Actors put their best foot forward at the Theatre of Maham recently, an event that had theatre groups were vying for the K Balachander Award. Held over the weekend at Museum Theatre, the competition had Tamil theatre actors come together on the same platform, with opened the floor to improvisation and encouraged young actors to partcipate as well.
The evening saw five plays that were staged — Kadhai Solla Porom by Theatre Nisha, Seethai Mark Seeyakaaithool by Fab’s Theatre (who won first place), Suicide Club by MacTrics, Thamizhukku “Tha” by Synergia and Galatta Sambandham by Saaral Koothu Pattarai.
Kadhai Solla Porom had dramatic monologues narrated by three people, contemplating on the past and the events that had shaped their lives. The monologues were full of expression and were so realistic that the audience could visualise each scene playing out in elaborate measure.
Suicide Club had pantomime acts in it, as they showed how a club takes form for people who try to commit suicide, as they reflect upon the incidents that provoked them to take up the decision. Thamizhukku “Tha” was a satire on the lives of politicians and how power corrupts man, taking them away from the real purpose of service. It was funny because of the way the story mimicked the shams of the society.
Galatta Sambhandham was a fun ride by the youngest members of the group Saaral Koothu Pattarai, as the story revolved around a family, which gets entangled in relationships with people belonging to different religions.
The actors of Seethai Mark Seeyakaaithool had the audience completely engrossed their play, about a painter, who was asked by a money-minded businessman to paint an isolated Sita and make her a luscious subject for his painting. The painter and his wife, who could just see beauty in art refused to compromise on their ethics.