With social distancing the strategy to fight the pandemic, theatre which is a live art requiring audiences, is struggling to survive
‘Life in the times of Covid-19’ is a title loaded with drama and suspense. But theatre persons are neither excited nor amused. Already struggling with the formidable strategy of social distancing to fight the virus, they understand that its impact on live theatre will be prolonged and insurmountable.
Theatregoers have been busy binge-watching films and web series on digital platforms. Unfortunately, these mediums have no place for stage artists. Struggling with an enormous sense of uncertainty, theatre actors, directors and writers are trying to find ways and means to occupy themselves and to keep their groups together.
Theatre season, including festivals, begins around August and goes on till February. Besides admissions to various drama courses, the summer months are utilized for finalizing the productions, for holding theatre workshops and for fine tuning scripts. All this requires constant brainstorming, rehearsals and coming together. Under the current state of lockdown none of this is possible. What’s worst is that most see their work or themselves going on stage not before 2021.
What would be the new normal?
To keep up the spirits and engagements in these gloomy times, Serendipity Arts Festival held an online edition this year from April 25 to 30. It had a ninety-minute session on the impact the pandemic will have on theatre and what would be the new normal now on.
Artists like Pune based Atul Pethe has been experimenting to digitalize theatre. It’s difficult, as theatre is all about live performances and digitalizing does away with the live contact between the actor and the audience. In a way it robs theatre of its soul.
More than the change of format, the bigger threat which theatre is facing is that of survival. In most theatre groups, there are just a couple of persons doing full time theatre. They are the ones who keep the group together. With the future fraught with uncertainties, many are now looking for other avenues of income. “There are actors and directors who sustain themselves from what they earn from each play they do. If they get, say Rs 5,000 from a play, the money is used for personal sustenance. After all we all have our personal needs. Now that there is a very low possibility of plays being staged for a long time, most of them will be looking for alternate sources of income. And once they take up another job it will be very difficult to return to theatre,” fears Rupesh Pawar, who runs theatre group Meraki in Nagpur. And if these full-time theatre persons pursue other jobs, the entire theatre group would dissolve.
Ruturaj Wankhede performing in the play Kahi Ankahi directed by Rupesh Pawar
Digging into archives
To keep themselves engaged, actors, writers and directors are now discussing scripts of their next production on WhatsApp groups. Taking note of the complete ceasing of theatre activities due to Covid-19, the Sangeet Natak Akedemi, in a letter to theatre persons across the country, has asked them to contribute the recordings of their plays or story of their life journey, which the Akedemi will showcase and share through its social media handles. They have also requested for permission to showcase and share various plays and theatre activities from the Akedemi’s archives.
“These can at best be academic exercises for learners,” feels Parvez Akhtar, a Sangeet Natak Akedemi awardee and founder of Patna based Natmandap theatre group. “Theatre is a live form and digital versions and films are its extension. Films are a director’s medium but theatre is an actor’s medium where he improvises each time he takes the stage and that's what makes theatre a live art,” he says.
Play Arth Dosh directed by Parvez Akhtar at Premchand Rangshala, Patna, February 2019
Leap of faith
Theatre is very organized and strong in Maharashtra and West Bengal and is likely to survive in these states. But in the Hindi speaking states it is almost a mission by those who dabble in it. “It is this missionary zeal which will keep it alive here,” adds Akhtar.
For a theatre group every production is a leap of faith. Till the time the Covid crisis ends, the challenge will be to keep intact the energy and enthusiasm to take that leap.
Comments