''Breaking boundaries: Working outside comfort zones'': A 'Mumbai Local' session with Atul Pethe...
November 17, 2016 12:04:24 PM IST MTG editorial
When most of us go to watch a play, it is to unwind, be entertained, be transported into a different world. Theatre on the stage often lives up to that promise.
But, what happens when theatre leaves the stage and travels to the villages? Is it a response to a changing social scenario? What if a theatre group consisted of kisaans, mazdoors and activists instead of theatrewallahs? Could theatre be a way to give a voice to the voiceless?
Atul Pethe, anacclaimed actor, writer and director spent his first 15 years performing experimental work on proscenium stages; the latter part of his theatre journey was a clear response to the changing ethos of the 90s. It was at that time that Atul began to perceive theatre as a powerful medium for change. Taking his theatre on-ground, into villages, addressing the villagers and connecting with socio-political issues, he set forth to see what a theatre person could do in these radically changing times.
Atul has no theatre group of his own. His theatre is run by the people - people from different communities; people who want to speak out, people who want to be heard. Atul will share his experience at this 'Mumbai Local' session. He will let you in on how he responds to change and why his theatre responds the way it does. He has even devised a new form of theatre" 'Ringan Natya', as a protest, after Dr. Narendra Dabholkar’s brutal assassination.
