THIS weekend, meet Georges Delachaume, a young man who is trying to impress Isabelle, at a dinner at his home. But little does Isabelle know that Georges’ parents and the butler are actors who have been hired by the young man for the evening. Even the house he claims is his, is in fact, rented for an evening. If you are curious to know what happens to Georges and Isabelle’s story then watch Dinner with the Family at the Indo-French Theatre Festival, a three-day event hosted by Alliance Francaise in collaboration with Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT).
The festival is a culmination of the three-month Directors Training Programme conducted by BLT. Talking about the programme, Vijay Padaki, trustee, BLT says, “It is part of the long term cultural partnership between BLT and Alliance Francaise. The understanding is that we utilise the platform to showcase French literary-dramatic material. With the scope thus defined, we allow budding directors to read up a great volume of available plays and they choose the plays they want to direct.” The three plays that will be staged at the festival are works of acclaimed French playwrights — Dinner with the Family by Jean Anouilh, No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre and Tartuffe by Moliere.
No Exit explores Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophical concepts — the play begins with three individuals who find themselves in hell. They are trying to make sense of the torture that follows. Tartuffe is the story of a homeless man — the titular character, who is taken in by a wealthy man called Orgon. Tartuffe projects himself as a pious and religious man and impresses Orgon, but the latter’s family sees through Tartuffe’s facade and decides to do something before it’s too late.
Talking about the training she’s been through, Archana Kariappa, director, Dinner with the Family, says, “Vijay (Padaki) made us watch some of the videos of earlier stage adaptations and films based on these plays. Through the sessions, we were made to understand the nuances of direction. It was an eye-opening experience. Though I have been an actor for a long time, taking on the role of a director was quite challenging because I had to be like the puppeteer on top who ensures everything is done right.” All three plays are classics that are well-known all over the world but have rarely been staged in India.
Entry free. August 18-19. At Alliance Francaise, Vasanth Nagar. Details: 40808181
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