Time to take centre stage

William Sydney Porter and Anton Chekov

If you've ever felt lighter after a good cry, you'll know that purging emotions is better than repressing them. And if you're already self-aware, here's an opportunity to be dramatic and not be eye-rolled for it.

Thought Project's next edition of Curtain Call - 9 plays in 90 minutes, calls readers to be part of minimalist one-act plays. Here, you're assigned a character; you read the part and play the role - no prior theatre training or rehearsal is needed.

A catharsis

Aanchal Jain, founder of Mumbai-based Thought Project tells us that reading plays is a collective activity where everyone involved pours their emotions into the lines and brings the play to life through a character. "The readings of plays make us feel, think, and introspect. It is important to engage with these feelings and discuss them with those around us. The process helps in building shared knowledge portals and contributes to an evolved community understanding," she notes. There will be a discussion post-reading to understand themes and build diverse perspectives on the concepts and issues emerging in the play.

Jasmine Kaur Ahluwalia; (right) Aanchal Jain

Jasmine Kaur Ahluwalia, therapeutic movement facilitator and expressive arts therapy practitioner, explains that plays can usher a willing arrest of disbelief where the ‘unreal' turns into ‘imaginary real'. This can help in relating with a character and exploring one's feelings. Ahluwalia adds, "Reading out loud allows experiences to become deeply rooted in one's physical body and the ‘socialising element' is enhanced amidst the group since they work collectively in a shared space."

How it started

Before the onset of the pandemic, Jain encountered a play with 30 characters. Unable to keep track, she invited a few friends to read lines. "The process of reading and discussing the play with a group was exhilarating. That's when we realised that play-reading is a community activity, and it cannot be done solitarily," narrates the Mumbai-based founder.

A new edition

The 28-year-old gender consultant and applied theatre practitioner notes, "We consciously chose plays by women. Historically, women's work, especially plays, have been invisibilised, and kept away from becoming mainstream. Our conscious selection is to foreground women's literature." The curated plays include works by Stephanie Walker, Anton Chekhov, O Henry, Jeanette Farr, Julianne Homokay, Alex Broun, Brian Rochlin and Walter Wykes.

On February 27, 4 pm
Log on to @thoughtproject.in on Instagram or insider.in
Cost Rs 300