The oldest English theatre group in India, The Madras Players, collaborates with Chennai Art Theatre to present their latest play, Dear Omana: Notes of how to be a Literary Sensation. A play by Krishna Shastri Devulapalli, adapted and directed by Nikhila Kesavan, we catch up with the latter to find out what is in store for the audience. “The play is a satire on the literary field and publishing industry. But I think people from most walks of life will be able to relate to Krishna’s struggles,” promises Nikhila, who is also acting in this two-character play where theatre artiste V Sarvesh Sridhar is the protagonist, who is well established in the theatre circuit with nearly 250 performances under his belt.
The plot is based on the exchange of letters between a struggling writer, Krishna Devulapalli and the bestselling author Omana Banerjee. This play is an amalgamation of an epistolary play written by Krishna Shastri Devulapalli and sections from his book, How to be a Literary Sensation. “Sarvesh and I have been reading and discussing various versions of the script from late 2020. We started actual rehearsals from April this year,” says Nikhila, who has directed and acted in plays for the past two decades. While Nikhila agrees that it was a challenge to act and direct at the same time, she says, “But it has been enjoyable for two reasons. This is a two-character play, so my responsibilities as a director are fewer. And Sarvesh and I have worked together in the past, so as a co-actor he is quick to understand what I require as the director. I was not my first choice as Omana. But, in retrospect, I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to play such a fun character.”
The play runs for 60 minutes and will be staged on June 18 at 7.15 pm and June 19 at 4.15 pm and 7.15 pm (three shows in all) at the Alliance Française of Madras. Donor Passes at Rs 300.
- Sabrina Rajan