The NCPA with the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation presents the 4th edition of its 'Centrestage' Festival...15 premiering plays in four languages...
November 21, 2013 07:17:09 PM IST MTG editorial
The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in partnership with the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation is all geared up to present the fourth edition of its annual theatre festival Centrestage. From November 29 to December 8, 2013, the city of Mumbai will get a chance to watch 15 premiering plays in Hindi, Marathi, English and Gujarati, presented by theatre groups from across India. Apart from these new plays, NCPA will also present a workshop and an outdoor performance.
Three years ago, the NCPA, one of India's leading arts and culture institutions, rejuvenated the theatre scenario in Mumbai by introducing its first-ever, major, multi-lingual annual theatre festival of premiering plays - Centrestage. The festival aimed to create a platform for new and different works and encouraged the creation of new theatre groups. As a result, plays showcased over the last three editions of Centrestage, have performed at various prestigious national and international festivals and have won multiple awards and accolades. Some plays that premiered in the first edition are still running to full houses.
The fourth edition of Centrestage has an exciting mix of styles and genres ranging from family dramas with a twist to Gen Next love stories, from a Commedia Dell' Arte inspiration to an Alfred Hitchcock hat tip. This multilingual theatre festival will present 6 English, 1 Marathi, 1 Hindi, 3 Gujarati, 3 multilingual and 1 street play. Theatre groups such as Akavarious, Awishkar, Aranya, Utopia and Tram Theatre come back to the festival.Yatri, Pundalik, stand-up comedy group Schitzengiggles, Cartel, Jhoom enter Centrestage for the first time, while Evam visits from Chennai and Stagecraft from Nagpur.
The festival will commence on December 29 with a street play by the winners of the Waves Drama Contest at BITS, Pilani and will be followed by a presentation of Evam's play ALI J which delves into the many freedom struggles still underway in India. Entry to the street play, which will take place at the Sunken Garden at the NCPA at 6 pm, is free. Admission on a first come-first serve basis.
On November 30, two plays will be showcased: Tram Theatre Productions presents KHIDKI, the story of two girls looking into each other's lives through their windows and the playIT'S NOT WAHT YOU TIHNK! inspired by the Italian form of drama - the commedia dell' arte.
On December 1 are two plays,STATUS QUO which explores a love story in the time of technological overreach, while director Manoj Shah will bring a comic version of Romeo and Juliet set against a contemporary background in LAXMIPOOJAN.
On December 2, Awishkar Production will present the Marathi play PRAKARAN PAHILE by Sushama Deshpande.
On December 3, Stagecraft from Nagpur will bring an adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's nerve-stretching thriller ROPE based on Alfred Hitchcock's critically acclaimed, eponymous film.
A Schitzengiggles production on December 4, is THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE also known as THE COMPLEAT WRKS OF WLLM SHKSPR (ABRIDGED).This is a parody of the plays written by Shakespeare with all of them being performed in shortened form by only three actors.
Well-known actress Kalki Koechlin - co-writer and actor in the play - presents the audience with COLOUR BLIND-- a play based on Rabindranath Tagore's relationship with Argentinian writer Victoria Ocampo -- on December 5.
On December 6, Yatri will present TERI MERI PREM KAHANI, an unusual one-sided love story based on Harishankar Parsai's short story Das Din Ka Anshan.
With Akvarious Productions' COMMON PEOPLE on December 7 the festival moves on from litterateurs and small town India towards a more urban space. The play revolves around four people who are related but rather distant. On the same day Dharmendra Gohil Productions will present BLACKOUT a play which is based on a young couple going through a troubled phase in their marriage.
On December 8, the theatre group Utopia will bring suspense to the stage with MANCHHA, while stage actresses Suruchi Aulakh and Faezeh Jalali will step into the producer's arena with LADIES SPECIAL.
Speaking on the occasion, Deepa Gahlot, Head-Programming (Theatre and Film) says, "Over the years, NCPA has received overwhelming response, not only from the theatre community, but also from the audience. Centrestage has become one of the most awaited theatre festivals in the city and we promise to keep up to expectations by providing a platform to new and aspiring talent across India."
Speaking on their partnership with NCPA, Dr. Saryu Doshi, Trustee of the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation, says, "Centrestage is one of the landmark theatre festivals of Mumbai and we are extremely proud to be associated with NCPA. This initiative fits in very well with the Foundation's objectives of supporting the Arts. Over the years, NCPA has played the role of a catalyst in encouraging new creative work and in promoting theatre. Together, we are committed to bringing some of the best and brightest talent from across the country to the audiences."
Apart from the diverse fare of plays, Centrestage will also have a Workshop on December 7 & 8 conducted by Deepal Doshi on commedia dell'arte.
Box Office: October 26 for Members & October 29 for Non Members Call 66223724/ 66223754 to book tickets.
