CHENNAI: The English theatre stage has never looked better. Production values have shot up. Set design is almost impeccable. Actors seem seasoned, refined and polished.

Visuals on the projector have given an additional dimension to the stage and packaging (read slickly edited video promos and branding with logos) has finally given theatre a professional touch.

Who's responsible for the freshness of thought? The audience, to a large extent.

For, theatre groups bank on people from the other side of the stage for talent: the audience, that is. Of late, they have been getting it as fresh as it gets.

When Evam's `Biloxi Blues' wound up its season of six shows, the group had over 60 volunteers who had registered to help out with production of their future shows.

"We usually get them through word of mouth, references, readings and auditions. We also collect a database through announcements during our shows," says Sunill of Evam.

Michael Muthu's `Boardwalkers' and Stagefright Productions, founded by Freddy and Roshni Menon, adopt a similar strategy to source cast and crew. "We watch other plays in the city to scout for talent. We periodically have readings. And, at the end of every show, we have a slide calling for people," says Roshni.

"When I do plays for Loyola Theatre Society, I come across fresh talent," says Michael Muthu. "So I just spread the word and call them for auditions when I'm doing a new play."

Though there are many who almost instantly line up to get on stage, those who want to help behind the scenes are more difficult to come by.

As Sunill says, "About 80 per cent of those who register with us are interested in acting. So to source a crew is more difficult because we need the crew to stay with us for at least six months or a year. It's easier to change a person from the cast than the crew."

Hence, theatre companies are equally serious about sourcing the right people for backstage work as much as they are about casting.

"There are people who are afraid to get on to the stage but are technically sound and feel they can contribute," says Roshni. "Besides, you don't need too much technical know-how. So we don't look for engineers, we just look for those who are interested."

Michael Muthu of Boardwalkers, who works with a fixed permanent crew, finds getting good actors more difficult because the city has a very small pool of actors.

"I'm doing `Amadeus' towards end of October and it needs a tight cast. So I will be calling people for open auditions through announcements in newspapers and posters in bookshops, colleges, gyms etc."

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