What do we need to do to keep theatre alive? That will be the subject of the symposium conducted on Tuesday as part of this year's The Hindu MetroPlus Theatre Fest, in association with the Goethe Institut.
Keeping theatre alive is about more than just turning a profit on productions — this discussion will centre around numerous related issues, such as how to train and nurture performers better, how to generate more revenue and keep sponsors dedicated to the stage, and how to create new and better informed audiences.
The symposium brings together a panel of high-profile national and international theatre practitioners to talk about their experiences, and their aspirations for the theatre community at large. They'll also share how they've kept their own theatre companies going over the years, and how they see the future of theatre shaping up.
‘Keeping Theatre Alive' will be moderated by Arshia Sattar, who has twice served on the MetroPlus Playwright Award jury, and who writes about and teaches classical Indian literatures at various colleges and universities across the country.
On the panel are
Akarsh Khurana This theatre director and screenplay writer is the man behind Mumbai-based Akvarious Productions, which has produced over 30 plays in the last decade. He has been nominated as Best Director thrice at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META), and his recent play, ‘The Interview' (which was staged at this year's Fest) got four nods at META 2011.
Joerg Esleben An associate professor of German in Ottawa, Canada, Esleben does research on intercultural studies, including intercultural theatre, travel writing, and cultural relations between Germany and India. He is currently researching the work of East German theatre director Fritz Bennewitz in India.
Sunil Shanbag A Mumbai-based theatre director and producer, Shanbag has a long-standing interest in contemporary theatre history. His work is characterised by original texts created in collaboration with writers, musicians and designers.
Ruwanthie de Chickera Ruwanthie is a playwright and theatre director from Sri Lanka. Her interest lies in directing works by new playwrights, especially plays devised collectively through workshops. She is also a visiting lecturer at the University of the Performing Arts, Sri Lanka.
Kirtana Kumar An actor and director, Kirtana has a Master's degree in European Classics and American Literature. She trained and performed with the Asian-American Theatre Project at the erstwhile Los Angeles Theatre Centre from 1989 to 1993, and is currently director of Little Jasmine & Theatre Lab. She also runs Infinite Souls, a rural artists' retreat.
The symposium will take place at the Goethe Institut at 6.30 p.m. All are welcome.
