Overworked and underpaid8230;

The city's English theatre calendar for the coming month reads like this: Toni Patel's Oleanna is having its second and third shows, later t...

The city8217;s English theatre calendar for the coming month reads like this:

Toni Patel8217;s Oleanna is having its second and third shows, later this month.

Rahul da Cunha8217;s Six Degrees of Separation is moving from the Experimental theatre to the Tata theatre, at the NCPA.

Yasmina Raza8217;s Art 8212; which opened in January 8212; is still playing to a full house.

Given this flurry of activity 8212; there is a mad rush of new plays opening every month, while old plays seem to go on and on 8212; one would think that English theatre actors are a content lot. But no one knows better than these stage artistes that appearances are deceptive. They probably belong to one of the city8217;s most underpaid professions, getting anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 500 per performance 8212; much, much less than their Marathi and Hindi counterparts.

Which is why the city lacks a dedicated breed of full-time theatre professionals. Most actors, producers and directors have other full-time professions that pay thebills. The stage unfortunately is relegated to a part-time passion. The best examples of this second breed are Rahul da Cunha and Alyque Padamsee 8212; both of whom are actively involved in advertising. This weekend da Cunha8217;s I Am Not Bajirao will be staging its 84th show 8212; and despite the odds, its director is buoyant about the state of English theatre. quot;There are too many people who are passionate about it to let that happen,quot; he says.

And he8217;s right. Apart from directors like Toni Patel who is continuing to stage Oleanna, even though she is not hopeful of breaking even 8212; the burden of keeping English theatre alive and vibrant falls squarely on the actors. Patel8217;s two-character play about the power struggle between a man and a woman, is a prime example of this dedication. Her play stars Vijay Crishna, a well-known theatre personality who has acted in over a 100 plays.

This busy managing director of Godrej-GE Appliances sticks with stage for the love of it. quot;It helps me learn about life,quot;says Crishna. Which is why he tries to be involved in at least three to four plays every year despite a hectic schedule. quot;You do not get into theatre for the money 8212; you know you cannot make money from it,quot; adds Crishna. Avaan Patel, his co-star in Oleanna agrees. She pays her bills by doing voice-overs for radio and television but lives for theatre. Says she, quot;I could not survive without theatre. It is like breathing for me.quot;

But sometimes this breath is like a death rattle. quot;If we made more money we could concentrate more on theatre,quot; rues Avaan. Anahita Uberoi of Seascapes with Shark and Dancer seconds that opinion. quot;More money would make things a lot more disciplined,quot; she says. She too has taken the route of voice-overs and television to earn additional money. quot;Television has helped us, as it allows actors to earn their living through acting. Those who work in theatre believe it is the purest form of the craft. But no one can just stick to theatre, you have to have another source ofincome,quot; she says.

In the West, the struggle is the same but once you land a role, money starts to come in. Plays are done in blocks and actors get paid even for rehearsals. Add to that a normal play run of three months and your bills are taken care of for at least half the year. Says Sohrab Ardeshir, a theatre actor in the States who can be seen on Mumbai8217;s stage in Art and Six Degrees Of Separation, quot;It is a serious profession out there. And if you hit Broadway you can live on what you earn.quot;

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In India, most actors come to rehearsals after a hard day8217;s work 8212; tired and often not able to get under the skin of their character. But such is the resilience and love for their job, that the city8217;s stagehands have turned this to their advantage. quot;You can hold a normal job and act in a play as rehearsals take place either later in the day or during the weekends 8212; so anyone who wants can be a part of the industry,quot; says Anahita. And it8217;s this support to English theatre that fills the coming monthscalendar: Lilette Dubey8217;s Jaya; Aamir Raza Hussain8217;s Saare Jahan Se Achcha; Rahul da Cunha-Anahita Uberoi and Vikram Kapadia8217;s monologues; and at the end of the year da Cunha8217;s restaging of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Coat. Excitement and innovation continue to add drama to the stage.