A complex issue

Does Chennai need a theatre hub? Here is what some theatre practitioners have to say...

July 24, 2014 08:28 pm | Updated 08:41 pm IST - Chennai

We as performers should go to our audience. Why should they come to us? Art must reach the public. - Crazy Mohan

We as performers should go to our audience. Why should they come to us? Art must reach the public. - Crazy Mohan

In the second week of June, people thronged The Music Academy to watch ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, Magic Lantern's theatrical adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s classic. The production that is still being discussed in theatre circles, came on stage for the second time in Chennai and was hailed a roaring success almost immediately. Among the many factors that crowned this particular production with such a reputation was the fact that the show ran to packed audiences throughout its tenure at the Academy.

At a basic level, bringing audiences to the theatre is every group/practitioner’s objective. In the city’s recent theatre history, periodically, one such production captures the popular imagination and witnesses surging audiences. However, soon after that, there is a period of lull until another such ensemble becomes well-known. As an alternative to this rare ‘blockbuster’ format, one is compelled to wonder if theatre in Chennai needs a framework that would encourage an active and consistent culture of theatre-going all through the year. Models such as Rangashankara in Bangalore and Prithvi theatre in Mumbai come to mind, where a variety of productions find a host at one location all through the year. On a given day, if one wanted to watch a play, one has to merely reach these locations. These centres have, therefore, become theatre hubs encouraging an active routine of performance, viewing and discussion. Additionally, theatre complexes of this kind not only have a well-equipped stage to host a play of any kind but a cafeteria, a library and rehearsal rooms that attract performers and audiences alike.

There is no paucity of performance halls in Chennai, of course, but the argument is about a space that is wholly dedicated to theatre. It is an idea that many a theatre practitioner in Chennai has toyed with, but almost all of them have balked at taking up the initiative to set up one, says P.C. Ramakrishna who heads The Madras Players. “There is a crying need for a theatre complex on the likes of Rangashankara in this city,” he says. “First, theatre in Chennai is very active and we need state-of-the-art facilities which we do not have right now. The Museum Theatre alone is not enough. We need a space that can accommodate around 500 people and that is accessible by all. If there is a complex of this kind, I think it will have complete occupancy for at least 300 days in a year because there are that many plays and groups in the city. Second, Rangashankara, for instance, is a place where regional theatre groups also find a willing host and Tamil Nadu desperately needs that,” he explains.

A theatre complex, therefore, as Ramakrishna says, is not just a matter of preference then but, in fact, a dire necessity. “We must examine what Rangashankara and Prithvi Theatre have done to their respective cities,” says Evam’s Sunil. “They are both in the heart of the city and are accessible. They are formed by an artistic vision. In Rangashankara’s case, the Government bought into the idea proposed by Arundhati Nag and set up a space dedicated to theatre. Next, it has helped regional theatre grow. What Chennai is suffering from is the fact that there is nothing that connects regional theatre and English theatre. We need them to interact with each other,” he argues.

The argument of access to all recurs when veterans such as Kathadi Ramamurthy say, “Theatre today is not how it used to be in the 1980s and 1990s. Youngsters, for instance, are not attending shows. The problem is the sabha system where only members can attend screenings and shows. We need a set up that is open to the public. I would personally welcome the idea of a complex dedicated to theatre.”

The economics of staging a production is another compelling factor backing a theatre complex, says Pravin Kannanur of Magic Lantern. “The complex will have a lighting team of its own, for instance. When I want to stage a play there, I would not have to hire lights of my own. With state-of-the-art facilities already in place, costs will come down, making more plays possible. For ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, I had to source lights from the film industry, which is extremely expensive,” he says.

So if indeed, there is a crying need for a theatre hub, then whose duty is it to build one? “The Government should come up with a plan,” says another veteran, Mouli. “The model should be developed in such a way that it is commercially viable too. We need to evaluate the cost as well as the return. The complex could host other commercial ventures on another floor, for instance, to make up for the expenditure,” he argues. Alternatively, “A public-private partnership model would work best for such a complex,” says Pravin. “Theatre people get to design the space along with Government support. That is the model that Rangashankara also follows, which works,” he says.

Kumari Sachu, member secretary of the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram, a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, in fact, goes to the extent of saying that she is willing to talk to the Government to set up one such institution.

On talking to her, one feels that the debate surrounding such a space is not a new one. “Theatre competes not only with dance and music but also television. People opt to sit in their homes instead of driving through traffic on weekends. We have been discussing the idea of setting up a complex. In fact, I feel the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, owing to her own tryst with the dramatic arts while she was a stage actress, will be open to this idea. We could take a proposal to her,” she confesses.

Now, while there seem to be irons in the fire when it comes to the theatre complex model, certain practitioners contend that the ambit of the debate needs to be extended beyond the theatre complex model. For instance, Pravin argues that it is not enough to just set up a complex. “It is terrible that the city does not have a place that is dedicated to theatre. However, in addition to the theatre complex, we need to make sure people come to this complex. What the space will also need is a theatre director who will be able to curate performances, monitor quality and present shows that will attract audiences,” he explains. Sachu asks for better writing and for more historicals to take the stage to revamp the theatre scene in the city. “We have enough socials on the stage today. We need more historicals. ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ has showed us that historicals have an appeal,” she argues.

The debate at this point veers off into the opposite directionin fact, away from the idea of setting up a theatre complex. “The theatre scene in the city is flexible. In Rangashankara’s case, the organisers are more worried about the discipline of the place and the audience. But flexibility is the key. Logistically, traffic is a huge problem for our audience today and Chennai has a play running in various areas enabling people to go and watch it close to their homes. For every linguistic group, there is a play in this city. I do not think a theatre complex that is centralised is what we need here. Yes, the number of theatres has come down over the years. In that case, schools could allow theatre groups to perform in their auditoriums,” says Shivaji Chaturvedi from Shraddha.

If Chaturvedi attacks the idea of a centralised location with the argument that it may not actually be accessible, ‘Crazy’ Mohan reverses the logic of bringing audiences to theatres. “We as performers should go to our audience. Why should they come to us? I feel one must be a salesman with his or her theatre. Also, we must focus on attracting audiences with quality productions. Unadulterated humour, for instance, should be comic theatre’s goal. The purpose of art is to reach the public , in my opinion, in whichever way possible. There might come a time when there will only be YouTube telecast of plays” he argues.

Theatre archive

There is, however, one cause that has almost no naysayers: the idea of a space that attempts to document Tamil Nadu’s theatre history. “We did get a grant to document the history of theatre in the State. We began collecting costume and other such material. But there is a lot of material that is missing, making the project difficult. We need video clippings and photographs to make an archive possible and appealing,” says Sachu. Highlighting the importance of theatre history as a resource for contemporary theatre, ‘Crazy’ Mohan says that he would be willing to step in to support such an idea. “Even to this day, I refer to N.S. Krishnan for his comic timing. Comic theatre, at least, will always need to reference stalwarts -- Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar and Gubbi Veeranna. We need to inculcate an attitude towards safeguarding performance history. I would contribute to build a place equipped with memories,” he says.

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