Coordinated by theatre person Ramu Ramanathan, Professor Raj Mohanty and IIT student, Ojas Vipat, the second IIT Mumbai theatre fest brings four select plays to be performed from 4th till 7th October 2007. Here’s your chance to enjoy some really good theatre. Don’t miss it!

Venue: P. C. Saxena Auditorium.
IIT, Powai
All shows at 8.30 or 9.00 pm.

4th OCTOBER (Thursday)

Arpana's KUTTE + BADE BHAISAHAB + MAHROOM KI YAAD MAIN....

KUTTE (15 mins).
Written by Pitrus Bokhari.
Performed by Pramod Pathak.

The man hates dogs … almost pathologically. They accost him on dark streets, keep him awake at night with their howling and barking, and more importantly, they presume to take on not just the personalities of their masters, but also their pretensions. A crazy take on dogs, and indeed our society, by one of the sub continent’s funniest writers.

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BADE BHAISAHAB (20 mins).
Written by Munshi Premchand.
Adapted and directed by Vinod Ranganath.
Featuring: Romi Jaspal and Girish Jain.

Written by the master of Hindi fiction Munshi Premchand, Bade Bhaisahab is a hilarious look at how two brothers are trying to come to terms with their education. The younger brother is fun-loving, fond of everything except studies, while the older is hard-working, disciplined and responsible. However, fate has some unusual twists in store for them before reconciling the situation.

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MARHOOM KI YAAD MAIN (40 mins).
Written by Pitrus Bokhari.
Directed by Ashutosh Datar.
With Romi Jaspal, Pramod Pathak, and Girish Jain.
Marhoom Ki Yaad Main (In memory of the martyr!) has been adapted for the theatre from a short story by the well-known Urdu humorist. Set in the 1950s, it deals with the travails of a young man who spends all his savings on the purchase of a bicycle. His dreams of gliding through town on his shining steed are shattered when the bicycle is not quite what he expected it to be.


5th OCTOBER (Friday).

Aranya's ILHAAM.... (80 minutes).
Written & Directed by Manav Kaul.
Production incharge: Kshipra Jain & Ayaz Ansari.
Sound: Choiti Ghosh.
Lights: Kavi.
Design: Choiti & Manav.
Produced by Soulitude.

A man… Standing on the edge…Eager to take that leap…into his childhood...Yet a fear holds him back...the fear of losing his past & present.

Because he remembers the boatman who was stoned out of the village for talking to a bird and the beggar whose beautiful songs nobody could hear.

Because, at least once, we have all called him mad. That half naked man who shambles down our street, clutching his whole life in a sack and muttering god-knows-what to himself.

Because he knows that those who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who couldn’t hear the music.

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6th OCTOBER (Saturday).

Dotted Line Production's THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT.... (100 minutes + short interval).
Written by Bill Banhoff.
Directed by Satyajit Sharma.
Cast: Kumud Mishra & Kanika Dang.
Designed by Dhirendra Dwivedi.

A play that tickles, alongside moments of pathos...
A play that questions, in a manner which is very endearing indeed. A light-hearted peep into one of the oldest wars ever ... and the warring parties in this case are none other than just a man and a woman!!
A dramatic rendition of a roller-coaster of a ride.

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7th October (Sunday).

Industrial Theatre Co Production's A NUMBER (60 minutes) ... PREMIERE SHOW
Written by Caryl Churchill.
Directed by Rehaan Engineer.
Cast: Vijay Crishna & Rehaan Engineer.
Lighting Design: Arghya Lahiri.

A NUMBER explores the issue of human cloning through the relationships between a father and his three sons. It is also a philosophical investigation into free will and the question of whether we are genetically or environmentally determined. As it begins, a son confronts his father with the startling knowledge that he has genetically identical counterparts and is merely one of "a number." Upon this topical foundation, Churchill shifts gears to engage in a penetrating, timeless inquiry aimed at the intersection of morality, nature versus nurture, and the very substance of love.

During the fest, theatre workshops for IIT students will be conducted by the indefatigable, Pramod Pathak. There's a session on 2nd October.

Contact persons:
Ojas Vipat.
Institute Dramatics’ Secretary.
IIT-Bombay
9869990980.

Prof Raja Mohanty
IDC-IIT
9820570198.

*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.