In a recent conversation with Indulge, theatre practitioner and voiceover artiste Freddy Koikaran had pointed out that he read somewhere that our attention span has shrunk to six seconds. Not surprising at all, for we are in the age of reels, short videos, quick reads, and ‘instant’ everything! Daring to challenge this and swim against the tide is Theatre Binge in its fifth edition! How it even got here, we wonder, considering, like we stated above, there is a serious issue with our attention span. However, as Michael Muthu, theatre actor and director, recently told us, it is because “Theatre will never die; it will always be there.” And, needless to say, we are more than happy to hear that.
As the name suggests, Theatre Binge is about an overdose of plays. But how much theatre is too much, anyway! In its fifth year, the event presents four live full length plays in a single day — two Tamil and two English. “Yes, we are presenting four plays to the audience without a break! And we have been doing this for the past four years. This year, we have shortlisted two comedies and two serious plays, in two languages — English and Tamil. So, there is one comedy and one serious play, each in English and, similarly in Tamil,” says Ashwath P, who has curated this edition of Theatre Binge.
Starting with Tamil plays, there is Naanga Nadicha Thaangamaata, a comedy. In the format of ‘a play within a play’, the plot revolves around a theatre troupe that is all set to put up a drama, based on the epic Ramayana. As the actor who plays the character of Hanuman is unavailable eight hours prior to the play, the entire troupe is stuck backstage, and thus begin a collision. One by one, each of the artistes will come on stage to audition for the role of the Hanuman. Between such scenarios, the director is in a fix. What happens next? Well, you got to watch the play. It is written by Kavin DM and directed by Abishek and Divagar.
The other Tamil play being staged as a part of Theatre Binge is Thiruvarangan, a serious play. This one offers a Russian twist to the legend of Srirangam. A curious screenplay connecting the dots with a riveting climax, the story is about a Russian family and a Brahmin family in Srirangam, a place inhabited majorly by Brahmins. Now, there is a twist in the plot as a Russian marries a Brahmin. “A romantic play at the crux of it, this one has a lot of twists and turns which we can’t reveal right away,” Ashwath tells us. Thiruvarangan is written by J Raghunathan, and directed by R Giridharan.
The two English plays include Malhar, a deep intense play, as Ashwath points out; and a comedy titled The Doctor in Spite of Himself. Malhar, a period slice-of-life, portrays a marriage that is a decisive point for a family. But a long-lost love returns to create a storm in their lives which forces each to shed their pasts. The play is written and directed by Harish Sridhar.
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In The Doctor in Spite of Himself, as is in the original by French dramatist Moliere, a wood-cutter is mistaken for a doctor and taken to treat a rich man’s daughter. What follows is a comedy of errors. Ashwath says, “Moliere, known as the French equivalent of Shakespeare, spoke out against arranged marriage and fake doctors centuries ago through his play, The Doctor in Spite of Himself. To the Chennai audience, it will be a novel experience to see and hear actors speak in verse. Not only is the play funny but it is also thought provoking.” The Doctor in Spite of Himself is adapted and directed by R Amarendran.
Apart from Naanga Nadicha Thaangamaata, all the other plays are new and being staged for the first time in Chennai.
Rs 300. Tickets available online and at the venue. April 8.
Medai – The Stage, Alwarpet.
Watch out!
Thiruvarangan — 2 pm
The Doctor in Spite of
Himself — 4 pm
Malhar — 5:30 pm
Naanga Nadicha
Thangamaata — 7.30 pm
rupam@newindianexpress.com
@rupsjain
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