Full house

“Social and intellectual theatre is great,but to become commercially viable,theatre has to offer pure entertainment that the middle class and the youth can relate to,” he says. Both Leena and he have participated on stage since college and were disappointed to see empty seats in Delhi auditoriums. On their drawing board are plans to use database marketing,online ticketing and radio and print advertisements,as well as sponsorships to ensure that theatre professionals do not work for a pittance.

“Theatre has to be seen to be a medium in which actors can make money,” says Kinger,an assistant professor of Finance at IILM in Gurgaon. Manchrang,formed in July,sent out notices calling for “short story-based plays which are entertaining and redefine theatre”. Fifty-six groups from the NCR,Pune,Mumbai and Bangalore responded and four acts were shortlisted,all from the NCR. “Four plays will be staged,all from a different genre. At the end,the audience will decide the winner,” Hans adds.

Veteran Manish Joshi Bismil’s group will stage Hum to aisey hi hain. Dilli ke Dramebaaz,a group of corporate professionals,will follow with a spoof on the news media. Lokesh Jain will stage his acclaimed Akkarmashi while the final act will be an amateur troupe of Delhi University students.

In gaps between hectic meetings with sponsors and stage hands,Hans allows himself a moment of fear: “It is perfectly normal to be nervous. But if you never try,you would never find out what could have happened.”

Manchrang will be held at Kamani Auditorium on October 3 at 5.45 pm