The stage makes the artistes, and the artistes make the stage come alive. It’s a relationship that’s for life, as 16 theatre artistes from the city, who have each been doing remarkable work, tell us. For them, theatre is a lifestyle; also a place where they can break the shackles of inhibitions and be the many characters they want to be, which in real life is absolutely impossible. That’s the beauty of the stage; it lets you be; it never judges you, and the artistes we spoke to swear by it. The ones featured here are experimenting with different formats, exploring new ways to tell stories and take theatre to everyone.
Let’s get to know them.
Craig Lobo | 26
“At the risk of sounding cliché, theatre to me is about love and connection, impact and community,” says Craig, who got into theatrical productions because he wanted to share with and connect with people. Craig acts, sings, showruns for various productions, curates shows and also does stage and light design.
Major productions
Craig was the showrunner and technical director for KISS theatre festival in Chennai, where he along with Poochu’s Productions hosted 20 different theatre groups from the city. Craig has curated and organised three Enter Stage productions. He also curated his first musical anthology, Once Upon a Musical.
Upcoming projects
“I’m currently still practicing being able to be completely present in the moment. the next biggest project that is coming up in February is KISS, a Chennai theatre festival,” he says.
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Juvith Arthi | 27
Arthi keeps trying new things outside her comfort zone to embrace new experiences in every stage of life. After a number of theatre workshops, Arthi came out of her ‘reserved’ image, finding solace in theatre. On stage, Arthi confesses, she sees different versions of herself.
Major productions
She started a monthly curated theatre show called Spotlight, which has introduced about 13 directors so far. Arthi has directed two plays — Bad for You, and Gummiruttu. She bagged Best Female Actress (wildcard) at Short+Sweet Theatre Festival last year.
Upcoming projects
Arthi is starting another monthly curated show called 20-20, and working on a play based on Kula Deivam. It will be staged in February 2024.
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Also read: Prithvi festival is just around the corner
Aparna Kumar | 25
Aparna is a stage actor, designer and educator. Watching plays “was cathartic, inspired actions and perspectives that were raw, empowering, and exposed possibilities of exploring crafts professionally,” she says.
Major productions
Aparna has been part of V Balakrishnan’s Sordid, Margazhi, God’s Will, Krishna’s Dark Son, Bharat Mata, Rolla, The Peacock Prince, Binnu, Apradhini, Desh Prem; Meera Sitaraman’s Tax MahaI; and Shruti Parashuram’s Madonna. She also scripted and directed A Question of Duty.
Upcoming projects
Aparna will be setting the stage on fire again with her portrayal of Krishna’s Dark Son; and also as part of Theatre Nisha’s Buy One Get One Free.
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Vijay Babu H | 33
Vijay likes to call himself “an amateur actor who keeps his theatre life afloat by being an automation engineer in IT”. He says he had no idea about the world of theatre until he was introduced to a drama school — the Indian School of Drama (in Chennai) by a very close friend, Charles, in 2015. “That place acted as a platform to explore my own views on acting and as a workshop, which introduced techniques on different planes that would challenge those same views, allowing me to gain new perceptions,” he explains. For Vijay, theatre is mystifying. “It nudges me to new spaces of unknowns when trying to create new stories and conceive characters. It makes me more curious,” he says.
Major productions
Vijay has written, directed, and performed in Naan Aval udal — as part of Erotica; Munnurai and Mathaji — as part of experimental five minute theatre festival; Thiruttukottu — as part of the Short + Sweet Theatre Festival (only as an actor); Airborne — for KISS theatre festival by Poochu’s Production.
Upcoming projects
“The last production, Thiruttukottu, did not materialise the way I would have liked. The retrospection has landed me on interesting answers, which has provided clues on what could have been better in terms of writing and presentation. Now I am back to basics of finding stories and characters, which have or will stroke my sense of excitement,” he tells us.
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Sameera | 31
Sameera works as arts administrator and theatre facilitator at Naveena Koothupattarai, a Chennai based performing arts school, which specialises in imparting personalised acting training workshops. Naveena Koothupattarai focuses on integrating traditional theatre with modern theatre, creating sensitivity towards the environment and conservation of folk-art forms. Sameera has been learning various facets of theatre from notable practitioners such as Aadhira Pandilakshmi, Venkataraman Balakrishnan, Nellai Manikandan, Fawas Ameer, Guru Nathan, Denver Anthony Nicholas, Dr Krishna Kumar, Vinod Anand, and others. She has written, directed and acted in plays highlighting various Indian social themes at a global level.
Major productions
Sameera has worked in Colours of the Earth, which was staged as a part of World Theatre Day celebrations; Muyarchi Thiruvinaiyakkum (Perseverance) which revolves around the story of a junior boxer hailing from Tamil Nadu and the challenges he faces in the current Indian sports scenario.
Upcoming projects
“There are a few themes that have been calling out to me strongly and I have been working on them. I am getting in touch with folk artistes and learning from them. The plays will be revolving around the ideas of beauty, ageism, stigma attached to mental health etc,” Sameera says.
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Aditya K H | 25
Aditya came to Chennai when he was 22, with an itch to tell stories. He had been through a traditional engineering course, although he didn’t quite enjoy engineering. Halfway through college, he realised that telling stories was something he loved doing. And so, he started producing live shows in popular cafés and bistros. Cut to a year later, he was working with two of India’s biggest standup comics, Aravind SA and Baggy.
“Armed with everything I had learnt, I ventured into a mainstream advertising, dabbling in all things and the itch to tell stories, never really went away,” says Aditya. He learnt how to write for screen, amongst the other technical skills he picked up. “The itch got me thinking, how do I make something I’ve written come to life. Producing for screen is quite cost intensive, but theatre seemed doable. Funnily enough, I was rejected by my college’s drama club but cut to now, it all works out,” he shares.
Major productions
For Aditya, this year has been about debuting as a writer, director and actor and in some capacity, a producer. “I’ve had the pleasure of writing and directing two of my plays this year to a sold-out audience and I took to the stage as an actor and co-writer in a play called House of God, although I don’t enjoy acting as much as I enjoy directing,” Aditya says.
Upcoming projects
Since the year isn’t over yet, Aditya will be taking six shows into production before the end of this year, with Chennai Art Theatre — a coming together of all the plays that he has written, directed and creatively produced. He is also currently writing his next play, slated for February 14, 2024.
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Shivangi Singh | 29
“Watching old movies with my mother, I came across Bharatanatyam and theatre. By grade 8, I had decided that I will be learning these art forms and started my basic training in Bharatanatyam in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, my hometown,” Shivangi shares. She moved to Chennai in 2011 aspiring to learn Bharatanatyam from Kalakshetra, and finished her diploma. Shivangi developed a keen interest in theatre and attended a workshop conducted by Theatre Nisha. “I was blown away with a completely new perspective of performing art and the honesty and truth that theatre holds attracted me,” she says.
Theatre is a huge part of Shivangi’s life. “It doesn’t matter if I am playing a major role or a minor one; I just want to be around theatre in every way possible,” she says.
Major productions
This year, Shivangi has performed in Arundhati, Sordid and Margazhi, written and directed by V Balakrishnan.
Upcoming projects
Shivangi is looking forward to more shows in the coming year. “I will be working on a one-person show and Theatre Nisha’s next ensemble called Praya,” she shares.
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Ranjith Kumar Dharmalingam | 30
Ranjith’s goal is clear, he wants to become a successful screen actor. The artiste says that theatre happened for him in Mumbai and it brought the “best version of myself and improved my acting skills tremendously.”
Major productions
“I have worked in two plays this year by THE Theatrewalas, My Buddy my Yaar and 478402 — Rising from the Embers, directed by Sushma Roshan. Ranjith has also worked in a film production, for Thalivar 170.
Upcoming projects
Ranjith is excited and gearing up for The Meeting, a play directed by Prasanna Rajaram and a web-series production, Por Kalai.
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Gladwin Rajkumar | 30
Coming from an engineering background, Gladwin came across theatre when he went to help out with backstage and ended up in the very same production, performing a small role. Gladwin started as a theatre artiste in 2012. Since then, he has been part of multiple productions as part of the Little Theatre (seven pantos and three festival productions).
“My film career as a director took off when I decided to compete in India Film Project’s 50-hour challenge and won the Platinum Award in the year 2019 — the only team that won from Chennai amongst 1,500 plus entries across the country,” he says.
Major productions
Gladwin gained three and a half years of experience under director Sudha Kongara since 2019. Despite the Covid in 2020, he got the chance to do Amazon Short Series with Sudha with a five member crew, also doubling up in multiple departments for the project. He has been part of Sudha’s writer room for three years, working and ideating on multiple scripts and drafts, some of which are in the pipeline.
Upcoming projects
Gladwin handled line production for the project Raghuthatha, backed by Hombale, played by Keerthi Suresh. The movie is in its post-production stage and to be released later this year. He is currently assisting Pantomime theatre production and gearing up for directing a music video to finish the year strong.
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Deandra Nicholas | 22
Deandra has just finished her undergraduate in sports medicine. She has also been an athlete for almost six years, and confesses that her love for sport is what made her want to study sports medicine. “Beyond my love for medicine and sports, I have always found solace in the world of theatre from a very young age. Whether on the field or the stage, I find myself immersed in the vibrant energy of competition and the enthralling narrative of performance, both igniting a fire within me that knows no bounds,” Deandra says.
From a young age, the stage has been ever present in Deandra’s life, which was infused through her father’s (Denver Anthony Nicholas) passion for theatre. “I remember being only three or four years old and watching my first ever theatre show! I vaguely remember it but it was the musical Grease.” At the age of eight, Deandra took part in her first theatre performance I wanna be MJ. What makes it special is she got to do it with her dad and brother.
Major productions
“I got back to the stage with my brother for the Short+Sweet Theatre Festival for a play written and directed by my father, and ever since the beginning of 2022, I’ve been a part of almost 12 productions as an actor and singer and for one production, as a writer and director. To Deandra, the stage feels like a place where her dreams are made real, where her voice can echo loud and clear, making the impossible feel possible.
Upcoming projects
Future projects include a musical play happening this December by Poochu’s Productions called Belle and Gaston. “I’ve also been trying a few short scripts, hoping that at least one director would want to bring it to life, hopefully in the upcoming theatre festival KISS,” she says.
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Prabu Chandrasekar Anitha | 27
Prabu (as he is fondly called) is a theatre actor, “highly organised and ambitious” with a sheer conviction of making it big. He started as a dancer but his deep passion and love for cinema drove him towards theatre. For Prabu, theatre is life. “It gives me confidence and the opportunity to experience life of various people through the many characters I get to play,” Prabu tells us.
Major productions
Prabu’s important works include 478402 — Rising from Embers, directed by Sushma Roshan Ahuja of THE Theatrewalas; T Janakiraman Kadhaigal, directed by Prasanna Ramaswamy; and Kalam Kaalamaga, directed by Shravan.
Upcoming projects
Come December and Prabu will be seen as a part of an untitled play by Prasanna Ramaswamy. Apart from that, he will also be seen in Paiyum Oli, directed by Shreevastan.
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Prasanna Ram Kumar | 39
Prasanna grew up in Perambur and lived his early life in Perambur and Kolathur. After doing his Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology, he worked in few five star hotels, restaurants and bars across the country. “I used to do theatre in the evenings as a hobby/passion. When I couldn’t sustain myself in business, I left and started doing theatre full-time and continue to do so till now,” says Prasanna, adding, “Now, it looks like even if I want to stay away for a little while from theatre, it’s not leaving me.”
Major productions
Prasanna was with Koothu-p-pattarai for about seven years and currently, he freelances with various groups. Along with his friends, Prasanna has also founded Theatre Ko in Kovur. “We have already hosted two shows and are creating a small space for performance in Kovur. This year, I worked with Chennai Kalai Kuzhus’ Matha Vilasa Prahasanam, directed by Pralayan, and Prasanna Ramaswamy’s production 68, 45, 85 +12 lakhs. Also, I made my debut in the Amazon Prime Original Modern Love Chennai. I did an important role in the episode Lalagunda Bommaigal directed by Raju Murugan.
Upcoming projects
Prasanna is directing a play En arumai Pudhumaiputha — a bouquet of Pudhumaithans short stories as plays. Also auditioning for a few films and webseries.
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Divakar Ravi | 25
Divakar is a Human Resources and recruitment professional by the day and a writer, director, actor and theatre designer at all other times. Anime, good food and constant music makes his life easy, he tells us. Divakar started practicing theatre in 2015 during his college years. Initially, it began as a way to skip classes. He was a member of his college’s cultural team, where he performed mime, adzap, and street theatre in various colleges around Tamil Nadu. Before he knew it, theatre had caught up with him.
Major productions
“I had an eventful year, starting with Red Nose Theatre’s production Nanga Nadicha Thangamata, where I designed and directed the entire play.” He then wrote and directed a short play, Makka Kuppai for KISS theatre festival. The play bagged Best Actor, Play of the Day, and Excellence in Direction. Later, Prasanna Ramaswamy, a recipient of Kalaimamani from the Tamil Nadu State and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her theatre work, gave him an opportunity to pen a short play, Pee Kadai.
Moreover, “I had the chance to perform the character of Duryodhana in Gatotkachan, a play from Threterekaran.”
Upcoming projects
“My next play will be based on a true incident. It will tackle a very impactful and strong subject, portraying the lives of a group of people whose story must be heard!” Divagar informs us.
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K S Neeharika | 23
Neeharika, who is currently pursuing masters in Political Science, has been working full-time with Theatre Nisha as a theatre educator and an actor for over a year now. “I am currently training in Kalaripayattu, Traditional Archery and Devarattam,” she says.
In her second year in college (2019), Neeharika got to intern with Theatre Nisha, and that’s when she understood how a professional theatre company works and what goes behind putting up a production. “Personally, theatre brings me immense joy,” she says.
Major productions
This year, Neeharika has acted in Binnu, which was performed at Alliance Française and Bharathi Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore. She also acted in God’s Will that was performed at Rangashankara, Bengaluru, and Margazhi, that was performed at Rangayana Kirurangamandira, Mysore. She was a part of Bharatmata and Desh Prem, two plays that were performed at the KISS theatre festival and Once Upon a Musical, respectively. Neeharika also played an important role in Rolla that was performed as a part of Avant Grande by Chennai Art Theatre.
Upcoming projects
“I am working on a new play called Relentless that is written by V Balakrishnan, most likely to be staged in February. There will also be repeat shows of Binnu which I will be acting in. I am also looking forward to focusing a lot more on Kalaripayattu and sword fighting to make it an integral part of my physical theatre,” Neeharika says.
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Kavya Ramachandran | 29
Kavya loves a little bit of everything — friends, family, cooking meals, outdoors, sports, etc. She also loves teaching. “I love the stage since it allows me to be everything that I want to be and everything that I may never become. Having said that, the long and short of introducing myself would be that I’m an educator and a theatre artiste,” says Kavya.
Explaining her tryst with theatre, Kavya says, “I’d like to believe that I forced it upon myself. Theatre was not something that chanced upon me. I loved the stage. Strangely, I loved the disguise. As contorted as it sounds, I loved that I could truly be myself playing someone else.”
Major productions
The last big production I worked on was the Christmas Pantomime — Dracula — Love at First Bite, by the Little Theatre.
Upcoming projects
For now, Kavya is just putting to use all that theatre has given her, in terms of skills, into enhancing the classroom experience a little better. “I find that there is prominent correlation between teaching and theatre. Both are in essence performance/improvisation,” she says.
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Arivuselvan S | 27
Arivuselvan is more than just a list of roles he has played. Admittedly, he is on a passionate journey to become the actor he has always aspired to be. “These past few years have been a whirlwind of theatre plays, short films, commercials, and even a brief stint in a renowned Tamil movie. But beyond the roles and scenes, what truly defines me is my unwavering love for the art of acting. It’s not just a job; it’s a calling, a way of life, and a journey of self-discovery. I like to say that ‘set & stage’ truly defines who I am, embodying my unwavering passion for the art of acting,” he says.
According to Arivuselvan, theatre found him when he was at a crucial point in his life, and it’s been a “game-changer”. “It’s not just a stage; it’s a profound platform that’s sculpted my acting skills and allowed me to explore opportunities I’d never have imagined. Theatre, for me, is like a vibrant canvas where I get to paint powerful and emotional stories. I have always learnt a lot from the theatre community in terms of discipline, scaling yourself, and physical fitness. I would say theatre is my best friend because only theatre has seen all my emotions,” he tells us.
Major productions
Arivuselvan has worked on The Father, directed by Denver Anthony Nicholas; Twisted Love, a musical; Incentive, directed by Sandeep John (finalists of Short & Sweet 2023); Rendum Onnum Naalu, directed by Raghavendar Ambarish; and Queen of the Nile, directed by Deandra Nicholas.
Upcoming projects
Arivuselvan’s future projects include Forgetting Christmas, Belle and Gaston, and an untitled play directed by Sriram.
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Changing face of theatre in Chennai
Theatre is a calling. Most experienced theatre artistes will tell you the same. Unlike other professions where you learn to adjust, with theatre, you explore. And the more an artiste explores, the finer his/her art becomes. Our list of 16 artistes, who have taken the theatre in Chennai by storm have, in their own way and through their individual experiences, shared what the stage means to them and why it is a love affair for life.
Interestingly, when the topic of discussion is theatre, one cannot miss mentioning about its changing face in the city, what with newer formats being experimented with. Like with everything else in life, there are pros and cons to this too. As V Balakrishnan, from Theatre Nisha points out, “Every play needs a good audience, and unfortunately, we have been seeing a loss in audience for theatre, for whatever reason that be — covid, the popularity of OTT, or people just not wanting to get out of their houses for this kind of a communion anymore. Now, when you do short format theatre, what happens is you are able to fit in 10-15 plays, or more, instead of having just one or two. So, that many number of plays bring in that much more audience.”
Talking about what makes the short formats popular, he adds, “I think short formats are becoming popular because it is bringing the audience in and hence, revenue. The second reason is that there are very less professional actors left in Chennai. And by that, I don’t mean only people who make money out of theatre, but also people who invest in theatre training on a day-to-day basis. That kind of quality acting, great acting, we see is diminishing. So, what is taking its place are quick fixes. Short format plays allow you these quick fixes. It is becoming more akin to a variety show, not that good material is not coming out of these formats, but it is a rare occurrence when it does. The loss of great performances because of lack of rehearsal space, money, or people coming in, or good auditoriums being able to support good theatre, what has happened is the short format is gaining from what is the loss of theatre as we know it.”
On the other hand, theatre writer and director Meera Sitaraman says, “I think the 10-minutes format is very interesting for the writer, director and actor. When it first came about, it stunned many because people wondered how does one compress action to 10 minutes? But, the journey since then has been wonderful. One has seen fantastic pieces of 10 minutes that have also gone on to become full-length plays later. In my opinion, short format is a great format to explore new ideas.”
When we talk about different formats of theatre, we cannot separate it from the different genres of theatre. “The change in the mindset of people, lack of investment into one’s own cultural ethos and roots; loss of inclination and disposition has resulted in formats that are short and quick; but the genres are being explored as much as possible. I just hope that does not diminish in nature,” says Balakrishnan.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
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