JOIN USTheatre is a powerful medium and what better way to connect with the youth than let them represent themselves through stage presentations. For the first time, the 'Deccan Herald Theatre Festival', curated by Sandbox Collective, has introduced a section for young student theatre groups from colleges in the city to perform with professional theatre groups.
Three colleges will be performing at the festival at the first edition of the DH Inter-Collegiate Theatre Fete. The plays will be staged on December 4 at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. Bengalureans will be treated to a triple delight with three plays, 'Woyzeck', 'The Actor's Nightmare' and 'Draupadi'.
The play 'Woyzeck' will be presented by St Joseph's College of Commerce (SJCC) at 5 pm. 'Woyzeck' is an incomplete play by German playwright Georg Buchner, which is centered on Woyzeck, a soldier in a small town in Germany. He lives with Marie and a child born to them but they are not married to each other and are hence shunned by the society.
The play examines the psychological turmoil that Woyzeck faces when he is being subjected to inhuman treatment by his Captain and when Marie decides to look elsewhere for pleasure and comfort.
Lolita Pinto, a postgraduate student with St Joseph's College of Commerce, who is a part of the play, says that they found the play relevant to today's time.
"The struggles that Woyzeck faced are ones that people face today too. The play is very challenging as it doesn't have an end. It resembles oppression faced by poverty-stricken people in the Third World countries," she says. "We are thankful to 'Deccan Herald' for giving us such a big platform to display our talents. We feel blessed to be able to explore theatre though we are not experts in the form," adds Lolita.
'The Actor's Nightmare' is a short comic play by Christopher Durang, which will be presented by Mount Carmel College at 6 pm. The play involves an accountant named George Spelvin, who is mistaken for an actor and is forced to perform in a play for which he doesn't know any of the lines.
Sahana Venkatesh, a BBA student of Mount Carmel College, who is acting in the play, says that theatre was a passion she wanted to explore. "The very fact that I could get the audience's attention is what drew me to it. To see the reactions of people while I enact can be really powerful. When it comes to 'The Actor's Nightmare', from the first few moments we worked on the script, we have received the best feedback possible," she says.
About being part of the festival, she says, "Theatre is gaining momentum and for us to be able to perform at such a festival where big names in the field will be performing is truly an honour. The play is a comic rendition and connects to actors and people from all walks of life. It depicts how things might seem haphazard but will slowly fall in place."
'Draupadi' will be staged by the students of Christ University at 7 pm. The play is a multiplication of several positives and negatives. It will make one laugh, cry and probably look within. This play is inspired by the personal experiences of the actors.