Rangved Theatre’s ‘NUTS’ explores a woman’s fight against labels

NUTS is set around 1979 in New York. At that time, women who were seen as rebellious or who stepped outside social norms were often treated unfairly. In some cases, they were put through hush trials and declared insane. The play is not based on one specific case, but on several such incidents. What struck me was how even a society considered progressive used these methods to silence women by labelling them as mentally unstable and placing them in institutions.

I don’t think the same kind of institutionalised treatment exists anymore. But as a society, we still have a long way to go in accepting women’s choices without judgement. In that sense, the fight is still ongoing and the story remains relevant.

I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. That itself shows how engaging it was. What stood out to me was the central character. She is accused of manslaughter and while most people would take an insanity plea to avoid jail, she refuses. She chooses to fight the case and risk imprisonment rather than be labelled insane. That kind of conviction and clarity is rare, especially in courtroom dramas.

I was fortunate to work with a cast that is quite trained. One of our actors — Julianna James — teaches acting and has studied the Meisner technique, which focuses on listening and responding. This helped a lot, especially in a courtroom setting where reactions are key. Apart from the legal case, I focused on relationships — between the protagonist and her parents and with the psychiatrist. I wanted to highlight these emotional layers, not just the courtroom proceedings.

One major challenge was training the actors, especially the ones playing the protagonist. The role has many emotional layers and includes multiple monologues. Another challenge was maintaining character throughout the play. In a courtroom drama, there are no breaks — actors are constantly visible, so they need to stay in character the entire time. For me personally, directing and acting at the same time was difficult. It was my first time directing and balancing both roles required a lot of adjustment.

I relied heavily on my team. I asked my co-actors to observe my performance and give feedback when they were not on stage. I also had to learn to separate how I read the script as a director and as an actor. That distinction took time, but I’m still learning and improving.

Yes, we made a few changes. The original script is structured as a two-act play with two intervals. We reduced it to one interval and brought the duration down to around two hours. We also focused more on how the relationships between characters evolve, rather than just the courtroom outcome.

One key takeaway is that love, while powerful, can sometimes become restrictive. In trying to protect or love someone, we may end up causing harm. I hope the audience reflects on how to love without limiting the people they care about.

We plan to stage multiple shows of NUTS. Upcoming performances are scheduled at Alliance Française, with more shows planned later. Alongside this, I’ve been working as an assistant director on a Kannada film. While I want to explore acting in films, I will always stay connected to theatre. For me, theatre remains the most rewarding space for an actor.