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Every Play An Adaptation

February 2, 2004 12:00:00 AM IST
Purva Desai

Dearth of originality seems to consume the theatre industry, or more specifically, some sections of the theatre industry. Several questions come to mind when one section of the theatre industry does better than the other. Marathi theatre is booming, with playwrights working diligently on new scripts, and fresh talent coming to the surface. Marathi playwrights are the source of inspiration for various plays. Be it English, Hindi or Gujarati. Almost all plays are adaptations of not only Marathi playwrights, but also of Gujarati, Hindi and English playwrights. To enact favorite plays is all together a different issue. But why is suddenly every other play an adaptation? Is the hunt for creativity dying or dead? Is it because there is no money in theatre? Is hard work not rewarded? Isn't creativity being culminated to the fullest? Why is there a vacuum in the theatre world? Some adaptations are brilliant, Sometimes ideas are taken from original scripts and plays, and a new play is born.

But it would be some much better to give creation to novel ideas. Audiences can only be receptive to these new ideas, if theatre is communicative. Often, we as audiences are blamed for not being adaptive to new themes, and plays. But plays have to be within a certain context that we can associate ourselves with. Give us the lead and we'll follow. Not blindly, but with a new understanding. We are ready for more, but challenge us. We can adapt to any sort of communication, but provide us with good form. The emphasis on audiences is more so, because ultimately, failure is blamed on us. We are not smart enough to understand the progressions of the human mind that transpire within an actor, within the play. As audiences, we need to be moulded by good theatre, we need to be built. Coming back to where I started, good theatre is becoming repetitive. New talent, more sponsors and more publicity might just be the answer to fill the void. Maybe then, theatre will consume us whole!

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