Drama by the Park

With Prithvi Theatre’s calender being choc-a-bloc for most part of the year and National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) charging a steep rent,Naseeruddin Shah,for some years,has been looking for an alternate space to stage his plays. This search has led him to the spacious Veer Sawarkar Smarak auditorium,opposite Shivaji Park in Dadar. For one week — it started on Sunday and will be on till April 29 — his theatre group,Motley,will present their work. The festival will feature some of the group’s popular plays — Ismat Apa Ke Naam,The Caine Mutiny Court Martial,Kambakth Bilkul Aurat and Waiting For Godot.

In the past,Motley has performed multiple plays at Mysore Association in Matunga East,Karnataka Sangha in Matunga West,and King George School’s auditorium. None of these places have brought the desired audience. “At King George High School,only Waiting for Godot had a full house. May be that’s the only play people were more aware of,” says Shah. The not-so-encouraging footfall at these shows apart,Motley also faced other irritants,such as lack of parking space. The management of Veer Sawarkar Smarak is keen to develop this place — popular for hosting marriage receptions and corporate events — as a hub of theatre activities. Shah too,is hopeful. While being so close to Shivaji Park may prove to be a boon,he is not expecting instant results. “This is still a shot in the dark. Irrespective of the ticket sale,we will keep coming back,” says Shah,who is also trying out a new show time — each play starts at 8 pm. “Setting the show time can be dicey. When Prithvi started the 9 pm shows,people thought it was too late. Hopefully,8 pm schedule will give office-goers enough time to reach for the show and not be late for dinner,” he says.

Shah,however,has a caveat for those who are looking for “just entertainment”. “The plays are demanding and can’t be termed as ‘simplistic’,” says Shah. However,whatever be the result,he makes a promise: “We will give our best performance. And that’s the best we can do.”