So on a balmy afternoon the three men meet to discuss another project over a pot-luck lunch. Vijay Marur gets a casserole of Bisibelle bath , Prakash whips up some fantastic curd rice and Shankar Melkote opens his box of rasamalai and potato wafers.
Over discussions on the recent unrest in Northeast, the three men discuss works of writers from the region. Informs Vijay Marur, “Shankar and Prakash read a lot English translation of books written in regional languages.”
Having decided he waited long enough and it was way past lunch time, Shankar restlessly declares he is hungry and that the rest of the discussion be continued over lunch.
As we sit relishing the home made lunch at Prakash’s dining table in his sprawling teak wood-finished bungalow, Shankar begins, “I was dining with some friends at a restaurant in Banjara Hills and a handsome young man came up to me and said, ‘I have seen you somewhere, yes, Man ‘O’ man .’ That is the power of theatre,” says Shankar. The man who met Shankar at the restaurant was referring to Little Theatre’s play Man ‘O’ man for Dramanon’s skit competition. This was another reason why Little Theatre came into being. “The high of performing to live audience was missing in television and films. So we as a group decided on dramatised readings or read anything which is related to theatre,” says Shankar.
Coming from different walks of life, a banker, a film maker/ad man and an academician, the three men say it’s the love for theatre that makes them steal time from their schedules and make it possible for their rehearsals and their events. “Even an audience of 15 people is an audience for us,” says Prakash.
Little Theatre is 15 years old and was born at a time when Rs 50,000 was equivalent to Rs. 5 lakh. “Our idea was to perform/read anywhere. From peoples’ drawing rooms, to terraces, to book stores. At every possible place,” says Prakash. And the readings could be anything from a new best seller to reading an Act from Shakespeare’s play. As the three made clear that Little Theatre was not about acting on stage with props and costumes they were also aware of the fact that keeping audience engaged by simply reading wouldn’t be easy. “So we decided on animated reading, using different voice, music in the background and everything possible that made Hyderabad Little Theatre’s readings different from readings from others in book stores,” explains Prakash.
As the three men sit and narrate the different instances, they once again get nostalgic, “Do you remember the time we met Khushwant Singh? “After one of the book reading sessions, Khushwant Singh said, ‘I didn’t know I was such a good writer until Little Theatre read me.’ I am sure he pulled our leg but we still prefer to take it as a complement,” says Shankar Melkote.
What does it take to make the readings interesting and arrest the attention of the audience? “A lot actually, reading our part well and getting into the character to make it look like a real conversation. For that our friend Prakash makes sure we do a few rehearsals,” says Vijay Marur.
As for them to pep up their rehearsals they either gather some good food or stronger drinks with a lot of discussions on books and issues. “And when we are veering around a lot, Prakash makes sure to bring us back to our rehearsals,” laughs Shankar.
The group now has over 25-30 active members who take active part in the readings. “We sometimes use one voice for just one sentence or maybe one word. That makes a lot of difference. No amount of voice modulations can bring the freshness of a new voice,” explains Vijay.
What is next on the agenda? “Vijay, Prakash do you remember the response of the children when we did an act from Romeo Juliet to the students of a school? That’s what we want to do,” says Shankar.
Prakash adds, “That’s the way to capture interest of the school children to read books and appreciate literature. We didn’t do a lot of drama but whatever we did, made the kids clap and whistle.”
Little Theatre says, “We don’t need money, we need the audience especially the school and college going kids.”
