There’s something magical about stories that blend humour, heart, music, and a pinch of chaos. Especially when they find a new life on stage. Every theatre inspired by such a storyline brings its own flavour, energy, and creative interpretation, making the experience feel fresh while still holding on to the charm of the original. One such story is Sister Act.
Staging it as a musical adaptation in Chennai is Women’s Christian College (WCC) students, as part of their annual college play tradition which dates back to 1917 — one that brings together students as actors, musicians, and dynamic production teams. While it hadn’t always been a musical, the success of last year’s live musical show, where they performed The Sound of Music, played a key role in bringing to the audiences, yet another classic in a musical format.
Offering a quick window into the team behind this year’s show, Rexlin, a faculty coordinator for the play, says, “A total of 38 students as actors, choristers, and musicians, are performing. We also have a core committee of production controllers, assistant directors, and dramatologists who worked together with the director Regin Rose, to bring out the show.”
Regin, who has been directing the annual college play for the last five years, says that the association was rather accidental. “WCC had approached a professor from Madras Christian College to direct but since he wasn’t available that year, he asked me if I could step in. Since then, WCC has been kind enough to call me each year,” says the theatre artiste who graduated from the National School of Drama, Delhi, and is now working in different capacities ranging from acting trainer and director to casting director.
“Since many would have already watched the movie, we have added some elements to keep it fresh and new for them. But we didn’t take many creative liberties because we didn’t want the core of Sister Act to change, it remains the same,” he asserts. Though the team decided to not tweak the script, a lot of work went into dramatology, Regin adds.
Crediting the 300 plus girls who have worked towards staging the performance, Regin says that he is looking forward to the audiences catching a glimpse of what students from across departments have been pouring their hearts into over several weeks.
The play will be staged from today until September 5, at 6.30 pm at Women’s Christian College, Chennai. Tickets will be available at the venue, subject to availability, and are priced at Rs 300, Rs 500 and Rs 750. Donor passes are available at Rs 1,500.
