‘Act V, Scene I
Lady Macbeth: All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
Background comment: (But the Indian Ayurvedic soaps can),’ reads the script of the mock skit on Macbeth by the students of English Literature, Fatima College.
“I like working on such mockeries,” says Syed Ali Fathima, a student member of the Oracle Club in Fatima College, which stages plays and skits and conducts poetry slams and creative writing competitions in the campus. “Interspersed with witty one-liners, the mock skit was an attempt to make a serious play hilarious and it worked well. The audience was in splits with our dialogues and acting.”
Theatre Clubs in city colleges have been actively promoting English drama among students. While some clubs are relatively recent, there are others like the legendary theatre clubs of The American College, ‘Curtain Club’ and ‘The Fourth Wall Productions’.
Around two decades ago, when Oracle club was started in Fatima College, it had a handful of students headed by Professor Dr. Geetha, the Head of the English Department. “The activities of the club have become more varied and refined now. We take part in many inter-college contests and our students are exposed to workshops on theatre and drama on a regular basis. We invite theatre exponents and there is a healthy exchange of ideas,” says Geetha.
Though these college-based clubs are amateur theatre groups, they promote interest among students to take theatre more seriously. Some of the colleges also include theatre as small part of academic markings.
Lalitha, an Undergraduate student from Fatima College recalls the National Theatre Workshop she attended last year. “It was so much fun. We learnt the nuances of theatre. The theme was women empowerment and we could connect to the subject easily.” Based on the theme, the club members came up with a play called ‘ Modern Eve’ , which highlighted various issues faced by women in India. Syed Ali Fathima, who played the protagonist Charu in the play, says she developed a strong feminist idea inspired by the script.
Kayal Anthony, a UG student of English literature has taken part in around 10 plays and says she likes humour more than serious dramas. “We mocked Hamlet once and I played the exorcist who drives away the ghost of the Old King of Hamlet. I got identified with the role and all the teachers still remember me for that,” laughs Kayal.
Lady Doak College is another institution in the city that nurtures a legacy of vibrant theatre activity. Started as early as the 1980’s, the exclusive drama club in the college has been a centre for students to hone communication and interpersonal skills. Says Senior Professor of English Dr. Beatrice Anne D’Couto, who enthusiastically directs and acts in plays, “Theatre is an inclusive activity. It involves good speaking skills, singing, dancing, body language and the art of carrying yourself on stage. Once initiated into theatre, children develop other talents too. I have seen many students opening up after participating in dramas.” Beatrice who specialises in adapting classic English movies into plays says that drama clubs in colleges go a long way in providing the necessary exposure to students that is otherwise hard to get in small towns. “From the club, which we have recently named as ‘Daughters of the Stage’, we take our students to Chennai to meet theatre groups there. It helps them in understanding the various forms of theatre and how it can be taken up as a profession too.”
Abigail, a final year student of B.A. English, says theatre gives her a break from regular academics. “When you are part of a play, you sort of get carried into a new world; you become the character and forget the real life outside. It’s similar to reading a book and getting lost into it. I like practising after class hours, trying the costumes for dress rehearsals and making new friends.” Abigail recalls Annie , a musical adaptation of the classic film Annie and Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion as her favourite plays staged by the college club. Her friend Jenifer says she loves to work offstage, making props, backgrounds and designing or sourcing for costumes. “Theatre is not just about acting. There’s so much creativity that goes into making a play successful,” she says. Ezhil Meena, a student of Social Sciences was thrilled when she was given a role in Pygmalion . “I took a liking for theatre and acted in Annie too. I am grateful to my college and teachers for allowing students from other departments also to act in plays.”
Thiagarajar College launched its drama club a year ago to promote English theatre among students. Called the Stage Sculptors, it has staged two modern plays so far. To start with, the club has chosen simple reproduction of modern comic plays. “There are ideas of doing experimental theatre too. But as our audience is only the college crowd, we feel humour is good to begin with,” says Anand, who played the protagonist in the play The King who Limped by Monica Thorne. “We added a few elements to the plot such as a ball dance, few comical scenes and inserted funny sound tracks in the background to induce laughter,” says Navaneetha Krishnan, who was part of the music team for the play.
“Theatre activities can liven up college life. All the fun we have now will become an integral part of our campus memories,” says Shenbagaraj, who played the role of a pick-pocket in the comedy play The Refund by Hungarian Author Fritz Karinthy. “We have decided to stage a play every semester and open it to students from all departments.”
