All of us watch and enjoy movies. We watch them in theatres. We download copied and pirated versions and watch them. And the rest of the unfortunates watch it on TV along with the 10 min ad for every 10 min of the movie. But hardly anyone watches drama these days. Yes, live drama.
The first time I went to the theatre to watch a drama was last week and I am glad that I did. It was a completely different experience. I felt like a kid watching a magic show for the first time. The play that I went for was Romeo and Juliet - No string attached. It was nothing like Romeo and Juliet and nothing like No string attached either. It was a story about four puppets who become free and decide to enact a play the way they want it and not the way the puppeteers want. It wasn't the story which I liked for it was like any other bollywood masala movie. It was rather the way they told us the story that has left me in awe. It was amazing to watch actors change their characters with just a hat or an apron. To watch the lights dim just at the right moment to show whether it a drama within a drama or just the drama. To watch the stringeri (one of the character's name) play and sing songs to accompany their dialogues. To listen to songs at a concert was one thing but to listen to songs tell a story was a completely new experience. It was surprising to see how much we can do with the just a few things. They almost enacted all the characters of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with just four actors. There was no change in the background but you could realize the change none the less. And to know that there are no retakes made it even better.
I wish I had started watching them long before but I'm also glad that I watched one at least now. But rest assured, when there is a show in town next time, I'm definitely not missing it!
-Shreeji
The first time I went to the theatre to watch a drama was last week and I am glad that I did. It was a completely different experience. I felt like a kid watching a magic show for the first time. The play that I went for was Romeo and Juliet - No string attached. It was nothing like Romeo and Juliet and nothing like No string attached either. It was a story about four puppets who become free and decide to enact a play the way they want it and not the way the puppeteers want. It wasn't the story which I liked for it was like any other bollywood masala movie. It was rather the way they told us the story that has left me in awe. It was amazing to watch actors change their characters with just a hat or an apron. To watch the lights dim just at the right moment to show whether it a drama within a drama or just the drama. To watch the stringeri (one of the character's name) play and sing songs to accompany their dialogues. To listen to songs at a concert was one thing but to listen to songs tell a story was a completely new experience. It was surprising to see how much we can do with the just a few things. They almost enacted all the characters of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with just four actors. There was no change in the background but you could realize the change none the less. And to know that there are no retakes made it even better.
I wish I had started watching them long before but I'm also glad that I watched one at least now. But rest assured, when there is a show in town next time, I'm definitely not missing it!
