There are three awesome plays awaiting theatre buffs in the city as MPTF brings them A Walk in the Woods , Romeo and Juliet — No Strings Attached and Bollywood KEE-MAA.
Starting on August 9, the festival spreads over three days till August 11. This time, the venue is the auditorium at PSG College of Arts & Science, Avanashi Road.
A Walk in the Woods Director: Ratna Pathak
The festival opens with A Walk in the Woods , performed by Motley. It is an adaption from an original play by Lee Blessing that was based on a real-life event, when Paul Nitze of the U.S. and Yuli Kvitsinky of the U.S.S.R. left their official Geneva sessions to take an unofficial walk in the woods.
They achieved a breakthrough, but that was rejected by their governments.
It is difficult to ignore the parallels between the original play and the situation in our sub-continent. The similarities are compelling, and this adaptation is the result of that.
The official relations between India and Pakistan continue to swing between hope and despair, while ordinary people in both countries find varied ways to stay in touch.
Two diplomats, in the middle of negotiating peace between their two countries, go for a walk to try and sort out the muddled relationship between their countries.
Will their attempt succeed where official channels have failed?
What role does an individual play in the larger game that governments set in motion?
What about the wishes of the people on both sides who want to keep in touch with each other?
Romeo And Juliet – No Strings attached Director: Prashant Nair
What’s a theatre fest without Shakespeare? The second day of the festival sees Romeo and Juliet — No Strings Attached in action. The intensely-layered Shakespearean tragedy of choices and their consequences is set in a puppet theatre here.
Four puppets break off their strings after a show and perform their own take on the Bard’s play. Their version is irreverent, tongue-in-cheek, and replete with pop-culture references, Bollywood and inherent Indian quirks.
While most of Shakespearean dialogues are kept intact, the lines are peppered with modern-day issues, idiosyncrasies and sensibilities.
And unbeknownst to the puppets, their own choices, restrictions and decisions weave into their own lives.
Bollywood KEE MAA Director: Gavin Robertson
The theatre party comes to a resounding close with Bollywood KEE MAA by evam.
Bollywood celebrated 100 years of Indian Cinema recently, and this is a masala-filled tribute. Watch as five actors bring back the world of rich father/ poor friend, business magnate/ corrupt manager, blind and widowed mother/ the U.S.-returned heroine, the vamp/forbidden love, revenge and other stories for the complete Bollywood experience.
Ram and Lakhan, Vijay and Basanti, Shashi Kala and Shakti Kapoor, Samba and Ramu Kaka, Mac Mohan and countless other residents of Ramgad come to life before you in this sholay of a production — now running to packed houses in a theatre near you.
The Schedule:
August 9: A Walk in the Woods (Only for mature audiences)
August 10: Romeo and Juliet – No Strings Attached
August 11: Bollywood KEE-MAA
Venue: PSG College of Arts and Science Auditorium, Avanashi Road
>For the detailed schedule of MPTF 2013 in all five cities, click here.
Tickets:
Price: Rs. 400, Rs. 250 & Rs. 100. Season passes at Rs. 600 & Rs. 1,000
Tickets are also available at The Hindu Office (19 and 20, ATT Colony, LIC Road), RK Photocentre (Race Course and Saibaba Colony)
Helpline numbers 98406-12333 and 98402-36367
Buy tickets for >Coimbatore show here .
Tickets can also be purchased at >www.bookmyshow.com & >www.eventjini.com
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