After a day of reading and talking plays, the Atelier Youth Theatre Week got ready with the real thing on Tuesday — productions by Delhi University college groups. The dramatic society of Khalsa College began the show with Aaj Bhi Kal Ke Jaisa Kyun Hai, a scathing commentary on the repeated terror attacks and violence-ridden social and political life. “I expected a small turnout because it was a weekday afternoon, but I was in for a huge surprise,” says Kuljeet Singh, festival director. The actors took the action all the way to the road, and a crowd of 150 followed their every move and dialogue. As the last dialogue, predicting bomb blasts across India in 2009, was spoken, several members of the audience found themselves voicing the play’s concern: “Aaj bhi kal ke jaisa kyun hai?”The festival, being held in partnership with The Indian Express, aims to highlight youth drama groups. The colleges that staged their shows on Tuesday were LSR, which enacted Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Shri Ram College of Commerce, which staged an original play called Aseem, Miranda House, which performed Iron, a psychological drama by Spanish playwright Rona Munro, and Khalsa College, which staged Jaayaz Hatyaare, an adaptation of Albert Camus’ Just Assassins. There was also a guest performance of The Indian Wants the Bronx by the Delhi troupe The Actor Factor Company. On Wednesday, watch Room Number 28: Kamra Khula Hai, a youthful play about three boys by Hindu College, Seven Steps Around the Fire, a Mahesh Dattani story enacted by Hansraj College, Kollage 70:30/20:30 by Maitreyi College and Miranda House’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, an adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 1981 novel. Chhaon Art Group, the guest troupe for day three, will present The Physicists.The plays will be staged at The Shri Ram Centre till November 27. Time: 1 pm onwards
