24 April,2017 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Krutika Behrawala
This weekend, treat yourself to theatre, music and martial art performances at a dusk-to-dawn festival in Kamshet
The venue hosts outdoor and indoor stages
Located in Uksaan village, two hours away from Mumbai, is a theatre space nestled in the lofty Sahyadris. It belongs to The Company Theatre (TCT), offering workspace to artists from all over the world. This weekend, the idyllic venue readies to host the third edition of Kamshet Arts Festival, which will see guests revel in theatre, dance, music and the arts from dusk to dawn. Free and open to all, it has been organised by TCT and Bengaluru-based Sandbox Collective.
"The idea was to get away from the bustle of cities, so, we decided to host an arts festival in a rural setting," shares Nimi Ravindran, co-founder of the collective. She adds, "It is inspired by Vasantahabba, Nrityagram's all-night festival in Bengaluru. Guests will get to sit under the open skies and enjoy the shows, taking short breaks for food and tea or coffee. This concept doesn't work in a city, where we can't even see the open sky."
Spread over a few acres, the venue includes an outdoor stage and intimate indoor spaces. For this edition, the theatre line-up includes Dalan and No Rest In The Kingdom. The former is directed by Pune-based Nipun Dharmadhikari. Adapted from Marathi writer DM Mirasdar's famous short story, it's a musical comedy set in a small village in Maharashtra, revolving around a lecherous schoolteacher and his bunch of students. Meanwhile, No Rest In The Kingdom is a devised theatre piece about the hilariousness and annoyance of growing up as a woman in India, written and performed by Deepika Arwind.
You can also watch Satchit Puranik perform excerpts from the popular play, Karl Marx in Kalbadevi or catch Qissebaazi, a storytelling performance by Danish Husain. Sounds Of The Sufis, an interactive performance tracing the journey of Sufism from eighth century AD to its present day impact, is also part of the line-up.
The fest offers a plethora of musical performances including Abhang renditions by Pune-based musician Avdhoot Gandhi, morning ragas by classical vocalist Ronkini Gupta, who will take the stage from 5.30 am to 7 am, as well as Western Classical piano recital by Emma Gilljam Tillu from Sweden. She will play Schumann and other pieces.
You also have the chance to watch a Kalaripayattu act by Arpit Singh, who uses fire to perform the martial art form from Kerala. For this edition, the team has also roped in filmmaker Anand Gandhi to offer a Virtual Reality experience using headsets that he will carry to the venue. The festival will be inaugurated at 7 pm and go on till 7 am, the next morning. Ravindran says, "Guests are welcome to come and go as they please. However, a majority end up staying the whole night."
