17th Anniversary Special: What happens on stage does not remain on stage!

Theatre is for the ‘mad ones’, they say, and that’s a complete story in itself. Those who are mad enough to chase the stage; those who believe theatre is synonymous to breathing; those that ‘cannot’ not do theatre! It’s either this, or you move on. For the ‘mad ones,’ the latter isn’t even a choice.

As Indulge celebrates its 17th anniversary and raises a toast to sustainability, we take a look at how theatre in Chennai has survived and sustained itself over the years. And this wouldn’t be possible without speaking to the ones whose passion for the stage and the art transcends times and the many challenges they bring.

As prominent theatre personality and founder of Theatre Nisha, one of the most revered theatre groups in Chennai, V Balakrishnan puts it, “Theatre has endured with the same flair and confidence as it did in 500 BC. Yet, many theatre practitioners have struggled to withstand the demands of the craft, the harsh realities of economics, and the shifting preferences of audiences. On that sombre note, I realise that I’ve now spent 30 years in theatre. From Premchand’s Godan (Hori was its stage adaptation) in October 1994, to Shivani ‘Gaura’ Pant’s Binnu at Natrani, Darpana (Ahmedabad) in October 2024. In this time, I’ve written around 20 plays, directed and acted in over 250, and worked with thousands of acting students.”

To survive in theatre for 30 long years is no mean feat. “How did I survive?” asks Bala (as he is fondly called), then explains, “From the very beginning, I was captivated by the idea of the actor’s supremacy and the power of their body. I have always believed — and still do — that a good actor needs no adornment, only embodiment. This was not to negate pecuniary demands; it was about exploring and exposing the visceral and emerge with the deepest intuitive response. It had its tough ramifications too, with festival curators not finding my work colourful enough, or too naked, but there were others who saw the work for its honesty and intensity, who were sensitive enough to know, hundred lights and garish costumes don’t make a play. I learnt that a play has to be between people (actors and the audience), and I never wanted embellishments to get in the way. I think we sustained because of our beliefs and refusal to pander to what was ‘successful’.”

With that Bala also promises that he will “continue to strut and fret my hour upon the stage, and when I am heard no more, I hope that all the sound and fury will have signified something meaningful.”

As Bala’s words linger in our ears, dawning upon us how theatre is life, a replica of the greater lives we live every day — as they say, art is life and life is art — we are reminded of the changes theatre has witnessed in Chennai. From newer formats being introduced, fresh subjects experimented with, to newer ways of telling a story, this city has seen quite a lot, but is that enough? Playwright, theatre director and translator Gowri Ramnarayan, tells us, “The only thing that has helped Chennai theatre to survive is the passion of the actors, directors, writers, backstage crew, and everyone who helps theatre, even the one making a cup of tea. The fact is, you don’t make a name in theatre. You don’t make money in theatre. It’s a very precarious existence. And I am talking about serious theatre. You ask anybody down on the street and find out how many plays they’ve seen. They may not even be aware that plays are being staged in the city! One is not able to fill every play in theatres which can hold only 150 people!”

In her opinion, what’s lacking is the support from audience and patrons. “It’s not that you don’t get any support. I myself, have had some tremendous support from patrons, but it’s not consistent. How many associations make it their job to present theatre on a regular basis around the year? I’m not blaming anyone, because one needs to also understand what do the sponsors get out of supporting your play? It’s no use saying that you don’t have enough number of plays; you don’t have enough number of theatre groups; they don’t last very long and their quality is not so good... it’s a catch 22 situation really,” Gowri argues.

At this point, we ask Gowri, after all these years in theatre, has she been able to decipher why theatre, though revered and respected, does not receive the support it needs, and she says, “Not really, but my conjecture is that, when you think of serious theatre, it demands a great deal from the audience. It’s not like you’re watching someone beautifully dressed and performing to exquisite music and moving in a very aesthetic and lovely manner, as it happens during a musical performance. Theatre, if you’re doing serious theatre, is really meant to disturb you. But how many people want to be disturbed? Yes, it’s a contemporary form of art where, even if you’re doing a play about some Greek hero, a subject taken from history or mythology, your purpose is not to present it as it is perceived in the traditional way. You are trying to deconstruct it and bring something new, which disturbs you. And how many people want to be disturbed? That’s my question.”

We find ourselves pondering over the rhetoric that Gowri raises, when we are presented with another chain of thought as if to take the plot forward. Actor, playwright and director Sunandha Raghunathan tells us that theatre in Chennai is a lot different than theatre in Delhi or Mumbai where one ‘can’ make money as a theatre actor, but here, it’s not the case. “In that sense, as an actor, theatre in Chennai is not sustainable. That’s my opinion,” she says. However, delving deep into what may have helped it survive, she points out that of late, anthologies are being curated around one theme. For example, Chennai Art Theatre’s Erotica or the Men’s Monologue. “Curators are betting on these anthologies because they are hoping that by providing different perspectives on the same theme, they can arouse a curiosity in the audience to come to the theatre. I suppose it’s a little bit like social media. But, as a creator (since our attention span has shortened), I have to resort either to a spectacle (which is why I see this rapid increase in the use of violence) or physical prowess, to capture the attention of the audience,” she explains.

Having said that Sunandha also believes that theatre does not need anything to keep up with the times; “It has survived radio, TV, and social media! Because we are just telling stories and stories are never going to go out of fashion. But to be sustainable, and keep up the pace from a business point of view, curators and creators will have to ensure seats are filled and that’s why we are looking at catering to the audience’s needs. But I want to mention here that I have watched Ponniyin Selvan on stage (a massive two-and-a-half hours long play) and Shakespeare’s 5 Act plays (definitely long) where there is a spectacle but with a story. So in my opinion, I don’t think a shorter format is going to be necessarily the thing that saves theatre. A good story does and will always do.”

In Chennai, theatre has been existing for more than 70 years, actor/director/choreographer Denver Anthony Nicholas from Poochu’s Productions, tells us. “I worked with the Madras Players, who are about 70 years old. I have been around for the past 25 years myself and yes, I have seen theatre companies come and theatre companies go, but there’s always a fresh group, new productions — that keep coming up despite the ‘well-known’ financial hurdle that theatre faces. So how do we sustain? I think everyone has their own format to navigate the challenges. At Poochu’s, we continuously keep doing shows so that we’re able to rotate whatever money we get from our ticket sales. Sometimes, we do get lucky with a corporate sponsor but most often, we don’t. The other most important thing is to be relevant, which actually is quite consuming, but at the same time, very necessary,” he shares.

Poochu’s is well-known in the city for some good musicals and anthologies, but we are pretty sure it comes at a huge cost. “Yes, it does. We recently staged Grease at The Music Academy, which is quite an expensive affair. But when you want to perform at a bigger stage like The Music Academy, you obviously can’t just use a table or a chair or sofa as props; you have to create a set. And that happens when you are doing a full-length play. What we do is, we consciously choose that one play we would want to stage on a bigger platform, amongst the 10 productions we do in a year, so as to bring in the money.”

Denver is also grateful for the Short+Sweet Theatre Festival, something that has changed the way theatre is perceived, in Chennai. Short+Sweet brought in the short format and opened up a huge space for so many theatre practitioners. “Earlier, it was very elite, in the sense that you could only do full-length plays, and you had to be part of a Madras Players, or a Stage Fright or Theater Nisha, or a Perch, ASAP Productions, or a Nicholas Productions, or Avon. So there were a handful, and I’m talking only about the English speaking theatre. But now, you’ve got more theatre enthusiasts,” he reasons.

The forms of theatre, as we just mentioned, have been changing. You have the 15 minute format, 10 minute format, 5 minute, and even 1 minute! “And yes, because these are short plays, your sets are reduced down to blocks. It is reduced down to a table or a chair. And that saves a lot of cost. Plus, shorter formats, or a festival like Short+Sweet, allows people to write their own plays, and in doing so, it is providing a more creative space for people to put down their ideas and bring them alive on stage, as opposed to relying on someone else’s thoughts and ideas that have already been published,” Denver further explains, before stating, “I think the city needs to get more and more festivals because it’s the only way more theatre practitioners will get to do what they want to do, because, of course, theatre is a very risky business.”

When Short+Sweet is being discussed, how can we not bring in the festival director Meera Krishnan, who tells us, “With people’s attention span becoming less and less, thanks to social media, the short format plays really help and add more variety, bring in more audience; this is what we have noticed at Short+Sweet . It also allows people to try out new genres and venture into acting and direction.” Meera, however, agrees, “Of course, short formats cannot bring the experience that full-length plays do. They are never going out of fashion.”

To the stage and its practitioners, hats off.

Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com

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