You go for a theatre show, watch the programme, finish it off with a round of applause and get up to bid farewell to the room. That’s routine. Let’s try something different. With Lives of Others, you enjoy an evening of poetry and a short play, followed by a participatory workshop after the interval. In addition, you also get access to view a technical run of the show.
Written by Samar Sarila, it depicts the less than perfect modern life. It’s a reality check knocking at the door. “The story captures unhinged emotions reaching palpable heights of intensity whilst dealing with the gentler matters of loss and consequence,” Sarila tells us.
Lives of Others talks of two sets of relationships on the threshold of breakdown. The first dives into the familial discord between mother and son and the incoherent emotions bubbling up. The second follows the story of a couple caught in the midst of a bitter dispute, unable to find a common ground, trying to save whatever’s left of it.
Through ambiguity, it seeks to leave the viewer wondering whether the gulf between them can ever be bridged, Sarila believes. “Without an understanding of our culture and heritage, one is not able to progress or learn from mistakes made. The play, the evening (first half) is steeped with a relevance to modern Indian history but communicated through four very distinct individual characters,” he articulates.
For this play, it wasn’t so much about being inspired, but the requirement to put his thoughts and suffering on the page. It’s for you to read it now.
Good to know: May 18-20, at 8 pm, at Oddbird Theatre and Foundation, Chattarpur. Tickets available oninsider.in and airbnb.co.in.