The Cat is Out

Playwright Siddharth Kumar and theatre director Sananda Mukhopadhyaya share a love for cats. So,when they worked together for a children’s play,In the Cat House,it was hardly surprising that a cat with magical qualities became the central character. “After being part of ‘Summertime’ at Prithvi as an actor for the past four years,this play is my crack at what I would like to see at the festival. The director and I share a strong passion for cats and we’re hoping to educate kids about felines and their behaviour through the play,” says Kumar. He has won rave reviews for his plays such as The Interview,which bagged META Award for Best Play,and Spunk,which was part of the Rage festival earlier this year.

This play marks the return of Le Chayim Theatre Productions after almost five years. Their last offering for the young audience was a play reading of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2007. The new play premiered at Prithvi Theatre on May 29 as part of Junoon’s Arts at Play festival. More shows of the play are lined up for June 9 and 10.

Mukhopadhyaya,who is directing her first professional play with this production,has the experience of teaching children drama. “The exciting aspect of my job as a drama teacher is that I get to be part of the child’s world almost as an equal. I am allowed to be at play with them. This,in itself,has been the biggest education for me,” she says. That experience made her work on a play that would explore the children’s world keeping it real,“not belittling them or cushioning the truth for them”.

The play is about a magical cat who creeps into a young boy’s room every night. However,the cat doesn’t seem to be too friendly initially. The play has an impressive cast with Abhishek Saha — who acted in Lafangey Parindey — as the protagonist,while Prerna Chawla,who got praise as a spunky prostitute in a recent play called Ok Tata Bye Bye,plays the cat.