Back to school: Square Root of Minus One comes to Chennai

​The phrase ‘principal’s office’ often generates fear in the minds of the students. But in the 100-minute play, Square Root of Minus One, it appears as if everyone including the principal is confused. It’s time to relive our childhood memories (at least some of them!) as Vikram Dhanasekhar of DJ’s Emsomneacks recreates this play originally written by Ram Ganesh Kamatham. First written in 2002, the play is set in the principal’s office in St. Bartholomew’ High School, where there is a cacophony of confusion among the characters of the play — the principal, a teacher, a terrorist, a lead villain, the principal’s wife and others. 

“The play narrates the various instances of confusion that arise in the principal’s office. The principal has been cheating his school off money, wherein he has been transferring money meant for the school to his own account. He then falls in trouble when a charitable organisation (owned by a terrorist), to whom he has been siphoning off the funds, confronts him after the money stops. The dialogues are interactive and hilarious, as the terrorist attempts to get his money back,” says Vikram, who is the founder of DJ’s Ensomneacks, whose earlier productions have been Don’t Dress for Dinner and Funny Money. 

On how he was inspired to choose this play, he says, “It all happened after a conversation with city-based theatre artiste Venkataraman Balakrishnan of Theatre Nisha. He happened to suggest the play and I read it and found it hilarious.” Most of the cast are from Vikram’s team, except debutantes Udaya Reddy and Shruti Pai, who play the roles of Nancy (teacher) and Gini (principal’s wife), respectively. But before the play starts, you will witness a mime performance by kids of the Teach for India programme. “This is a part of our Limelight for Artistes initiative,” informs Vikram. 

March 17. At Alliance Francaise. 4 pm and 7 pm. 

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