Friday (Aug 27, 2k4) was to be Nikhil's drama and I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to make it -- thanks to my slow pace of office work. Finally, some time on Thursday, I was sure to be able to see Nikhil on the stage and meet Amit too. Sriram had been with me since around an hour now and we were walking out for the pre-drama grub when Amit showed up with his wife at 1930 hrs. They were here at the right time even with the Friday evening's hardly-moving B'lore traffic! Anyway, we went on to collect our tickets from Nik as he was to hop out for only couple minutes. Till the time we went to the seating, all I knew about the drama show was that there were to be two short plays based on something unpronounceable (thats German for me). Of course, I also knew that Nik was to play a role in the English version. So we were seated waiting for things to happen. The wait was due to Nik's warning us to be well before time, we won't be allowed after 2035 hrs and that the seating was on FCFS basis.
Finally, something happened... some thuds... people were running on to the stage and... wait -- before that, I ought to mention that this was just my second visit to a drama theatre(in grown up times)...
My first visit was about five years back when I accompanied my office group to watch a drama that was supposed to be in Hindi and turned out to be Bhojpuri! I cursed everyone of pulling me too, giving high hopes on the act. I couldn't sleep either, since we went in a little late and had to adjust ourselves to the staircase-cushion! The only saving factor was that we were drunk. (Drunk-- as in "we sipped some spirit before" and is not to be confused with "we were carried in"). The worst part, though, was that the cost of tickets could have bought us almost a pitcherful each!
Okay, back to Bishop Cottons' school, where Niks' drama had just begun. The people who ran on to the stage started beating in flags, etc. I was eagerly waiting for Niks. Then came the narrators and started off in Marathi! I was shocked. I could see another Bhojpuri incident. I saw Sriram hitting me for lying that it was an English drama... he'd specifically confirmed this from me when I invited him for the drama. I started praying that I hear some English. I was looking around for subtitles, if nothing else! All this happened so fast that I didn't realize that people were speaking English already. Well, I couldn't gather much till the narrators got off the stage and I saw Niks walk up there, followed by a Merchant & coolie.
Niks was supposed to be the guide in the play: The Exception & the Rule. Its about the merchant who has hired a guide & a coolie to search for oil in the desert This merchant ends up shooting the coolie in his crazy thoughts and being tried in court. Some of the scenes were really good. The one where the coolie crosses the river, another where he makes the tent & of course, the good singing. Among the actors, the merchant, coolie, judge & our own Niks, playing the guide, made a good crowd.
The second drama was about the elephant calf. The scene where the moon loses his hand was very well executed while the elephant's mother sang well. The chorus, as usual, chipped in for support. Also, the lady narrator did a good job.
Apart from this, I lost focus of the drama. I missed quite a lot of both the plays because of my stupid photography. The digicam I borrowed from a friend was good but I was an amateur with it, more so without lights. As such, most of my photos came out either under-exposed or shaky.
All said and done, the team deserved a better stage.
