Turning to theatre
At one point in time during the school years, weekly schedules were incomplete without music, dance, sports or martial arts classes. But as one graduates to college, these activities seem to take a backseat. However, in a wave of sorts, youngsters across the country have been actively taking part in theatre — whether it is to pursue dreams of becoming an actor or to just polish their social skills, theatre is back to being labelled ‘cool’. Why, some are even choosing to take this up as their profession too!
Says Yog Japee, who runs Theatre Y, “A lot of youngsters are taking to theatre these days. This is so because there is so much awareness and maturity amongst teens and youngsters alike that they are able to make an informed choice and at the same time, there is a lot of support from the parents side too.”
The biggest draw that theatre offers is the kind of confidence that it builds within oneself. Says Vidya Abirami Iyer, a college student, “I was totally new to theatre but once I started actively taking part in it, it has been an enriching experience. It has been a journey of self-discovery.” Adding on similar lines, Amitash Pradhan of Theatre Impresario, a youngster who lobbied hard to successfully form Theatron AU, Anna University’s theatre club, says, “When one involves oneself in theatre, it becomes like a personality development course by itself. It opens up a person to a great extent and I have seen multitude of people transform overnight into positive, confident persons.”
Talent, interest and an enriching experience apart, what is it that really makes theatre a hit in society? “The answer definitely has to be the audience,” says Nicy Paulson, student and marketing head of Stella Maris College’s theatre club Stellar Players. “The audience for plays is ever-increasing. They are encouraging theatre and helping nurture new talent a lot. It is this factor that motivates a lot of youngsters to take it up as they know that their efforts will be rewarded in the form of ample recognition,” she adds.
A lot of youngsters are going great guns after choosing theatre. Says Harish Aditya, a 20-year-old college student who doubles up as a play director, “Almost all the members of our plays these days are either school-goers or college students. So you can imagine how much fun it is working in such an environment.”
To sum it up, says Yog, “It’s unfair to compare theatre to any art, but what makes it stand apart is the that theatre is a wholesome and holistic experience as it is a bodily expression of human emotions.”
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