BENGALURU: Noted English theatre and film director Peter Brook once said, “Drama is exposure; it is confrontation; it is contradiction and it leads to analysis, construction, recognition, and eventually to an awakening of understanding.” Bengalurubased Vedike Naatakashaale, which is offering a twoyear diploma in theatre arts, is all set to celebrate the first graduation day on Saturday.
The school offers full-time evening classes for free for two years, and 18 students are all set to receive their certificates. The syllabus ensures that students are accustomed with various aspects of theatre ranging from Kannada theatre, acting theories like Navarasa Siddhanta and Natyashastra, to practicals which include body language, speech, character analysis, psychological analysis; Abhinaya Abhyaasa, monologues. Students will also get to perform, each year, a one-act play festival dedicated to a specific playwright. They will perform, direct and work on the backstage processes.
As part of Vedike, Vedike Naatakashaale began its journey in 2020. Speaking to CE, Rithwik Simha, son of CR Simha, creative director at Vedike Foundation, said, “We do not offer short-term courses. To be well versed in theatre, it requires time”. Simha, who manages the theatre school with his wife Jasleen Rithwik Simha, said the age group of students varies from 18-60.
“Our only criteria is their time and dedication,” he added. Nandakishore Sathyanarayn, one of the faculty members who also teaches history of theatre, said they impart the history of Kannada theatre over the past 120 years, besides, “also teaching the evolution of Kannada theatre from the ’60s, ’70s to ’80s till recently”. “We will teach them the impact of these plays on society,” he said. The first batch of the school graduates will be conferred with a diploma in Theatre Arts, and on that occasion, they will also perform the graduation production Namkampni by TP Kailasam. The play will be performed at Prabhat KH Kalasoudha, Hanumanthanagar on Saturday and Sunday at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the venue.