Mandi House Players

In NSD Repertory Company’s latest play,Virasat,the audience sits on four sides of the stage,so close to the action that they can almost dip their legs in a pool of water that’s central to the storyline. Adapted by former director of the National School of Drama (NSD),Anuradha Kapur,the three-hour-long play deals with events in and around a family in Vidarbha — a grim storyline since the region is today notorious for farmer suicides. The play by Mahesh Elkunchwar was staged from June 20 to 27,kick-starting the NSD Repertory Company’s 2013 edition of the Annual Summer Theatre Festival. (For those who have missed the play,it will be staged again around September).

“The festival has been going on for close to 30 years. We try to make these plays available to the public during the lean summer periods,when there is little else happening in Delhi in terms of art and culture,” says Deepak Wadhwa,Business Head of the Repertory.

From May 31 to June 2,NSD’s Sammukh auditorium will host Mohit Takalkar’s Comrade Kumbhkaran,in which Kumbhkaran is shown to be a pacifist,visionary and reviewer of history. Rajinder Nath’s Jaat Hi Pucho Sadhu Ki (June 15-17),on the other hand,is a satire revolving around the social and caste systems,with a focus on academics.

A nautanki titled Laila Majnu,by Anil Chaudhuri,and a story on Saadat Hassan Manto’s life,Dafa 292 ,directed by Anoop Trivedi,will be staged on June 12-14 and June 3-5 respectively. Chekov ki Duniya,which will close the festival from June 18-20,is collection of six short stories that draw inspiration from everyday,commonplace emotions as well as extraordinary circumstances.

The festival is on till June 20 at NSD and Kamani auditorium. Contact: 23383420