QUEEN'S ROAD: Organised by Bangalore Little Theatre, and hosted by the Alliance Francaise, this Saturday’s theatre appreciation workshop hopes to make theatre-going more inclusive, while also creating a more informed audience. We catch up with theatre thespian Vijay Padaki as he prepares to lead the course, which is completely free.
What’s the motivation behind putting together a theatre appreciation course?
One of the three thrusts adopted at the Academy of Theatre Arts is public appreciation. The short one-day course is one of several things we do towards this objective.
How do you think theatre can be made more inclusive?
Inclusive has many meanings, and several connotations. For me, personally, the non-inclusiveness is in the great class divides in society, compounded by ethnic and language divides.
Theatre has the power to bridge the divides - if only the theatre artistes would care to see that as an important responsibility.
What, for you, is the greatest joy as an audience member in the theatre?
I have a bias for strong content. I accept that in a societal context with seriously limited investment in the theatre arts (training, performance spaces, equipment, technology, etc.) we are unlikely to see great heights of technical brilliance on stage.
We can at least expect great content and great dramaturgy.
What can participants expect on the day?
This is largely a doing workshop. It will introduce the participants to the making of an actor, the making of a play.
They will explore a sampler of training techniques touching different skill areas. It will also trace the evolution of the theatre over 50,000 years, from the time mankind chose to live in groups and form communities.
What do you hope participants will take away with them?
If we can build a more informed audience over time, we will have achieved something.
Which plays stand out in your mind across your 50 year theatre career?
That’s a very difficult question! Perhaps my very first play in Bangalore Little Theatre as an actor, Teahouse of the August Moon, because it was such a complete production, great cast, great stagecraft and a great script.
In more recent times, as a director I really enjoyed working on Kurukshetra Burning! The reasons were pretty much the same, the all round excellence.
For details, log on to bangalorelittletheatre.org