Entrenched in history, yet constantly evolving with time, Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT), the city's oldest English language theatre society, has been enrapturing the audience for the last half century.
During its journey, it has staged over 200 plays, conducted regular workshops and training for theatre enthusiasts, and has become an integral part of the city's cultural landscape.
Taking time off from a rigorous but enjoyable succession of warm-up exercises with 30 theatre actors, Vijay Padaki, secretary of the BLT, says: “We are a virtual theatre in a sense. There is no building or physical structure that we are identified with. We use different platforms around the city to stage our performances.” His house in Shantinagar is a default venue for group meetings, but practice can happen anywhere in the city.
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Three plays are staged by BLT over the course of a year — a biographical play for the History of Ideas programme, an educational play for the Children's Theatre programme and a play for the Summer Project on Theatre (SPOT). Its summer production has always been used as a fundraiser for a charitable organisation.
“Community outreach is one of our primary goals. In previous years, we raised funds for foundations such as Dream and CRY. This year, all the proceeds will go to the Association of the Mentally Challenged,” Padaki says.
BLT is made up of over 300 members who are united by a common love for the stage. This reason is often attributed for its longevity. “We have always positioned ourselves as a community theatre. We don't intend to churn out theatre personalities. Members join the group and stay on to perform for the community,” he says. Although the theatre group has its roots in British Colonial theatre, it has made an effort to be dynamic with the changing audience demographic. “Our productions are centred on themes that are relevant today. We adapt and portray stories that the audience in the city can associate with,” says Priya Rao, treasurer of the BLT.
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