In Perfect Tens

The masthead of the Short + Sweet Festival 2013 proclaims it to be the “Biggest Little Play Festival in the World” and it may not be exaggerating. An international concept that involves theatre groups presenting plays of 10-minute duration,the S&S — acronym of Short + Sweet Festival,since brevity is key here — arrived in India in 2010 to a warm welcome from stage players. Clearly,Indian playwrights could think small. The countdown begins to the fourth edition of the festival with a ‘Curtain Raiser’ at Akshara Theatre. “The Curtain Raiser is a presentation of the best S&S plays of the last two years and,along with the workshops that will take place from July 19-21,is supposed to inspire and encourage newcomers to participate in the main show in November,” says Sohaila Kapur,executive producer of the event.

The medley of 10 plays that will unfold on Saturday swing from intense emotional explorations to social commentary wrapped in fantasy. Dastan-e-mobile,directed by Mahmood Farooqui,plunges into the universe of handset makers,operators,app and content developers and cellphone users,while The Sum of your Experiences is a part-confessional and part-psychoanalytical interaction between a man and his memories. Unit Test is about three Class VI students,two of who have been caught cheating in their Science test,and the emotional storm that accompanies school exams.

The Short + Sweet 2013 Curtain Raiser will be held at Akshara Theatre on July 13. Time: 6.30 pm and 8 pm.

Tickets: Rs 200.