Theatre plots comeback, with Dubeyji

PUNE: When city-based theatre group, Samanvay, recently invited Mumbai’s mercurial theatre guru Satyadev Dubey to conduct a series of workshops for actors in the city, nobody saw it as the beginning of a new theatre movement.
But last week, just as the first batch of 80 students began attending the 10-day workshop (June 24 to July 4), Dubeyji, as he is fondly called by theatrewallahs, realised something special was on hand.More than 250 applicants, most of them in their early ’20s had signed up for the course, forcing the organisers to divide them into three batches.
“Looking at this response, I have lost all sleep,� Dubeyji told the participants, “Because I understand the performer in each of you needs work and performing space. So over the next few months, let’s try to ensure we get performing space and ideas.
We have to assume we will not have the money to do so. But I have managed to do theatre without money all my life. I could guide you.� These words came as manna from heaven for the city’s theatre aficionados.
“In a city which has been the vanguard of Marathi theatre, few memorable plays have been staged over the last decade. Most groups are struggling to retain good actors, who keep running off to Mumbai for a career in film and television,� exclaims Madhav Vaze of theatre group Jaagar, who has been associated with amateur stage in the city for over 40 years. “I believe we should have invited Dubey to conduct a series much earlier,� he adds.
Against this backdrop, the fact that hundreds of youngsters flocked to the latest workshop series, which is basically in Marathi-Hindi, was a heartening sign.
Even the organising Samanvay group was pleasantly surprised. The basic intention behind organising the workshops was to pass on Dubey’s ideas to a new generation. After all, Samanvay was founded 10 years ago as an outcome of a similar series of Dubey workshops.
“But the fact that hundreds of youngsters turned up shows they care about literature and theatre, and are not happy with the status quo. Isn’t this the first sign of a new movement? True, some of them were attracted by Dubeyji’s name, and others have an eye on lucrative careers in TV and cinema. But Dubeyji’s workshops are no cakewalk. He is a hard taskmaster, and only the committed and talented come through. Even if a few of these stick to theatre, its a welcome move.�
Madhav Vaze, however, is not so convinced. “Whether the new initiative will lead to a fresh wave of theatre activism, depends on what happens after the workshops. Without a plan, you just groom talented youngsters, who either get frustrated later for lack of work, or gravitate to film or TV,� he cautions.
Dubey seems to have thought of the problem. Therefore the first thing he is scouting for is a venue like Mumbai’s famous Prithvi Theatres or the legendary Chhabildas school, where theatre movements like Rangayan and Avishkar flourished.
To begin with, Dubeyji proposes to import one of his successful Mumbai experiments called ‘Dhamal’ (or fun). Dhamal is a variety-entertainment programme, which provides five-minute slots to all Dubeyji’s acting students.
They will be free to choose and present a poem, dance, song, or solo act. “This requires them to scout for suitable literature and gives a chance to face audiences,� Dubeyji explains.
While keeping the interest in live performing arts alive, willy-nilly language poetry and prose is celebrated, and both performers and the audience groomed. “This is what I call constructive conservation of culture,� says Dubey.
Besides Dhamal, Dubey plans to revive Samanvay’s celebrated programme of V.V. Shirwadkar’s Marathi poems.
Originally called Ayushyat Pahilyanda (For the first time in a lifetime), it has been now aptly retitled Punascha Hari Om (A new beginning). He may even stage some new plays using local talent from the latest workshops.
Perhaps the monsoon will help this new sapling take root and grow.