SPOTLIGHT: NCPA Centrestage

NCPA CENTRESTAGE THEATRE FESTIVAL

As NCPA’s first theatre festival, NCPA Centrestage will premiere plays in four languages. The idea behind the festival is to take the NCPA’s role to the next stage — initiate new work by the best theatre groups in the city and country, to be followed next year by in-house productions and bringing in global groups, exposing Mumbai’s audiences to the best of national and international theatre. Some of the best groups from Mumbai and Pune will be premiering plays at the festival.

BOLLYWOOD KA SALAAM 

Hindi play; duration: 140 min with interval

The play is based on the era of Black & White cinema stretching from the late 40s to 50s. Inspired by some famous films mixed, scrambled and amalgamated into a story, the play will be predictable and yet so novel, with some interesting sets and costume design, the highlight being the music.

Written and Directed by NADIRA BABBAR

Cast: Juhi Babbar, Santosh Tiwari, Ankur Parekh, Kajli Sharma, Amit Pathak, Mithiliesh Mahar and many more

Produced by Ekjute

Ekjute has pioneered various forms of theatre since its formation in 1981 under the able guidance of Nadira Zaheer Babbar. Ekjute has set trends and standards in doing and projecting good and meaningful theatre. It has been recognized as a leading Hindi theatre group performing many excellent plays of various forms in several parts of India as well as abroad.

AAJ RANG HAI

Hindustani play; duration 120 min with interval

In a small town in Madhya Pradesh stays Beni, a baithak singer of the erstwhile riyaasats. She once ruled over the hearts of many a king but now retired, rules over the nukkad of her muhalla and its inhabitants. Beni may not be very educated but she dips into the treasure trove of her knowledge of history of Indian classical music and comes up with interesting vignettes to underline her statements and the subject of her vignettes inadvertently becomes Hazrat Amir Khusrau and this then provides the backdrop through which we embark upon a journey of discovering Hazrat Amir Khusrau, his philosophy, his music and his poetry.......

Hazrat Amir Khusrau's work will be performed by traditional qawwals of Lucknow, Haider Baqsh and Party.

Written By: Purva Naresh, Vijay Naresh

Directed by: Gopal Tiwari, Purva Naresh with Seema Pahwa / Ehlam Khan, Trishla Patel / Ratna Bali Bhattacharjee, Ali Fazal, Imran Rashid, Pritika Chawla, Prerna Chawla, Pawan Uttam and others.

Produced by T Pot Productions & Aarambh

T Pot Productions is a new group started by popular actress, director and playwright, Trishla Patel.  Their first play Kumbh Katha was very well received. Aarambh is a new group started by writer, dancer, choreographer and actress Purva Naresh.

KAREENA PACHHI KON?

Gujarati play; duration 120 min, with interval

The three-character comedy-drama focuses on Hasmukh Hathi, a screenwriter who has abandoned his family in Bhavnagar 16 years earlier. Presently, he is suffering from an acute case of writer's block... leading to futile but funny spats with his adoring girlfriend Mary-ben. One fine morning, his 19-year-old daughter Neha arrives at the Pali Hill home’s doorstep of her father she barely remembers, convinced he can jumpstart her acting career in Bollywood that she so desperately desires.

Based on I Ought To Be In The Pictures By Neil Simon

Adapted by: Sitanshu Yashaschandra

Directed by: Kamlesh Mota with Pulkit Solanki, Namrata Pathak and Aishwariya Mehta

Produced by Manhar Gadhia Productions

Manhar Gadhia Productions has been performing shows since the last 15 years and is committed to presenting quality theatre to Mumbai audiences.

THE INTERVIEW 

English play; duration 90 min

A bright, young man, holding his resume close, waits nervously at the reception of one of the country's largest corporations. Moments later he is called in for his job interview. But nothing he learnt in college, university or his last few jobs has prepared him for what comes next -- perhaps the most unusual and challenging hour of his life. But he's keen to make it through this. After all, it is a job to die for.

Written By Siddharth Kumar

Directed by Akarsh Khurana with Karan Pandit, Amrita Puri, Kashin Shetty, Tariq Vasudeva

Produced by LeChayim Productions

LeChayim Productions was born in 2006 with Confessions, a darkly comic thriller based on the award winning play, The Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh. The play opened at Thespo, and went on to win awards for Best Play, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. In 2007, LeChayim opened Damages, a witty drama set in a newspaper office, written by Steve Thompson. This also opened at Thespo and won an award for Best Actress.

 TICHEE SATRA PRAKARNE (Seventeen Scenarios of Her)

Marathi play;  duration 120 min with interval

Tichee... is not a linear narrative. The 'scenarios' between unnamed speakers in unspecified locations, take various implied forms, all trying to pin down the nature of an unseen central character: A Woman. The play is partly an exercise in examining the way words on a page create 'reality' on the stage and the way that directors and actors assign meaning to dialogue.  This new production is a piece of theatre created by the collaboration of four young directors, active and vibrant on the experimental theatre scene and their actors finally contributing to one thematic thread.

Based on MARTIN CRIMP’s Attempts on her Life

Directed By Sarang Sathaye, Aalok Rajwade, Varun Narvekar & Nipun Dharmadhikari

Cast: Anita Date, Mrinmayee Godbole, Parna Pethe, Rupali Bhave,  Renuka Daftardar, Saylee Pathak, Amey Wagh, Sagar Deshmukh and others

Produced by Aasakta

Aasakta is one of the leading Marathi experimental theatre groups. Aasakta's core strength is, undoubtedly, its talented and motivated members who are pivotal players in its growth and success. They have produced several Marathi plays, performed in several cities across India as well as at national and international festivals. Apart from the several awards that they have won at various competitions throughout their journey, Aasakta has received accolades from audience and critics alike.

LIFE THROUGH THE SONGS WE LIKE: Songs of Love, Laughter, Loss and Longing

English play; duration 80 min

When Sid is invited to lunch at his wife’s best friend’s apartment, he is surprised to find that there are things about her past that threaten to destroy their marriage. Through an intense afternoon of judgmental counter accusations between the two of them, his wife’s past is revealed through poignant songs sung by her that expose the emotions she has withheld for five years of their marred life. Get set to experience an eclectic evening with fifteen exciting songs woven into dialogue for almost every emotion that you’ve felt in your life at some stage or another.

Written and Directed by DELNA MODY

Cast: Delna Mody, Gary Richardson, Dodo Bhujwala, Kersi Gazder

Produced by The Orange Dingy Theatre Company

The Orange Dinghy Theatre Company is committed to providing its audience with a theatrical experience that forces one to see things that the practicalities of everyday life seem to cover. To function as society wills, we are conditioned to hide our vulnerability and our most basic need to reach out and be loved. This theatre company feels compelled to unravel hidden lives with their myriad frustrations and disappointments. Of people battling the odds against them with persistence to either win or fail. Most of all, to accept the beauty of imperfection and carry on without burdensome pretentions to the fullest, most passionate ideal that life has to offer.

CHAKRA

Non-verbal play; duration 70 min

Chakra is the struggle of the ancient man. Set in a pre-historic era, it gives an insight in a fantastic way into the life of the pre-historic man, the way he evolved, his battle to survive, his hunger to explore and learn, which has never diminished. It fantasises about the invention of the wheel, the importance of which he might not even have realized at the time. Chakra does not use any language at all, as it is set in a period in which man did not even know language. The minimal dialogues are spoken in gibberish. The play is completely a music and dance oriented performance. It is the story of a lifecycle, the story of evolution, discovering human emotions, which has helped man see the light of the 21st century.

Written by ABHAY MAHAJAN & AALOK RAJWADE

Directed by ABHAY MAHAJAN

Cast: Siddharth Menon, Madhura Jugade, Abhay Mahajan, Om Bhutkar, Soumitra Gapchup, Siddhesh Purkar, Ruddhi Vichare, Aditi Dravid and others

Produced by Natak Company

Natak Company is made up of a group of enthusiastic and free spirited youngsters who have played an active part in the Pune thespian scene for the past few years. Natak Company has been formed with a view to performing plays which are honest and different and which will appeal to both the masses as well as to the eclectics. Their motivation being passion and the urge to perform something that deviates from the usual. With milestone plays like Geli Ekvees Varsha which has toured Italy twice to perform in International Theatre Festivals, Dalan, Zaade Laawnaara Manus, Don Shoor and many others to their name, they are confident that their ventures in the future will also bear the magic that these plays.

PUNASHCHA HONEYMOON (Second Honeymoon)

Marathi play; duration 120 min with interval

A couple getting into mid-life tries to rediscover their relationship by revisiting the place they had gone for their honeymoon. They try to recreate the original freshness which seems to be slipping out of their hands.

Written and Directed by SANDESH KULKARNI

Cast: Sandesh Kulkarni, Amruta Subhash

Produced by Samanvay

Samanvay, Pune was started in 1992 by theatre enthusiasts from Satyadev Dubey's workshop; Samanvay has provided space for passionate theatre activists. Over the years Samanvay has grown and participated in theatre activities all over the nation. It has done new plays starting from senior playwrights like Vijay Tendulkar, Mahesh Elkunchwar, Shyam Manohar, Makarand Sathe, Jayant Pawar to the younger breed of playwrights too. The plays are critically acclaimed and staged at different festivals all over India.

MEERA

Gujarati play;  duration 75 min

Meera is an attempt to showcase the life of an iconic saint-mystic in a completely different perspective.  History has known Meera as a saint-poet with a deep spiritual affection for Lord Krishna. However, what has remained unsung is the saga of courage and progressive social transformation, her defiance of social norms of the time and revolutionary ideas that have inspired women over the centuries. She is relevant today—her teachings, her love, her worship and her principles still hold true. The play revisits the poetry and music of Meera to explore how they form an integral part of contemporary Indian literature and ethos.

Written by HEMA DESAI & SNEHA DESAI

Directed by DHARMENDRA GOHIL

Cast: Neha Mehta and Bhamini Gandhi

Produced by Dharmendra Gohil Productions

This new group kicks off at Centrestage with a new production of Meera.  Dharamendra Gohil has acted in famous plays like Mareez, Amarfal, Apurva Avasar, and many more under the banner of Manoj Shah's Ideas Unlimited.

OEDIPUS REX BY SOPHOCLES

Hindi-Urdu play; duration 85 mins

The play uses Kallaripayattu, after training the actors under Kallari Guru Balraaj, and also Chhau Bol, to create distinctive music for the play with the use of different objects like bamboo, wood pieces, metals etc. The play is multilingual in mostly English, Hindi and Marathi with lots of video projections.

Oedipus Rex is a Greek classic by SOPHOCLES

Directed by BIJON MONDAL

Cast: Bijon Mondal, Divya Jagdale, Meenal Kapoor, Kulvinder Bakshish, Pavitra Sarkar, Harish Aggarwal, Aarifa Bhinderwala, Sukant Goel, Satyendra Kumar

Produced by Ranga Theatre

Formed by Bijon Mondal, Ranga Theatre has done successful productions, Karna, Pi and Andha Yug using music and traditional dance forms.

HAATH KA AAYA... SHUNYA

Hindi play;  duration 85 min

The play runs three parallel stories.

The first….. Woven around the idea of domestication is about our tendency to put a naal or horse-shoe on a wild beast to make him a domestic mount. A couple in domesticity…traversing through time as the naal gets tighter and tighter around their feet.

The second….Two people choosing to exist separately. They sit in the audience, separately. And from sitting separately, they move towards life separately.

The third…Three blind people in endless wait. They weave stories. And search for a sighted leader to come along.

Written & Directed by MANAV KAUL

Cast: Nagesh Bhosle, Kumud Mishra, Geetanjaki Kulkarni, Nimrat Kaur, Choiti Ghosh, Ajitesh, Trimala Adhikari, Umesh Jagtap, Ghanshyam Lalsa and others

Produced by Aranya

Aranya was formed in the year 2003 by a group of friends. Coming from different backgrounds, each person in this group has been associated with theatre for the last 10-12 years and produced several award-winning plays like Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane, Peele Scooterwala Aadmi, Ilhaam and Park.

REBECCA

English play; duration 120 min with interval

A spell-binding blend of mystery, romance and suspense. Set in Manderley, an ancient, imposing house, the play is about Max de Winter who returns home with a new young bride. His first wife, Rebecca, died in suspicious circumstances a year earlier but her spirit affects much of what takes place at Manderley. Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper, who idolised Rebecca, cannot accept this intruder and is determined to ruin the marriage. Will it survive her meddling and the revelations about what really happened on the night Rebecca died?

Based on the classic novel by DAPHNE DuMAURIER

Adapted for the stage by CLIFFORD WILLIAMS

Directed by MEERA KHURANA

Cast: Dilshad Edibam, Tahira Nath, Hidaayat Sami, Pavitra Sarkar, Aseem Hattangady, Adhaar Khurana, Aahana Kumra, Faisal Rashid, Diyang Thakkar, Lucky Vakharia and Akash Khurana

Produced by Akvarious

Akvarious Productions was founded by noted actor (film and theatre), screenwriter and director Akash Khurana in the early 90s. Its purpose was to groom and promote new talent in the fields of screenwriting and theatre.  Since 1997, the founder’s son, Akarsh Khurana, has spearheaded Akvarious. In the last 10 years, Akvarious has staged over 25 plays covering a wide range of genres and languages and won several awards.