How I do a play is not as important as what I do with it," says Lilette Dubey, film and theatre actor and director of the play Wedding Album, which is all set to enthral city's theatre enthusiasts. The play, whose 40th show will open in the city on December 6 at Ishanya Amphitheatre, Yerawada from 7.30 pm onwards, will have theatre lovers digging deep into several layers while exploring various facets of marriage.Wedding Album, the first-ever contemporary play written by Girish Karnad, deals with the grim reality behind the picture perfect faces shining through marriage albums. "What we see in albums is the perfect, 'I am so happy' looks staring back at you. But the real picture is completely different. Though the play is a humorous one, it subtly brings to your notice what lies behind those smiles and what one goes through before the D-day," elaborates Dubey, whose 23rd directorial venture is all set to acquaint audiences with the very real picture of present day weddings.The age-old tradition of match making gets a new dimension in this era of technological advancement. The play vividly portrays the influence the modern day set-up has on the age-old tradition of marriage. "Though the girl in the play belongs to a small town, technology and new age communication tools play an important part in the whole process. The way the match is made will make people identify with the changes that have seeped into this tradition over time." In this Girish Karnad work, the match is fixed through video conferencing and the would-be-bride interacts with her prospective groom through that medium. For Wedding Album, Dubey has teamed primetime regulars Amar Talwar, Suchitra Pillai and Raaghav Chanana with new entrants such as Neena Kulkarni and Rajeev Paul. At 10, that's a big cast for Dubey, who's known to usually keep her team small. The play also has Dubey's second daughter Ira in the lead role. Ira, who is making her screen debut with Rohan Sippy's The President Is Coming is positive about the response for the play. "Pune has always been a paradise for theatre lovers and I expect a warm welcome," she says.While the mother will be busy directing another play written by Mahesh Dattani next year, the daughter will be acting for a couple of theatre productions. "I am not rushing into things; theatre has always been my first love but with films I am being selective," says the Yale graduate in Theatre Production.
