What ails the Maharashtra State Theatre Competition?

The Maharashtra State Theatre competition that has scouted and provided the most talented actors, directors and technicians to the Marathi theatre for more than 50 years, is currently panting for breath of life and is in need of urgent resuscitation, urges Jayant Pawar.

Gone are the days when theatre lovers queued up for the tickets of the Maharashtra State Theatre competition. Gone are the days when theatre groups, big producers and stars vied to attend the finale of the celebrated competition - to catch them young - as it were. Gone, indeed, are the days when the entire theatre community looked forward to the new and innovative themes and forms, and the fireworks of nascent talent on display at this competition; when the finale would be taut with an electric tension of anticipation and there would be a ring of festive milieu.

It seems incredible that the Maharashtra State Theatre competition which once was the prime source of theatre talent for over 50 years is now relegated to the abyss of anonymity. It may be recalled that from the early sixties right up to the mid-nineties this competition was looked upon by new and upcoming theatre talent as the gateway to the world of professional theatre. From a tiny village in Konkan to an obscure town in Marathwada to the uber chic urban struggler from a big city like Pune - this competition was the entry ticket to the big stage!

But the whole scenario changes from the mid-nineties and the golden era of the competition came to an end. In order to rescue the crumbling edifice of the once magnificent monumental competition, a number of conferences and talks were held by leading theatre groups and the Ministry of Culture - but to no avail! The blazing question now is whether to let this mission fall apart or to help revive it. Participants from small towns complain about non-availability of venues for rehearsals. Others cite non-availability of state patronage as the root cause of this problem. The Ministry of cultural affairs has tried to make hasty amends by building huge theatres in district towns which end up as white elephants.

At the 54th chapter of the competition this year in Maharashtra, the first level of selections took place at 19 centres - 275 plays were registered - the number has dwindled from 350 -375 since the days of glory. Nonetheless, around 10 - 15000 theatre persons have been feverishly preparing for the competition. There is strong sense of anticipation and spirited wonderment associated with the fabled competition. Nowhere in the world is such theatre excitement seen ... yet it goes unnoticed. The apathy of the media towards this phenomenal event is also partly responsible for its dipping popularity.

Earlier, theatre enthusiasts would work full-time and after work gather around and rustle up scripts and conduct rehearsals, raise funds from their own pockets and produce plays for this competition. However, since the privatization of the job market - employees are left with no 'spare time' to invest in their passion of play-acting! With mounting competition from films, television and now the internet - the theatrewallahs anyways find themselves cornered. But then, where there is a problem - there is always a solution.

In my opinion, the foremost step would be to get today's theatrewallahs out of the shadow of film and TV format thinking. In order to broaden their tunneled vision, residential workshops with theatre stalwarts like Vijaya Mehta and Kamlakar Sontakke will have to be organised. Theatre minds will have to break free from the confines of the four walled theatre and the wings - they will have to think of free form - wherein plays could be put up under the blue skies, out in the open without any boundaries. Also theatre veterans will have to volunteer and take out time for this worthy cause. As for the new and promising theatre workers - they will have to invent a whole new syntax to suit the demands of time and technology. The government on its part can make convertible venues for accommodating innovative forms of drama, instead of commissioning ugly concrete structures to keep their muster in order! The creative urge of the human mind has redefined the course of arts and culture. I am sure, if we were to put our heads together and work from our hearts - the solution is definitely at hand.

The original article in Marathi by Jayant Pawar has been translated by Deepa Ranade.