Play a Part

Sans any sponsorships,Katha Manchan was staged last year with the efforts of friends,theatre lovers and audience. Empty envelopes were handed over at the entrance to those who came to see the play and it was left to them to contribute whatever they wished. “We had a small donation box and believe it or not,we collected almost Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 at the end of five days,’’ adds Ravi,as he hopes people will be more generous this year. Chekhov’s Darling,Premchand’s Quaidi among other stories,will be staged this year,with a team from Lucknow also a part of Katha Manchan.

Theatre director Sahib Singh who will also stage a story here feels contributions by the audience is a great way to get people directly involved in the process of staging a play and appreciating the effort. “It’s an age-old tradition in rural areas and continues to date. I ran a series,a play a month for a year,some years back,without any sponsors and with just the backing of the audience and it worked well,’’ says Sahib,adding that such a practice will promote quality and serious work. “Even if the cost of the auditorium is taken care of,a major burden is off our head,’’ adds Sahib. So the ‘last’ line of the festival is,‘let’s see if theatre is possible with the help of people.’

Watch the shows at Punjab Kala Bhavan,Sector 16,6.30 pm onwards.