Damein Reytier is not in a classic mode these days. Its the common issues that concern him and consume his time,energy and creative expressions. From politics,poverty,violence to ecology,prostitution and commercialisation,Reytier wants to make people think about whats going on around them,and involve them in agit-prop theatre a form of theatre performed on the streets in which everyone is free to participate. This kind of artistic expression or democratic theatre on the street is popular back in Paris,explains Reytier,who did his theatrical studies at Sorbonne University in Paris and is currently teaching at Alliance Francaise,Chandigarh. It was an absorbing experience to note how people react to different subjects and participate as a mob. The purpose is to make people think and interact. Agit-prop theatre is what I am focusing on as part of a theatre workshop at Alliance Francaise, informed Reytier,who has involved teachers,students and their families in it. Their first production,that was showcased last week,was a flash mob event at the Sector 17 Plaza,titled Look at the Book,which saw 25 actors of the theatre workshop freeze for ten minutes with a book in their hands. The book was a symbol and the idea was to generate curiosity and get people to stop by and read the titles of Molière,Jean Racine,Pierre Corneille and Victor Hugo, said Reytier,who is happy with the participation and is now all set to repeat the act in another part of the city. The theme of the flash mob event,informs Reytier,is inspired by the fact that in the 21st century,people have free access to the Internet. On the web,its possible to watch a movie,listen to music and read books. But the experience is enhanced in a cinema hall or a live concert, he explains. The same,he feels,holds true for books. Its best to read a printed book,dusty or new,in a park under a tree,while listening to the chirping birds, says Reytier. He works extensively with children and young adults on similar themes,the idea being to educate with entertainment. We want to make them aware of the importance of reading and writing books in todays world of Internet and Google, he says. Reytier reads contemporary theatre to gauge different points of view and writes pieces that have solid realities. The surprise element in agit-prop theatre and the instant response and reactions,says Reytier,makes the act challenging,like standing still like a statue for ten minutes on the beat of a dhol during the flash mob event in Sector 17. India presents Reytier with a variety of new themes for agit-prop theatre,as he is travelling extensively and meeting different people. Ladakh was such an important destination for me to understand human relationships and it should develop into something new for the workshop, he concludes.
