To pursue his passion for theatre Dr. M. Sayeed Alam decided to leave his secure job and to do full-time theatre practice. Today, after nearly more than two decades, his contribution to enrich Delhi theatre with fine productions belonging to a variety of presentational styles and themes is acknowledged by connoisseurs of theatre. Some of his productions linger in the memory of the members of the audience for their charm of chaste Urdu accent.
He is also known for recreation of his old scripts, redefining themes. This aspect of his creativity was very much in evidence in his “Cut…Cut…Cut”. The first version, which was premiered two decades ago, was focused on the process of film shooting and the latest version of the play is a drama-within-a-drama, which was staged by Pierrot's Troupe at Shri Ram Centre this past week. Both the versions sparkle with his comic craftsmanship.
Evoking laughter
“Cut…Cut…Cut” revolves round a theatre director, his script writer and cast. The interactions between the desperate and anxiety-prone director, raw performers and cynical script writer obsessed with flawless accent create awkward situations evoking laughter.
The chaotic conditions that prevail while the play is rehearsed reveal the problems faced by amateur theatre groups through comedy and satire as the vehicle of communication. Everyday occurrences in rehearsals are treated in a light manner. Displaying remarkable tenacity, the group manages to secure official permission for staging the play. The director becomes almost mad when one of the actors tells him that he has an offer to work in a film and he is not be able to perform in the play. But the director is not ready to accept defeat and the show is held up despite terrible blunders made on stage by the performers.
Towards the end, the cynical director is happy and the performers believe that they have done great acting. The message is clear – theatre has inherent power to survive and amuse and educate the audience. Writer-director Dr. Alam shows an artistry to harmonise seemingly chaotic situations, transforming them into vital source of comedy.
In fact, Dr. Alam has created two comic elements in a highly effective manner. He has used language and the style of delivery to amuse the audience. Director J. K. is a South Indian and the kind of Hindi he speaks makes him a butt of laughter. To create the situation of incongruous, the script writer takes lot of time to correct the pronunciation of amateur actors. His emphasis on prolonged process of tongue-twisting exercise irritates actors and director but it amuses the audience. The script writer's attraction for a young actress and spending more time to improve her accent further leads to funny situations.
Another important comic character is chowkidar. He interrupts rehearsal with his entry marked by a loud thud produced with his wooden rod. He commands director J. K. to pack-up his rehearsal as he is getting late to reach his home where his wife is waiting for him to offer him fresh food. His posture is a blend of authority and compassion – he shows sympathy for his wife who has to wait for him for a long time in the night and expresses his anguish for long working hours and for his low wages. Facing angry Chowkidar, director handles him with a great deal of discretion. He sees in him a would be great actor and persuades him to act in the play. The interaction between the Chowkidar and the director is lively. Hard-pressed to find an actor to play the role of Ojha, the director finds in Chowkidar an apt actor to perform the character of Ojha. Initially, he refuses to accept the offer but finally he agrees.
With the rehearsals over, comes the day for the premier show. The action takes place on two spaces-on stage and offstage. Director Dr. Alam has divided the acting space in two parts. On the right side the play is being unfolded and on the left space the nervous director and his assistants desperately try to prompt the raw actors who are creating a mess. This device of design effectively projects the offstage and on stage action, making viewing effective.
The more the onstage actors are prompted from offstage the more the blunder they commit, evoking laughter, loud and long.
The form of presentation demands that the performers should frequently step out of one character to act another. This process is carried out in a clumsy manner which entertains.
The ensemble playing is impressive which imparts the production vital comic rhythm. Some of the performers deserve special mention like Manish Singh as Director J. K., Aryan Pratap Singh as script writer, Arifa Noori as an actress obsessed with Urdu accent and Gyanesh Sharma as Chowkidar for displaying their histrionic talent as comic actors.
