prithvi Theatre (26149546) on the
21st and 22nd of August at 9pm.
For more information or to book tickets over the phone, call 26392688 or email us on qtp@vsnl.com

Breaking new ground, the stalwarts of Indian theatre and new blood get together to give youth theatre a shot in the arm...Thespo at Prithvi!!!

As part of our efforts to promote Youth Theatre, we introduce Thespo at Prithvi on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, beginning from March, where young theatre-wallahs will get an opportunity to perform on the Prithvi stage.

In 1999, Theatre Group Bombay (TG) approached Q Theatre Productions (QTP) to showcase younger theatre groups in a vibrant festive atmosphere and thus 'Thespo' was born. Thespo was created to give young performers an opportunity to hone their talents on a simulated professional stage. Through Thespo, TG and QTP hope to recognize and encourage new talent as well as create a new generation of theatre goers.

Join us as we explore the stage anew with loads of cutting edge youth theatre, platform performances and workshops conducted by the who’s who in theatre.

By the way we are still on the look out for platform performances.. For further details, mail us at thespo@gmail.com

Thespo at Prithvi...it’s not just on. It’s full-on!!!

Thespo at Prithvi in July
For the month of July, Thespo at Prtihvi made its present felt on the 3^rd and the 4^th of July. We showcased the play ‘Confessions’ by Le Chayim Theatre Productions which won 3 Awards At Thespo Bangalore, including Best Play. The play was well received by the audiences.

We had two workshops conducted last month. Mr. Sunil Shanbag threw light on the genre of ‘Black Comedy’ during Thespo at Prithvi. The workshop gave close insights as to what black comedy entails, what are the current trends and also participants themselves came up with short pieces which involved dark humour. The workshop also showcased certain audio visuals to give a better understanding of this genre.

In the last week of July, Prof. Alan Brody from MIT conducted an intensive workshop on Playwriting. The workshop dealt with creative impulse, where it comes from, how it can be nurtured and what writing specifically for the theater means. It also included the use of time, space and living human beings performing actions that are witnessed and have significance.

To end, we would like to thank everyone who joined us in July and looking forward to seeing everyone again in August.

Thespo at Prithvi in August

7th August ’07 Tuesday	3 pm	Workshop: 'Protest Theatre' by Salim Arif (PART I)
	8pm	Platform Performance: Toba Tek Singh Based on Sadat Hassan Manto's story about an inmate of a mental asylum looking for his roots during partition.
	9 pm	Play: Juloos (Hindi) The play is garbed in clown costume where characters from the circus represent particular fields bringing out the consumerism plaguing our society.
8th August ‘07 Wednesday	3 pm	Workshop: 'Protest Theatre' by Salim Arif (PART II)
	8pm	Platform Performance: Toba Tek Singh Performed by Kulwinder Bakshi Directed by Sananda Mukhopadhyaya
	9 pm	Play: Juloos (Hindi) Written by Badal Sircar. Directed by Khushboo Shroff.

Please Note:

      ·    Workshops – Prithvi House. Entry Free. Limited Seats!!!
      To register contact Sananda (98204 80583), thespo@gmail.com
·     Plays – Prithvi Theatre. Tickets rates for plays: Rs 50/- only
·     Schedule subject to change.

India's premiere youth theatre festival returns for its 9th year!!
In a series of orientations, the Thespian dream has been doing its rounds, bringing theatre enthusiasts together to meet, ideate and prepare for the not-so-distant screenings.

Igniting the spark in Amchi Mumbai, the orientation at Prithvi House saw more than 70 people crowd around while Vivek Rao, this year’s Festival Director outlined the numerous events and activities planned out. While Arghya Lahiri, Nadir Khan and Quasar Thakore Padamsee traced the history, process and lineage of Thespo, Chandan Roy Sanyal nostalgically recounted his times at Thespo. The floor was then thrown open for budding participants to meet each other, and find pieces of a performance jigsaw.

Reaching out to more than 300 people, the orientations in Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Pune and Ahmedabad were conducted along similar lines with the one in Ahmedabad seeing the attendance chart almost hit a 100. While each city has brought out very interesting ideas and a bagful of hopes, Delhi is to see its share on the 3rd of August, when the orientation there will take place.

In 1999, Theatre Group Bombay (TG) approached Q Theatre Productions (QTP) with the idea of merging the oldest theatre group and the younger theatre groups in a festival like atmosphere. Thespo was created to give young performers an opportunity to hone their talents on a simulated professional stage. Through Thespo, TG and QTP hope to encourage and recognize new talent as well as create a new generation of theatregoers. The idea behind the festival is that Thespo takes care of most of the production hassles of the groups. The festival provides free lights, sound, make up, hall space and even gives the participants a percentage of the ticket sales. This enables the teams to prepare for their plays uninhibited and produce the best work they can. The festival also provides guidance in terms of technical and dramatic knowledge to the teams. The festival has grown from the humble beginnings of a one-act play festival to a massive week–long full-length programme with entrants even from Bangalore, Delhi and Calcutta. The hunt is on for new Thespians. So if you can write, direct, act, produce and are under 25 then Thespo is the platform for you.

RULES & REGULATIONS:
1.    All participants must be 25 years of age or under as of January 1, 2007.
2.     Plays must be full-length plays and must have a minimum duration of one hour.
3.     The plays may be in any language.
4.     The plays need not have an original script.
5.     The Thespo Screening Committee will have the final say in all matters.
6.    At the time of registration a deposit of Rs. 300 will be taken from group planning to audition for Thespo 9 and will be refunded back at the
       time of auditions upon meeting the following criteria :
       i. 3 copies of the script - one sided printing with no bad language and no stage directions.
      ii. Age proofs of full team.
     iii. The play shown is over one hour long.
     iv. Members participating in the screening are all within the age limit.
     v. A performance is shown - not just a script read by one actor/director
7.     A panel comprising of 3–4 judges will be present on all the days and will judge all the plays.
8.     The screening and selection of plays is September 2007 and the finalists will be announced by October 20th, 2007.
9.     The Organizers will determine the order of performances.
10.   It is not mandatory for auditioning plays to present the Screening Committee with their final costumes, sets and props. It is important to provide 'as
        clear an idea' of them as possible though.
11.   The short-listed plays must give in their complete light-plan and cast and crew list etc. by October 23, 2007.
12.   Final participants will be given fixed number of tickets at pre-determined rates for their show-day as well as for the other days. The teams will keep
        and use the proceeds from the ticket sales to cover their production costs.
13.   Make-up, lights and sound will be provided to the participants.
14.   People operating light and sound consoles will have to be provided by the participants themselves.
15.   The Organizers will be available to provide assistance to all the participants in an advisory role.
16.   All participants will be awarded a Thespo Certificate.
17.   Winners of the awards will get the ‘Thespo’ and a certificate.
18.   Awards will be given in the following categories: Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, Outstanding Supporting Actor, Outstanding Supporting
        Actress, Outstanding Production Design, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Play, Outstanding Original Script. (The judges have the right to
        withhold any of these awards)

Please Note:
Ø      The emphasis is NOT on competition but on coming together as a unit to provide a festival of entertainment for a paying audience.
Ø      The Organizing Committee aims to accommodate everyone's needs and come to a compromise.
Ø      If you would like to volunteer for the festival at any capacity please contact the Organizing Committee.
Ø      If you have a talent, which you would like to put up at Thespo, please contact the Organizing Committee. (This includes playing an instrument,
         reading poetry, performing a monologue etc.)

Also, if you know people from other cities who want to be a part of the festival, ask them to please get in touch with us.
We are looking for volunteers to help organise and run the festival.
For more details just email us at thespo@gmail.com

Great Texts: On the last Monday of each month people meet in Q's drawing room to read a play they may have heard of but not necessarily have read. Writer's come to see how the greats wrote, actors come to play multiple parts and theatre lovers come because it keeps them in touch with the art form. It is open all and everyone takes turns in playing characters from the play. Discussions ensue after over tea and biscuits.

Last month, we read Philip Massinger's play Believe What You Will - The play tells the story of a Middle-Eastern ruler who comes out of hiding in order to try and reunite his people. His efforts are undermined, however, by the all-pervasive Roman Empire, with threatens sanctions to any state which offers him or his followers sanctuary."
Written in 1631, it was a rewrite of an earlier play, Believe What You Will which was rejected by the censor in January of that year because it dealt with the deposition of Sebastian, King of Portugal, by Philip II of Spain. Massinger changed the situation, telling instead the story of Antiochus, King of Lower Asia, defeated by the Romans and in exile for more than twenty years.

There was a good turnout for the reading, with different reactions coming out. The general reaction was that the language was a bit heavy initially, but it became easier to read as we went along. An interesting comment was put across, where the play was related to the bomb blasts in Bombay where a number of people went missing or were assumed dead and if one of them returned after a number of years.

In the month of August, we will be reading Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac - "The play talks of Cyrano, a Cadet in the French Army, is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents. In addition to being an incredible duelist, he is a remarkable poet and a musician. However, he has an extremely large nose, which is a target for his own self-doubt. This doubt prevents him from expressing his love for his cousin, the beautiful Roxane, as he believes that his ugliness forbids him to "dream of being loved by even an ugly woman."

Edmond Rostand was a French poet and dramatist and was associated with neo-romanticism. In 1901, Rostand became the youngest writer to be elected to the Académie française.

Cyrano de Bergerac, written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand based on the life of the real Cyrano de Bergerac. The first four acts are set in 1640, while the fifth is set in 1655. An immediate triumph upon its release, the play is one of the most popular in the French language and has been filmed several times and even made into an opera. The play has been translated and performed many times, and is responsible for introducing the word "panache" into the English language.

We will be reading it on the 27th of August at 7:30pm at 18 Anukool, Sq. Ldr. Harminder Singh Marg, 7 Bungalows. Next to Daljit Gym. All are welcome. If you need directions call Himanshu on 26392688 or 9820356150.

QL

Point of View:
This month Akanksha Gupta reviews Jaimini Pathak's 'Arabian Night'. The views expressed in this article are those of the author. You are welcome to agree, disagree or comment by emailing us at qtp@vsnl.com.

The Tale of an 'ARABIAN NIGHT'

If J.K Rowling’s Hogwart is where a child’s fantasy unfolds, equally magical and intimidating is the world of Roland Schimmelfennig’s ‘Arabian Night’. It is where curses and twisted realities of five individuals get concocted into an ‘erotic urban fantasy’. Part fairy tale, part noir thriller and part nightmarish adventure, it tells the story of two lovers, a beautiful insomniac, a voyeur and the building’s caretaker whose lives become intertwined on a hot summer night when their building’s water supply mysteriously disappears and they are drawn to an apartment to meet their fate. The play has been popular in theatres in several countries and was recently designed and staged by theatre actor-director Jaimini Pathak in Mumbai for a second time, only this time he was directing it. German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig, who earlier worked as a journalist in Istanbul, is regarded as one of the most prolific and heralded young dramatists today. He has a total of 16 plays to his credit, which include ‘Push up’ ‘The Woman Before’ and many others.

In this play Schimmelfennig moving away from the common trend of narrating ‘one story at a time’, allows all the five individual stories to unfold simultaneously. Franziska Dehke around whom the play essentially revolves is a narcoleptic sleeper, who once fast asleep can never remember the day’s events. It is later revealed that this is due to a curse laid upon her a long time ago. Fatima Mansur, Franziska’s Arab roommate, Kalil Fatima’s Arab boyfriend, Karpati the ambitious voyeur and Hans Lomeire the caretaker are the other four characters caught in a vortex of their individual lives and nightmarish coincidences. The structure of Arabian Night is essentially a series of deftly intercut monologues written in a style more like prose or poetry than dialogue. Each character speaks directly to the audience describing what they are doing, what they are feeling and what is their intended future action, never really speaking directly to one another. However within multiple realities and a convoluted plot the audience never really looses track, all thanks to the director’s nifty stage design, movement and an overall simple approach.

The set which resembles the figure five on a dice is minimal yet effectively representational, demarcating each individual character’s existence and importance at any given point in the script. However the set which comprises of a few levels and some cloth panels towards the end is all over the place and gets reduced to an array of clutter.

Performances by individual actors add to the clarity and implication of what the play is all about. Amongst a few dwarfed performances, Kalil (Girish) and Franziska Dehke (Pooja Sarup) clearly stole the show and had the audience rooting them every now and then. However the play begged for better and detailed characterization both externally and internally. While the voyeur played by Anshul looked more like a local tapori in his half folded pants, Fatima played by Ayesha could certainly use a little more personality. Keeping in tune with Schimmelfennig’s muse to create a world of Arabian fantasy studded with curses, sheikhs and harems much like those found in one of Scheherazade's 1001 tales, Pathak introduces two dancers in the play, though they hardly come across as scintillating Arabian beauties and their lopsided movements make them look clumsy.

The high and the low points in the play arguably are its music and lights respectively. The music which is a perfect mix of trance and surreal sets the mood for the play while the lights kill it. Inadequate lights often find the actors in darkness while they are performing however this could be a due to the slim logistics of the Godrej Theatre. The play which is a 65 minute laugh riot with all its goofiness essentially travels from grungy realities to mythic aberrations, only to reveal terse comments on contemporary relationships in its underbelly. Short and effective the play is a beautiful story conjured from the rich imagination of a contemporary German writer.

Akanksha Gupta

4 Corners:
Dolly Thakore gives us an account on her being a part of the selection panel of The Academy of Theatre Arts.

Academy of Theatre Arts Student Selection (2007-2009)

IT NEVER FAILS TO SURPRISE ME of the talent and its potential all around us.

Recently I was privileged to be on the selection panel of the Academy of Theatre Arts,for Mumbai University in Kalina, that has been headed by that stalwart of Marathi theatre Waman Kendre. The advantage is that Waman taps talent from all over the world to run the two-year course which is in its fifth year. This kind of exposure and experience would be beyond the reach of theatre enthusiasts from Jalna and Jalgaon, Beed and Bihar! Lee James from Australia visited the University twice to conduct a course in “Spiritualism in Acting”; John Hegle – a standup comedienne from UK taught them “Innovative Writing and Acting”; and a name that many in Mumbai may be familiar with -- Imogen Butler-Cole who not very long ago staged an inventive production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Sassoon Dock Library using unusual spaces – taught them “Shakespeareane Acting”. They even had two directors from Croatia.

Out of some hundreds of applicants, some 75 are asked to appear before the Selection Panel, and only 25 are chosen. And according to Government norms almost 50 % has to be from the Schedule Caste, Native tribe, and Other Backward Class categories. In the three years that I have been on this panel, what has delighted me is we have never had to jettison anyone to accommodate the 50 % directive…which is an indication of the talent and the awareness in the remotest parts of Maharashtra. The only stipulation required is that the candidate has to be a Graduate….and sadly one very good applicant did not qualify because her ATKT attempt would be after the last date of admission.

Amongst the people we interviewed between the ages of 19 to 36 were practicing doctors, engineers, lawyers and some pursuing that line of study. Another consideration was accommodation in this sprawling city of Mumbai and their capacity to pay the course fees of almost Rs. 30,000, and the security of travel to home after grueling longs hours sometimes beyond midnight. It gladdened one’s heart to be reassured repeatedly that they had saved up, made alternative accommodation arrangements, and would be provided for by their encouraging parents who were working in various jobs like making brooms, Municipality, or the GPO.

With each candidate our smiles got wider…They were judged on an overall presentation of given texts to prepare, recitation of poetry, rhythm and dance, and singing…and finally affordability… in a language of their choice Hindi, English, Marathi. A majority of them were fluent in Hindi and Marathi. There were applicants from Bihar, a 19-year-old Hritik Roshan-clone from Kashmir, and a 31-year-old Bharat Natyam dancer from Delhi. The influence of Bollywood was strongly identifiable in their body language and rhythm... but their regional flavours scored in their dramatic presentations. The confidence displayed in their flashing eyes, their sun-burnt copper complexions, their flashing smiles, their agile bodies, their range in voice reflected the hardships many may have endured to rise above the challenges to compete with city-slick competition. Their energy and cheerfulness, their range of emotions, their sincerity, their passion for theatre, their dedication soon dispelled all inhibitions when grilled by a formidable panel of judges which included Satish Alekar, Shafaat Hussain, Reema Lagoo.

Enquiring about students who had already graduated, Waman proudly regaled us with stories of their success in running local groups back in their regions, teaching assignments, and a few being seduced with offers from films and serials. But his pride was in his first-batch graduate who has gone abroad to do a course in Theatre Management. It was the most exhilarating two week ends I have spent amongst the young hopefuls. I can already see the enrichment of regional theatre in Maharashtra.

Dolly Thakore is a theatre actor and television personality.

Up&Coming:
The following is a list of shows you should watch out for this month. The code to it's deciphering is as follows:
in blue are QTP events.
Those with an (R) next to them means that we have reviewed it, and if you require a review simply email us at qtp@vsnl.com asking for it.
Those with an (PP) next to them means that it is a platform performance, entry free!

Date, Day	Time	Play	Notes	Venue
1, Wed	9 pm	Sa Hi Besura	Directed by Makrand Deshpande.	Prithvi
2, Thu	9pm	Sakharam Ke Khoj Main Hawaldar	An Ansh Presentation.	Prithvi
3, Fri	9pm	Sakharam Ke Khoj Main Hawaldar	A Policeman is on the search for Sakharam Binder from Tendulkar's Classic.	Prithvi
4, Sat	6 & 9pm	Karode Mein Ek	With Makrand Deshpande, Yashpal Sharma, Kishore Kadam and Others.	Prithvi
	7 pm	Mr Wizard & Ms Kool	A story of a Man and a Woman who start interrogating each other	NCPA Exp.
	7:30pm	To The Death of My Own Family	The plays talks of an Afghan-American woman who returns with her immigrant family to Afghanistan to help her father escape the ravages of war, only to witness the carnage of her entire family.	Ranga Shankara, Bangalore
5, Sun	11am	Nabo Nabo Rupe Esho	A play in Gujarati.	Prithvi
	6 & 9pm	Karode Main Ek	A patriarch has gone insane after losing his wealth.	Prithvi
	6:30 pm	Mr Wizard & Ms Kool	With Divya Jagdale and Shiv Subrahmanyam.	NCPA Exp.
	7pm	Buddha Ae Mari Sixer	Written by Imtiaz Patel. Directed by Vipul Mehta.	Tata Theatre
	3:30 & 7:30pm	To The Death of My Own Family	This compelling story is not one of war or an individual. It is about the pain and suffering one bears when one’s human rights are violated and one has nowhere to turn.	Ranga Shankara, Bangalore
7, Tue	3pm	'Protest Theatre' Workshop	Limited Seats Only. For more details call 98204 80583 / thespo@gmail.com	Prithvi House
	8pm	Toba Tek Singh(PP)	Based on Sadat Hassan Manto's story about an inmate of a mental asylum looking for his roots during partition.	Prithvi
	9pm	Juloos	The play is about the puzzlement and frustration that a person endures during an identity crisis.	Prithvi
	7pm	To The Death of My Own Family	A Q Theatre Productions Venture. A one woman play performed by Farah Bala.	Adishakti, Pondicherry
8, Wed	3pm	'Protest Theatre' Workshop	Conducted by Salim Arif.	Prithvi House
	8pm	Toba Tek Singh(PP)	Performed by Kulwinder Bakshi. Directed by Sananda Mukhopadhyaya.	Prithvi
	9pm	Juloos	Written by Badal Sircar. Directed by Khushboo Shroff	Prithvi
9, Thu	6:30pm	To The Death of My Own Family	This is the story of an Afghan-American woman who grew up in America, and recently went back to Kabul to bring back her father.	NCPA Little Theatre
9, Thu	6 & 9pm	Of Mice and Men	Directed by Vijay Kumar.	Prithvi
10, Fri
10, Fri	6 & 9pm	Hum Bihar Se Chunaav Lad Rahe Hai	It tells the story of what would happen if Lord Krishna would contest the election from Bihar.	Prithvi
11, Sat	7pm	Mummy Please!	Written and directed by Om Katare.	NCPA Exp.
	6 & 9pm	Katha Collage Part 2	7 Short stories from Hindustani masters adapted for the stage.	Prithvi
	6:30pm	To The Death of My Own Family	The play deals with Nadeema, who returns “home” to the United States, where she suddenly interrogated as a suspect, detained, humiliated and forced to justify her journey east in order to reclaim her rightful US citizenship.	NGMA
12, Sun	11am	To The Death of My Own Family	The play is written by David L. Meth, and directed by Broadway veteran Peter Ratray, this critically acclaimed show comes to India after enthralling audiences in the US for over two years.	Prithvi
	6 & 9pm	Beewion Ki Madarsaa	A farcical comedy about the difficulties of finding the right woman.	Prithvi
	6:30 pm	Mummy Please!	With Priyanka Basu, Aniruddha Nag, Paromit Chatterjee amd others.	NCPA Exp.
	6:30pm	Anything But Love!	With Mandira Bedi and Samir Soni.	Tata Theatre
14, Tue	6 & 9pm	Kanyadaan	Directed by Dinesh Thakur.	Prithvi
14, Tue	7:30pm	Nati Binodini	Based on the actress autobiography Aamar Katha.	Nehru Centre
15, Wed	11am	A Special Bond	Based on various children's stories by Ruskin Bond.	Prithvi
	6 & 9 pm	Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhiya	Partition. 1947. A story of humanity & love in the time of rampant hate.	Prithvi
	2:30pm	Erendira	Directed by Amal Allana.	Nehru Centre
	6:30pm	Class of 84	A roller-coaster ride about friendship, filled with pathos and humour.	Tata Theatre
16, Thu	6 & 9 pm	Anji	A satirical comedy about a lone woman's quest for love.	Prithvi
17, Fri
17, Fri	6 & 9pm	Ilhaam	A man eager to leap into his childhood, fearing losing his past & present.	Prithvi
18, Sat	6 & 9pm	Ilhaam	Directed by Manav Kaul.	Prithvi
	7pm	Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai	Enacted by Anupam Kher.	Tata Theatre
	7pm	Dear Liar	Adapted from the correspondence between George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell.	NCPA Exp.
19, Sun	6 & 9pm	Ilhaam	With Abhay Joshi, Ayesha Raza and Kumud Mishra	Prithvi
	6:30pm	Dear Liar	Improvised and enacted by Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak-Shah.	NCPA Exp.
	7pm	Kanyadaan	Written by Vijay Tendulkar. Directed by Lillete Dubey.	Tata Theatre
20, Mon	7pm	Mari Bairine Koi Leso?	A Parsi Gujarati play. Directed by Sam Kerawalla.	Tata Theatre
21, Tue	9 pm	Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace	The story of one woman who rises to become the matriarch of a powerful family in Bombay. An orphan who wraps all around her in "the web of her providing". Starring Jayati Bhatia.	Prithvi
22, Wed	9 pm	Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace	Follow the exploits of a Khoja matriarch as she vies for the attention of her in laws, her battles with her sister in law & the betrayal of her husband. Adapted & Directed by Q,uasar Thakore Padamsee.	Prithvi
23, Thu	6 & 9 pm	The President is Coming	A comedy of 8 people who will stop a nothing to meet the President of America. "..high dose of entertainment…succeeds in making the audience have a great time.” - Mumbai Mirror “The cast is terrific…Enjoyable watch” - Times of India	Prithvi
25, Sat	6 & 9 pm	Munshiji Ki Gudgudiyaan	A compilation of stories by the renowned Hindi writer Premchand.	Prithvi
25, Sat	7pm	Lift Kara De	Directed by Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal and Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal.	NCPA Exp.
26, Sun	6 & 9 pm	Daudaa Daudaa Bhaaga Bhagga	The play is based on the hilarious American comedy, Three Men and a Horse.	Prithvi
	6:30pm	Double Deal - How Far Would You Go?	Directed by Mahesh Dattani. With Mahesh Manjrekar and Sandhya Mridul.	Tata Theatre
	6:30pm	Shirley Valentine	Shirley airs her views on men, marriage, children and about self-discovery.	NCPA Exp.
27, Mon	7:30pm	Great Text Reading	An informal reading of Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. All are welcome.	18 Anukool
28, Tue	6 & 9pm	Hello Spring	A Vijeta Theatre Presentation.	Prithvi
29, Wed	6 & 9pm	Hello Spring	With Suzanne Bernert & Akhil Mishra.	Prithvi
30, Thu	6 & 9 pm	Garam Kamra & Marhoom Ki Yaad Main	Written by Ramu Ramanathan. Directed by Sunil Shanbag.	Prithvi
31, Fri	6 & 9 pm	Cotton 56, Polyester 84	A political musical about the fate of the mill workers and their land.	Prithvi

You can also check the following websites for more information:
Prithvi Theatre: http://www.prithvitheatre.org/
NCPA: http://www.tata.com/ncpa
Nehru Theatre: www.nehrucentremumbai.com/newsletter.htm
Mumbai Theatre Guide: http://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/
Best of Bombay: www.bestofbombay.com/calendar.php

Great Stuff:

Audition:

Working Title Productions: Is looking for Actors, Singers, Musicians, Composers, actors-who-can-sing, singers-who-can- act, for their upcoming MUSICAL production of Sahitya Akademi Award-winning playwright Chandrashekhar Kambar’s TUKRA’S DREAM (Tukrana Kanasu in English) to be directed by Jaimini Pathak.
Interested performers contact 98700 61161 / 98200 77429

Industrial Theatre Company: the industrial theatre co. is looking to cast its new production, "INTO THE WOODS", the Indian Premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award winning 1987 musical.
We intend to rehearse for 1 month [September 15 - October 16] in South Mumbai [at the NCPA Rehearsal Rooms], and then run the show for 10 consecutive nights [October 17-25] at the Experimental Theatre. We are looking for a bunch of brilliantly talented actor-singers, capable of effortlessly conveying both the profound emotions and the giddy humour of this extraordinary piece. Or, failing that, for actors who "can-also-sing-a-little", and singers who "might-want-to-try-some-acting-for-a-bit." The cast for the show consists of approximately 20 people: both sexes, and all ages [between 14 and 74]. All levels of skill and experience are welcome. Please prepare a song, and expect to sing it unaccompanied. We are also looking to find musicians to play live at the performances. If you play any [or several] of the following, and are interested in being part of the production - piano / viola / cello / flute / horn / clarinet / trumpet / synthesizer.
DATE - Sunday, August 5, 2007. VENUE – 'SUNNYVILLE', 22 Carmichael Road, Mumbai 400 026. [Just off Peddar Road]
Timings - 10am-2pm & 4:30pm-6:30pm
If you are interested, please call Advait at 98207 93687 To register and receive a time-slot.

Maaria Sayed is looing for actors to cast in her play called 'NUTS', hoping to be staged for Thespo 9 so the main criteria is everyone must be 25 years or below as on 1st January 2007. She is looking to cast for the role of :
1-doctor
2- father
3- mother(slightly plump)
all must be mature looking and preferably bigger built.
All those who are interested contact Maaria on 98201 51693 or email at maaria_9@hotmail.com

High-Pot-In-Use-Tri-Angle Productions: We performing a musical version of Vaikom Mohammed Basheer's novella "Me Grandad 'ad an Elephant" this November as part of the Prithvi Theatre festival. The story revolves around the life of a Kerala Muslim family in the 1940s. (Synopsis attached). The performance is in English. We are now looking for a strong cast which can SING to bring the play to life. If you are interested or know of people who are, do get in touch with me. Please send this mail out to people you think might want be part of this.
We're looking for:

Bapa (the father): late 40-50s, strong, dignified character, leader of the community
Umma (the mother): late 30s-40s, energetic, strong woman with a sharp tongue
Nisar (male lead): mid 20s, educated, cultured
Ayesha: lively, smart alecky 16-20 yr old
Singers/Actors (female and male) for the Chorus

You can get in touch with Shivani on 9820009500 or this email at high.pot.in.use.tri.angle@gmail.com.

Workshops :

Aatish Academy of X-Treme Arts : The Academy is conducting an Advance Action based workshop for Stage Artist's from 1st of August 2007 to the 31st of October 2007.
Days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday ; Time: 6 to 9 p.m.
For more details Contact : 98338 31241 / 98332 21208 or visit www.AAtishGroup.com / info@aatishgroup.com

Diploma in Acting Course : Nehru Centre in affiliation with Kavikulguru Kalida Sanskrit University Ramtek, Nagpur presents NATYADISHA, a weekend diploma course in Dramatics (1 year) at The Nehru Centre.
For enquires, contact Ms Pallavi Gurjar : 98207 25551 or Mr. Prakash Pawar : 24964676/77/78/79/80 Ext 119

Acting Theatre Workshop : Kalaghar is conducting and an Acting Workshop at Sahayoy Mandir, Thane for age groups 4-14 and 15 & above.
Those interested can contact Ramnath Tharwal : 98213 30963.

Children's Theatre Workshops: Academy of Creative Expression announces workshops for children from 3-14years old at 16 centres all over Bombay. Call 22871851 for details.

Curtain Call:

"The theatre is a gross art, built in sweeps and over-emphasis. Compromise is its second name."
- Enid Bagnold.

Contact QTP: 18 Anukool, 5th Floor, Sq. Ldr. Harminder Singh Road, 7 Bungalows, Andheri, Mumbai - 400 061. Telefax: 2639 2688. Email: qtp@vsnl.com