Mahindra's Excellence In Theatre Awards 2021: Sneak Peek into what the extravaganza entails!
Storytelling is one of the most powerful mediums of communication. I have always found theatrical performances to be much nuanced. The first play I watched was Rajat Kapoor’s What’s Done is Done, an adaptation of Macbeth. It was magical to watch the likes of Kalki Koechlin, Jim Sarbh and Vinay Pathak perform through intelligent writing.
The entertainment industry saw a massive slump with the pandemic. The arts that got us through the pandemic were also the arts that as an industry suffered.
Mahindra’s Excellence in Theatre Awards, produced by Teamwork Arts, presents a virtual celebration for theatre as they will stream the five most popular thought-provoking plays on their social media handles in the coming 6 weeks. This will also be accompanied by workshops conducted by the likes of Lillete Dubey, and Saurabh Shukla, among others.
Link: https://metawards.com/workshop/
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, it is safe to look for recreation at a click. Exploring theatre and watching a play could be an excellent way to spend time with family and friends. I reckon you stay indoors and spend time watching these plays.
Here’s the list of plays along with the tentative schedule. For more information do checkout their website and follow them on social media.
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/MahindraExcellenceInTheatreAwards/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3zWkwrFSq8Gtlj5yzMtA3Q
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metawards/
Friday, 26th March
Vijay Tendulkar’s A Friends Story: Drama reflects the truth of our times
Even as Tendulkar’s award-winning production Jaat hi Pucho Sadhu Ki received threats based on its title and was not staged in Madhya Pradesh, META celebrates this formidable playwright who held up the mirror to the modern world with a conversation that explores Tendulkar’s world and the threat to performance art in today’s polarised world.
Friday, 2nd April
Andha Yug: The theatrics of visual & improv
A deep dive into the legendary theatrical production Andha Yug and why this age-old story, a retelling of the Mahabharata myth, continues to be relevant even today. The conversation will also explore the visual aspects of theatre and the importance of stage, colour, space, movement and improvisation.
Friday, 9th April
Nona: An interplay between innovation & stagecraft
In an age of minimalism, dictated in part by availability of resources and part by narrative and directorial style, this conversation will explore the centrality of design and aesthetics, stagecraft and lighting in creating breathtaking works like Nona.
Friday, 16th April
Lassanwala: What lies inside the actor’s bag of tricks?
An exploration of the challenges that are put on actors by the director and scriptwriter in a production and the techniques and tricks that actors use to sustain their performances and the different styles of acting that are called upon to keep audiences riveted.
Friday, 23rd April
Elephant in the Room: Weaving a contemporary yarn onto ancient myth
This conversation will shed light on the challenges faced when bringing in a new narrative to age-old scripts and the importance of storytelling, performance and costume.
Here's a link to META 2021 schedule: https://metawards.com/schedule/
Have fun!
#META #META2021 #theatre #theatreinindia #SaturdaysWithMETA @TeamworkArts