A dramatic weekend for kids

Talking toysRemember the look of glee on every childs face when they watched the animated Hollywood flick Toy Story Happy Birthday a desi play revolving around a conversation between toys might manage to bring back that expression on their face We thought of what children like in todays age The advent of technology has changed the equation that kids have with their toys They also dont play outdoors as much the play comments on these factors The concept of talking toys is inspired by Toy Story but then thats where the similarity ends The concept has been used in other plays and films much before Toy Story as well but the context is different says director Mayank PahwaSeema Pahwa with Sarah Gupta front during a rehearsal for Happy Birthday The 55minute play revolves around a girl whose grandmother promises to get her a present for her birthday The girl and her existing toys assume that she is going to be presented a new toy Her toys chat excitedly about the new member and also about their own future The toys have another responsibility where they give the girl a dream every night The story spans over two nights before the girls birthday On the second night even her dreams go haywire because of the chaos between the toys The girls grandma is ill so the girl is worried she may not see her again and may not have a present at all on her birthday Pahwa shares Finally she receives a book of stories that her grandma has written for her along with a letterAbove below Scenes from a previous performance of Krishna KiddingThe story also addresses subjects like not giving up hope and not forgetting one chapter of your life when you move on to the next We urge children to not throw away their old toys and give them to others who can use them adds Pahwa With nine original tunes as part of a soundtrack composed by Mahar Chemble and simple sets that open up into an elaborate version when the girl dreams and turns basic when she wakes up the play uses physical comedy to convey the message Verbal comedy is lost on children sometimes They prefer loud gestures Since most of the eightmember cast plays the role of toys we could easily accommodate this style Adults will enjoy the story and the dialogues too he assuresOn MAY 28 12 noonAt Experimental Theatre NCPA Nariman Point log on to wwwbookmyshowinCall 66223737Fun with KrishnaMakarand Deshpandes Ansh Theatre Group will present Krishna Kidding a humorous play about Lord Krishnas mischievous nature The Hinglish play looks at different events in Krishnas childhood We have chosen popular events in his life like Kaliya Mardan his interaction with the demon who Kansa sends to kill him when he is an infant and the Govardhan Parvat incident along with a few others What set Krishna apart from other children was that he could see the future Be it something minor like getting a scolding from his mom or foreseeing an attack by Kansa he handled situations differently because he could see the outcome His superpowers make his battles and hence the scenes hilarious explains Rajiv Deshpande part of Anshs production teamThe play uses basic sets to recreate Gokul and Kansas palace Krishna and Kansa wear traditional costumes while the rest of the cast are dressed according to a rural theme The play will feature live music by Ashish Gade who has composed original tracks about Lord Krishna The play has a mix of actionpacked scenes and dialogues and can be enjoyed by all age groups says Deshpande When we prod about how different entertaining art forms fuse in the play he says You can experience it only when you watch the playOn MAY 29 630 pmAt Experimental Theatre NCPA Nariman Point Call 66223737