Take seatbelts along, fasten them. As hands and legs appear out of nowhere, sit on the edge in the dark theatre space and scream out loud for dear life. Why pray? It’s Friday the 13th, the only one exclusive to the year 2014. And, theatre person/actor/director P.D. Sathish Chandra, unleashes his spook script 13 Margosa Mahal , for those who dare to experience dramatic chills. “Each time we stage 13 Margosa on a Friday the 13th, it gives me cheap thrills to hear and feel the ripple effect of chills down the spine from the audiences, even as ghosts appear out of nowhere, everywhere,” beams Sathish, who is known to the Kannada theatre and small screen world for his comic turns.
“I got serious and envisioned our 5D play 13 Margosa with the intention of attracting audiences to Kala Soudha, our newly-renovated theatre space in south Bangalore. Also, a project with 5D effects had never been attempted in Kannada theatre before. The basis of 13 Margosa comprises a mix of horror stories that I have heard from different people. Chandan Shankar went on to make a tight script out of these experiences, we staged it and it instantly became a big hit. Raghu Dixit’s sound track has added punch to the play.”
Two fresh effects have been added for this staging and the script tightened. “We have also included the effects of employee downsizing in the script. The main characters are the same, but the design has changed a lot in terms of sets and lights. Raghu has further tweaked the music.”
With special additions to the performance, each time a repeat audience watches the play, the chills get colder. For new audiences, 13 Margosa is a chilling way to get entertained through the five sensory organs. “These effects have been cleverly placed in the play and during our past performances, we heard the theatre reverberate with screams.”
That’s why, each time Sathish stages 13 Margosa he feels elated, excited and enthused to entertain the audiences. “I promise you will get scared.”
Putting the show on stage doesn’t come easy. “We start setting up the venue 30 hours before the show. The effects have to be perfectly timed and to keep costs low most of it is man-powered. With many shows under the belt we are now confident of staging this play without any glitch.”
Rest assured, Sathish watches the horror stricken audience with glee from the tech room because: “I once had to act as the cop in the play, and the serious scene turned into a laughter riot!”
13 Margosa Mahal (Kannada), a ‘5D’ adventure on stage will be staged on June 13 at 7.30 p.m. at K H Kala Soudha, Ramanjaneya Temple Compound, Hanumantha Nagar. Call 7259998222/333 or log on to prakasamtrust.org/13
