HYDERABAD: As the performers brought campus life to the stage, the audience was seamlessly transported to a series of vivid scenes — students tucking into food and sharing stories, capturing the serenity of nature through their lenses, and playing music and sports. All this created a rich experience that felt familiar.
As many as 19 third-year students from the Theatre Arts department of the University of Hyderabad — as part of their final-year production — presented a unique collective play titled Fraction, produced by an alumnus, guest faculty and dramaturg Dr Abheesh Sasidharan.
The performance, unfolding across various spots on the stage at GB Hall, encouraged the audience to move around and engage with the show from different viewpoints.
Setting it apart from the traditional plays where the script is devised by the playwright, this one is curated by students themselves. Reflecting on the creation of the play, student Raniya Zulaikha shares, “We embarked on a 30-day workshop with artists and academics, guided by Abheesh. Together, we explored innovative ways to transform both personal and collective experiences into a carefully crafted performance.”
Student Ashan Habib, who was part of the play, says that the unique idea of each student choosing a certain topic or element and putting up a collective performance was what made the play phenomenal.
The play, which beautifully blended elements of everyday student life with the complex and layered experiences of university, transitioned from a simple scene featuring an artist dressed as a porcupine wandering across the stage to complex scenes such as a student recounting the struggle with abuse, and the political landscape of campus life.
Raniya comments on a scene in the play, saying, “At first glance, the misspelled ‘WASH BASHN’ above the wash basin in the girls’ hostel restroom seems harmless—much like the political scenarios on campus. But upon closer inspection, the error reveals deeper truths.”
As the scenes shifted from one emotion to another, the scenography was skillfully managed to set the right mood for the audience. The backdrop transitioned from dense forests to intimate hostel rooms. Stage lighting included fairy lights and street lamps.
Student Mansi Bansal says, “This time, while doing the lights, I understood how it can enhance a visual and how it can change a scene by bringing certain effects. It wasn’t easy but seeing what it can do on stage was fun.”
The sounds, both live and ambient, reverberated perfectly in the vast hall while video visuals went perfectly with actors’ movements, enriching the overall experience.
Ultimately, when the students on stage wanted to represent political tensions on campus, they went outside and banged the doors at the entrance, which surprised the audience. The objective was to echo the students’ right to express and question — both performers and viewers were left with fragmented yet interconnected moments that resonated with campus life, aptly embodying the title Fraction.