Theatre has lost its charm here

VADODARA, Aug 23: Though Vadodara may be known as sanskarnagari, for Arun Agnihotri, Artistic Director and Consultant of The Playhouse',...

VADODARA, Aug 23: Though Vadodara may be known as sanskarnagari, for Arun Agnihotri, Artistic Director and Consultant of The Playhouse8217;, the cultural capital of the state is not the ideal place for hosting serious plays.

The reason for the decline in the standard of plays, according to Agnihotri, was that there were no association of the theatre artists, which could serve as a platform for exchange of ideas and promote talented young people.

Theatre was not like modeling or acting on the silver screen, but was more serious, he stressed, adding that it needed a proper platform, which was definitely missing in the city.

Speaking about the inception of The Playhouse, Agnihotri said, 8220;It emerged as a place where people could be trained as amateur artists and where children could express themselves.8221;

In most places, children were made to be pose as guinea-pigs in the name of acting and made to do everything despite their disliking, he said adding that the problem with most parents was that they did not know how to spend time with their children and hence they engaged them in activities like painting, music and even theatre.

And the worst insult for a child, or even an adult, would be when they were told that they could not act, he said.

Theatre was serious business in the city about three decades ago, he said. 8220;But these days it does not take too much of an effort to become either a good playwright or a good director, as the television is ready to accept anything and so are the audience,8221; he alleged.

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8220;Today art is like junk food where you could go to a training centre lap up whatever you were taught,8221; he added.

According to Agnihotri, the intention of the group was not to bring any changes in the cultural scenario in the city, but to 8220;just create ripples in the vacuum pond.8221;

Talking about working with children, he said that it was easier to relate with them and get the best out of them. 8220;But even children these days are not allowed to express themselves freely as their thinking process is being dictated and mechanised,8221; regretted Agnihotri, who has been invited to participate in the World Congress of International Association of Theatre for Children at Norway.

Despite so many years in the profession, Agnihotri said, the group still faced teething problems like lack of funds and premises. 8220;At present we rehearse at Rosary school premises. But I am sure our logo, the three masks and the house, will definitely be a reality someday and we will have our own place to conduct the rehearsals,8221; added Agnihotri.

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