Bengaluru is taking to theatre like a duck to water. The increasing number of theatre fests in the city has created performance platforms for people from diverse walks of life. Theatre person Anita Mithra’s short format fests too, have opened up avenues for artistes to explore their talents and perform in public spaces.
Through this month, the Tortilla Theatre Festival (TTF), conceptualised by Anita, has already witnessed devised performances, some of which have the potential to go on to become full length productions. “The idea to stage short plays happened five years ago,” recalls Anita, who adds, “since then, we have worked our way up from staging themed evenings of 10-minute plays to producing and conducting festivals, in which various theatre groups participate. This year, I thought it is time to weed out the pain points in the format we were using previously and make it more aspirational and yet be inclusive. I felt we should extend an invitation to everyone to participate, yet be choosy with the actual entries we select, thus paving the way for better theatre to emerge.”
So, Anita announced the festival with the changes incorporated this year, including the duration and specific genres, calling for concept notes and scripts. “We then chose the best entries and asked them to start production. I have been curating the plays before they go on stage just to make sure they have put in effort and thought into staging and performance,” she says.
With the number of participants increasing each year, Anita is seeing a growing interest in theatre. “What I don’t see, however, is the desire to learn stagecraft. Theatre is like any other discipline, it has methods, rules and know-how. When we were beginning, we learnt from scratch from stalwarts like the Rajas, Prakash Belawadi, Judith Roby and Mahesh Dattani. Now, I find people stepping on to the stage thinking it requires nothing at all by way of experience or training. However, there are many who are a joy to watch and I follow their trajectory with great interest. Gifted writers, directors and actors who hone their craft with love and perseverance are emerging,” observes Anita.
The festival is at the final weekend of performances for the season. “It is special because it features five short musical plays by well-known performers and eight new children’s plays, performed by children,” beams Anita.
Watch TTF’s Mini Musicals on February 20, at 6.30 p.m. and Children’s Evening on February 21, 7.30 p.m. at Alliance Francaise. Tickets are available on Book My Show.
