We have all played ‘truth or dare’, but sometimes, it can bring unexpected twists, especially when there is an emotion called love involved. Truth or Dare, a play by debutant director Yogesh Raj explores the same terrain. An introvert Varun falls in love with an extrovert Srimathi, in college. You may think it’s the perfect match, but the play will make you believe otherwise.
Varun finds it difficult to express his feelings to Srimathi, but he gathers the courage and does it! And voila, they begin dating. However, their romance is short-lived with an eventual break-up, and no one knows why. Well, no one knows they were dating in the first place! Varun has been hiding everything about his love life from his friends for a long time now. But friends are smart, aren’t they? They have an inkling and initiate a game of truth or dare, eventually leading to twists and turns in the story. “It’s a cute college romance, of course, with a lot to look forward to. I can only say that some love stories are destined to happen, but some aren’t,” says Yogesh, who admits to being nervous as a first-time writer and director.
Also read: Art at the heart
Truth or Dare and The Last Prey are being staged as part of the second edition of the Dramatique Evening by Chennai Art Theatre. Curator of the show, Ashwath tells us, “The idea behind Dramatique Evening is to catch them young. We see a lot of potential good writers and directors quitting theatre after college. Our aim is to provide them with a platform to keep their passion alive.”
The Last Prey is an intriguing tale set in the late 1970s about a close-knit family consisting of a father, Doraiswamy; mother and wife Radha; and their only daughter Bhanumathi. As the plot progresses, we learn how this family’s fate changes with a simple twist in the tale. “It’s a very simple story, trust me,” says Ramasubramanian, who is making his directorial debut with this play. The daughter believes that her father is very open-minded, he has always supported her. “But when she tells him she in love with someone, the father immediately turns it down and is harsh in the way he reacts. Bhanumathi is heart-broken because her trust in her father is broken; and here’s when she finds a ray of hope in the most unexpected way,” says Ramasubramanian, who tells us he is confident the play will click with the audience.
Rs 299.
August 15, 3 pm.
At Medai — The Stage, Alwarpet.
rupam@newindianexpress.com
@rupsjain