Why does Nikhil play an online game in a female avatar? Why does Tanya create an anonymous Facebook profile? Why is it okay for a boy to be violent but for a girl to be adjusting? These and many other questions dealing with teenage gender identities in real and virtual spaces define Keep Calm & #ashtag. Presented by Young People's Theatre Programme, the 50-minute devised performance, for everyone above 14 years of age, will be staged this evening, as part of the NCPA Summer Fiesta.


A still from the play, Keep Calm & #ashtag 

"There is a lot of talk in the media and in other spaces about gender-based violence. However, we find that there is not much conversation around how gender identities are constructed or created. A lot of gender identity construction happens in the teenage years where we are led to believe how 'boys' and 'girls' should behave. The play takes a look at this process," elaborates Shabari Rao, who has directed the play with Rituparna Bhattacharya.