08 March,2023 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
Avafrin Mistry and Antonia Collins. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
By the time we arrive for our interview with stage managers Antonia Collins and Avafrin Mistry at NCPA's Little Theatre, we learn that director Bruce Guthrie, also Head of Theatre, NCPA, is unwell, and hence rehearsals have been called off. "We have all the time," chuckles Collins as she and Mistry seat themselves in back-to-back rows for our chat after their photo shoot. "We got all dressed up," they both exclaim. The bonhomie is evident, and so is the pride of having put together a stellar production - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour - which returns to Mumbai for a second run later this week.
For Leicester girl, Collins, her profession was always her vocation. In her mid-teens, she entered a theatre for the first time, and by the time she was 17 years old, she was off to drama school to study stage management. "Unlike in India, it [the course] is structured in the UK because of the economics and the training," she explains.
"I worked in every facet of theatre, except for lights and acting," shares Mistry, recalling her contrasting entry into the profession. "Here, it is easier to start backstage. Most actors do it hoping to join the cast someday, because that is the tougher part. In fact, in school, I won most acting competitions but I didn't enjoy them. The stress of stage fright [and of throwing up!] got to me," she laughs. Mistry's first brush with stage management was when Jaimini Pathak visited her college to conduct workshops. He spotted her talent, and asked her to come by NCPA's Experimental Theatre for one of his plays. Years later, when she was 21, she joined his troupe and travelled across India.
"Soon, I realised there was no money in theatre. So I began freelancing gigs for events and shoots, and later, headed to Australia." A week after her return, on a friend's request, she worked on a play at Little Theatre. Later, Denzil Smith, one of the two leads in Every Good Boyâ¦, invited her to come on board for his play, Bombay Jazz, and gradually, she embraced stage management in all its avatars. Collins and Mistry came together last year when this eponymous production by Guthrie debuted on stage in India.
Collins is one of the best in the business, having made a mark as a professional stage manager as well as a trainer but she hasn't forgotten the early days, when the UK was not yet ready for women stage managers. "In the early '90s, when I was 23 years old, I was the boss, and this guy remarked, âYou cannot be in charge.' People wouldn't dare to be rude to me now because stage management is considered an art form, where many women are in charge; people do PhDs about it!"
Talk veers to their on-stage challenges. "When things go wrong, we are the people everyone turns to, to solve a problem. We've got to act responsibly and work backwards. We pre-empt the problem before it happens," admits Collins, to which Mistry adds, "While working on a show, I don't sleep because the mind is always ticking!" Invisible to the audience, their role is all about the details. "We are smoothing the path to give every actor the best opportunity to be their best," Collins elaborates, citing the example of the current production where both leads - Denzil Smith and Neil Bhoopalam are kept comfortable. "Neil prefers to be in his zone before going on stage; only a few people are allowed to interact with him. He has to be bubble-wrapped!" Shares Mistry.
"Hailing from a co-ed institution in Bandra, I had never faced gender bias until I saw it on the job. People cannot accept that a woman is in charge. It's where my bossy nature fits in," laughs Mistry. The humour doesn't veil the ballsy stage manager's tough journey.
While chatting about on-the-job hurdles, Collins brings in a "slight complication" of "India Time" which is met with peals of laughter from Mistry, "When you say 11 am, you start at 11 am. I feel like an idiot. People arrive at 1 pm, have chai, smoke, and are finally ready after that." Collins reveals that such erratic timings aren't the norm in the UK since every department is unionised, "Actors are on contract, and I am allowed to use them for those many hours in a week. If we go beyond, I am supposed to pay them extra. Every call is precious." So has she adjusted to India Time? "I have learnt to chill about it; luckily, it is only a few actors, and not a musical," she winks.
For this production, it has been smooth, the duo draft a daily schedule, and are glad that people have responded positively. Nobody is kept hanging on set. "I am not a fan of it. If I feel valued and respected by someone, it will reflect both ways," feels Mistry. "A lot of people have long commutes. They responded well to the fact that we understood this," recalls Collins.
Currently, her online training programme mentors aspiring women stage managers from across the globe. Collins is passionate about encouraging more women to take up the profession. "It is my overarching mission in life to enable this." She advises enthusiasts to fully immerse themselves. "Be happy to play second fiddle, be happy around people and respond to responsibilities. It is a gruelling profession but at the end of it, to hear the audience applaud, sigh and emote is special."
Being open to varied experiences is the key to a successful stage manager, according to Mistry. She is keen to work in more countries to gain experience. "I am very proud of this show; being valued on set felt great," Collins assuages our mixed feelings about theatre management in India, "Things weren't different in the UK 30 years ago; it will improve here too."
Just as we take their leave, Collins exclaims, "I remembered the quote! Thelma Holt, a famous UK-based producer said: A good stage manager needs the skin of a rhinoceros and a degree in child psychology." Collins and Mistry are equipped with both.
On: March 9 to 12
At: Jamshed Bhabha auditorium, NCPA, Nariman Point.
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