Experience an interactive playback where you can explore your relationships in a comfortable and safe environment through theatre
A scene from a previous session; (inset) Preeti Birla Nair. Pics courtesy/Empurple Theatre Group
Any relationship requires an equal contribution from both individuals, whether it’s brother and sister, mother and daughter, husband and wife, business or romantic partners. Exploring this theme, the Empurple theatre group brings a unique playback where the audience gets to share their experience of a relationship, where it will be enacted spontaneously by theatre actors. The Goregaon-based performance group will showcase this unique concept, titled 50-50: Rishton ka Pitara-A Playback Theatre Show and help the audience open up about their relationships with their respective partners.
The group enacts a scene
The founder of the group, Preeti Birla Nair, explains, “It is an interactive performance where we, the actors, do not come with any prepared script. What we come up with is a theme that forms the larger guideline or an overarching umbrella, setting our minds in a particular direction. This theme could be very broad or it could be pertinent and specific. And I think 50-50: Rishton Ka Pitara sits somewhere in between.”
When asked how she came up with this idea, she says, “Just a couple of weeks back, I was celebrating my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and I thought what a lovely opportunity to bring in the playback theatre context to this huge celebration. Usually, there is singing and dancing, but this can add a very different element. Listening to our guests, what they feel, what kind of relationship they are celebrating, and the memories they have with respect to their spouse. While we were thinking about this, one of my team members came up with the title of 50-50. It will give our audience a place to pause in this busy line, connect with themselves and others without judgement.”
Nair is aware that it could be difficult to make the audience feel comfortable immediately, “We, as actors, will share little snippets from our lives. One of us will share their experience, and the other actors will enact it. This will give cues to the audience and will make them feel comfortable and safe. The key takeaways for the audience are that they feel a sense of relief at the end of the show.”
ON July 11, 7 pm
AT Funkaar, Laxmi Business Park, SAB TV Road, Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri West.
LOG ON TO district.in
ENTRY Rs 500
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