Play Clan

Four top theatre directors from Delhi have come together to present a festival of plays in aid of the victims of the recent flash floods in Leh. The event,being held till October 24,is called Whose Life is it Anyway and is being organised in aid of HelpAge India. The directors—Lushin Dubey,Sohaila Kapur,Arvind Gaur and Smita Bharti — present their varied perspectives about human relationships,ranging from Kapur’s ritzy Bollywood drama called Mahim Junction (on October 22) to activist-director Gaur’s Court Martial (on October 24) about which he says,“When respect is denied to a man only because he is born to low-caste parents,the offence cannot be termed as social violence.”

Among the most-awaited plays,however,is Lushin Dubey’s acclaimed solo act called Untitled (October 23). On a bare stage,Dubey enacts the solitary figure of a queen who holds two puppets in her hands — one of them is the King,the other,her lover. With these minimal props,she creates a riveting drama that explores “how a woman renegotiates the boundaries created over centuries,” says Dubey. Apart from the storyline,it is the stagecraft that sets Untitled apart —Dubey flits through as many as 12 characters,apart from that of the two male protagonists whom she voices through ventriloquism. Not surprising then,the play has survived nine long years and seen performances in major cities of the world. Gaur also presents Ek Mamooli Aadmi (on October 24),which underlines urban middle class existence and how the yearning for real happiness becomes an agonising experience. While most of the plays are regulars on the Capital’s cultural calendar,Bharti’s 45”35”55”,presented on Thursday,was revived after two years. The storyline of two sisters who have not spoken for 25 years,marries comedy with deep philosophy. Bharti,one of the founders of the Hungry Heart Festival,which is co-organising the festival with Cathayaatra and Sakshi Foundation,says,“The festival marks artistic responsibility towards the victims in Leh.”