The radio at the reception hall of the snow-engulfed Monkswell Manor, blares out the news of a horrid murder in upscale London as five guests step in one after the other. “The murderer is suspected to be of average build, wearing a long black coat, a soft hat and a light scarf…” goes the description. It matches with all the occupants of the inn. The ambiguous situation forms the crux of Agatha Christie’s popular murder mystery The Mousetrap , which was engagingly enacted by the students and teachers of Kodaikanal Christian College intwo-hours.
From the costumes, background music, acting and dialogue delivery to the nail-biting climax in which the unsuspecting Sergeant Trotter is revealed to be the elusive murderer, the play kept the audience glued to the seat. “The credit goes to the students, who set the stage and built the props that required multiple windows and doors to bring in the feel of separate compartments in the same building. They also practised for three weeks to get the correct accent, expressions and coordination,” says Geetaa S Abraham, the vice chairperson of the college who directed the play.
“Theatre is a great chance to live a few moments as another person. I have acted in several plays from my school days and lived many moments as different people,” says, Parvati Natarajan, who played Miss Casewell, a mannish woman. “I believe theatre gives you an opportunity to inspire people by getting on stage,” says, Ancey Sara Thomas, who played Mollie Ralston. “Acting has been a passion for me since childhood and college plays give me the break. I hope to make a career out of it,” says Abdul Hadhi, who played Sergeant Trotter.
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At Thiagarajar Arts College, Teppakulam, Madurai, members of Stage Sculptors, the theatre club of the English Department, effortlessly brought to life the Shakespearean rom-com The Merchant of Venice. Replete with comical overtones, emotional scenes on friendship and love, it was performed with elan and ease in 90 minutes. The friendship between Antonio, the Venetian merchant and Bassanio, suitor to the rich heiress Portia and the vengeful nature of Jew moneylender Shylock, were brought out realistically by the students .
“This is the third year, we have staged a play in the college. Theatre is an integral part of literature and helps students to experience the characters they read about in the book,” says Bezaleel, the director of the play. “Staging a play is much about team work. I did a small role last year in Macbeth but this time, I enjoyed playing the meaty role of Shylock,” says Karthik Kumar. S Parasad, who played Antonio, says, “The lead character Antonio is a melancholic role and I started to live the character during practice sessions. That helped me pull it off easily.”
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