An article ‘ >A Complex issue ’ (July 25) had dramatists debating the concept of an exclusive space for theatre. A few more practitioners join the debate.
“Where is the centre of the city?” asks S.Ve. Shekher. “As and when the city develops, the centre keeps changing. I do not believe creating a central auditorium is a solution,” he says. In the same breath, however, he says “Kalaivanar Arangam must be rebuilt at the spot where it used to exist. This, apart from serious cost concessions to theatre artists from the Government is what we need.”
A dedicated space for theatre or not, artists seriously recommend cutting down the costs of staging a play in one way or the other. “A few auditoriums are conducive to theatre productions. However, there are no concessions for theatre groups . Putting up a play is turning out to be expensive,” says Y.Gee. Mahendra. Then, will a dedicated theatre complex help? “It is not a bad idea. But I’m not sure whether the audience will turn up on a daily basis. Theatre competes with so many other art forms- all of which are craving the attention of the audience. Perhaps, reworking some of the existing auditoriums may make more sense or asking some of the existing theatre spaces to allocate days for theatre alone,”he adds.
While on the one hand, alternative solutions seem to be emerging, both Bombay Gnanam and TV Varadharajen feel that setting up a theatre complex is not such a bad idea after all. “No other city has a system like the Sabha in Chennai where there is a ready-made audience that tends to determine the kind of productions that are staged there. We need a theatre complex instead that has all the facilities. It is unreasonable to shift an entire production from one stage in the city to another. I believe people are willing to come to any part of the city to watch a good play,” says TV Varadharajen. He also feels that film artists should endorse theatre productions. “In the past, actors such as Sivaji Ganesan would willingly attend plays. Not only did his attendance encourage theatre artists, it also brought audiences to the play. I believe film artists today should endorse theatre too. Theatre and cinema have shared a unique relationship in this State. For most artists of yesteryear, theatre served as the stepping stone for successful cinematic innings. Currently, there is no interaction between cinema and theatre,” he adds. Bombay Gnanam highlights competition from television serials as a factor. “Today, theatre needs to put up a grand show to match the variety presented by television. A central location, with facilities of acoustics, lights, etc; is a must,”she says.
In the debate so far, restructuring theatre to attract the youth was also suggested as a measure to revamp theatre. Varadharajen counters that by saying, “I do not think we should produce theatre specifically to attract the youth. An audience is an audience. We needn’t differentiate between age group”.
Turning the focus back on economics instead, Varadharajen highlights the need for cost subsidies for the Tamil stage in particular. “An average Tamil theatre group gets around Rs. 7,500 with which it can barely do anything. Further, theatre festivals across the State such as the Kodai Nataka Vizha, have also come down in frequency. Cost is a factor here too,”he feels.
Y.Gee. Mahendra adds that shows must be ticketed. “The paying habit of the public must be encouraged. People should not get things free,” he says.
