What’s the latest at your IMAGO Acting School, that you would like to talk about?
We are in our ninth year. Our diploma (full-time) and certificate (part-time) courses are running full swing. The part-time course is a basic acting skills module for working people; while the full-time course is a more intensive programme for those who want to take up acting as a profession. We also run summer workshops for school children and a Young Actors Club which spans over six months of working with the same group. We have a Theatre-in-Education (TIE) company which works with drama teachers, school teachers and students. We will soon be bringing out A Handbook for Teachers published by Macmillan. Our focus has been integrating drama along with other academic subjects; and dispelling the notion that drama is a waste of time! And we have the Imago Theatre Group (ITG), which allows us to showcase the talents of those who have graduated from our programmes, by offering them opportunities to be part of mainstage theatre productions.
So what’s afoot at Imago Theatre Group (ITG)?
We have decided to dedicate our efforts to original work. We are working feverishly towards staging three plays in April 2006. Termed The Honey Trilogy the three individual plays are It’s All About Money, Honey; It’s All About God, Honey and It’s All About Sex, Honey. The dearth of playwrights has indeed created a vacuum and left us without recourse to readymade scripts. We do not as yet have any resident playwrights in our company. Hence the entire group has worked over the last four years to evolve three plays. This has taken a considerable amount of workshopping, discussions, improvisations and examining relevant issues that confront society and the world we live in. The focus at Imago is on the process and training.
What can audiences expect from The Honey Trilogy?
You will get the chance to see new faces on the Delhi stage—there are several talented actors debuting on stage, many of whom will hopefully go on to become successful actors in their own right. Then you get to see a range of original scripts which are rooted in contemporary reality. Each play is different from the other in its theme—tackling issues relating to religion, money and sex as experienced in India today. The plays are bilingual, using both English and Hindi as necessitated by the everyday Indian characters. And these are all ensemble pieces, giving scope to all to excel and shine, as well as fortifying our strong belief that teamwork is paramount, and that we can learn from one another.
What would you say is the current state of the English theatre?
Very promising from what the media would lead us to believe! There are an amazing number of "theatre festivals’ taking place all the time. All the press coverage and reports make it all seem so very exciting and happening. But personally I have not observed any significant improvements in either the quality or quantity of plays being churned out. It has still not become possible for theatre to be a professional option for those who want to make it their livelihood.
What challenges do you face as a teacher, director and producer?
As you know despite all good intentions and the sincerest of efforts it is difficult to produce a play without resources. The lack of an organized sponsorship scenario is something that really gives me heartburn. The lack of infrastructure in terms of performance spaces, non-availability of venues when we need them, soaring costs, dilapidated facilities; the list goes on and on.
So you don’t think theatre festivals are a good thing?
This endless string of festivals actually creates the sense of big events and lots of hype... it doesn’t necessarily improve the quality of theatre. A Mumbai-based corporate is organizing a theatre awards function to honour the best in theatre. But I feel the money being spent in reviewing plays all across the country, in inviting several groups to perform them for the function, hosting the expensive awards function, may be better utilized in training projects or funding individual groups to showcase their work.
Don’t you feel a theatre awards function will help further interest?
In some small way, yes, perhaps. It will become a media event. But it will certainly be interesting to see what is being awarded, and what value these awards will have in terms of these plays then having longer performance lives... as I said there are better uses to which the money could be put.
What are the challenges of running your own acting school?
We don’t have any choice in the students that we enrol. Hence there can be varying levels of foreknowledge and experience in a class. Also it is often very frustrating as all we have are short courses; by the time actors learn a few skills, the training period has ended. Imago Theatre Group (ITG) is an add-on, but it needs serious money to mount productions which have large casts. Many actors are keen to migrate to Mumbai after just three months... there is no short cut to learning acting; it needs hard work and long commitment.
Any current acting assignments?
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Nope.
Any character you would like to play?
King Lear... Prospero in The Tempest...
What did you think of the recent National School of Drama festival?
I wasn’t able to watch anything as we were busy mounting our own production. And of course all the tickets to the performances had been sold out!
What did you think of the recent National School of Drama festival?
I wasn’t able to watch anything as we were busy mounting our own production. And of course all the tickets to the performances had been sold out!
What would be your wishlist for theatre and the performing arts in India today?
That it is included along with the education system. That drama is embedded in school culture and the formal syllabus. It will make children more aware, more invigorated, they will have a stronger sense of culture, values and beliefs. Their imagination and creativity will not be stifled in the mechanical age that dominates. There could be more auditoria, more funding, more entrepreneurship in facilitating and supporting theatre work.
What would you regard as your most exciting moment in theatre?
Seeing each production evolve and get on to the stage is itself a terrific achievement and a reward in itself. Working with kids has been hugely satisfying and fulfilling. Working with the physically challenged is deeply rewarding. From the first play we did with street children, Jeevan Ki Gaadi in 1988 till now; such ventures are alwaysspecial.
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This article originally appeared in Delhi City Limits, February 15, 2006
