'Theatre is not elitist'

She eats, sleeps, breathes and lives theatre. Her name's become synonymous with the Prithvi Theatre. So, it is little wonder then that we caught up with Sanjna Kapoor there for the release of Our Stage, a book on theatre which has resulted from 'Not The Drama Seminar: Theatre Practice in India Today' last year. It was an event that raised more questions tha it gave answers to, says Sanjna who has also contributed to the book. CS got her to relive the event:



The agony and the ecstasy
The seminar was a success because it brought out the agony associated with theatre and the challenges that it faces today. It raised more questions than it gave answers to. But, sometimes it is important to ask questions, especially when there is an urgency to take action.

The way ahead
The seminar addressed the lacuna of disconnect that there has been so far and the various aspects of theatre that we need to connect with like technology, media, etc. We need to create a spectacle around theatre so that we can pull attention to it. Television and live events overshadow theatre with their glamourous shows.

We need to follow suit and do something different.

Young and restless
Theatre has grown extensively in the last five years. We've discovered a lot of young talent in the form of writers and actors. It is unfortunate that we might be losing them to television in the next few years because of its lucrative lure. We need to instil greater professionalism in the young blood so that they choose theatre over television. Only a high degree of passion can ensure that.

Stage rage
I don't personally think that theatre is elitist at all. There are various forms of theatre u2013 right from the street plays to the large-scale shows that happen in places like Prithvi. So it would be a crime to make a blanket statement saying that the art has a snob value associated with it. We need to break that
stereotype.

WHO: Sanjna Kapoor
WHAT: Talking about the future of theatre
WHERE: Prithvi Cafe