Theatre groups talk about the new concept of performing plays in people’s houses

It was almost 18 years ago, that being in dire need of spaces to do their plays and finding them too expensive, Atul Kumar and his theatre troupe started requesting their friends to lend them their homes for staging their productions. “Very soon, we were performing in garages, terraces, backyards, living rooms and even kitchens, from homes spread across Kandivali to Malabar Hill,” recalls the theatre veteran and founder of The Company Theatre. Later they took this concept around to other cities as well. And this year, Atul, who is the theatre curator at Serendipity Arts Festival 2018, is taking five theatre productions from around the country, including Adrak and Criminal Tribes Act, and staging them in people’s homes in Goa. “It’s wonderful that the Festival is recognising something like this, because they are interested in pushing this kind of theatre intervention as well,” says Atul.

While the concept of performing plays in people’s houses isn’t entirely new, the need for more venues to perform is leading other theatre groups to explore this option as well. Apart from alternative spaces including cafes, dance studios, gymnasiums and warehouses, theatre practitioners are finding that people open to hosting performances, whether for their friends or even complete strangers.

Win-win for all

Actor and director Mohit Sharma credits the cultural evolution of the city for the steady rise of alternative spaces for the acceptance people are showing towards it. “Also, people want to watch plays and other forms of arts, but it’s difficult to commute to far off places, specially in metro cities like Mumbai. If by doing this, we can encourage them to be a part of such activities, then culturally they will become more active,” he avers. His theatre group, Ambal Productions, has so far staged one play and two stand-up comedy acts at people’s homes. The response they have received, says Mohit, has encouraged them to figure out more ways of reaching out to a newer audience.

Adapt and play

Performing a play meant for a proscenium stage or for a studio theatre, in a living room or a kitchen, requires some imagination and the willingness to adapt. Doing a recce of the area a few days prior to the performance, is a matter of individual choice. Atul, who once staged a play in three bedrooms of a house and had the audience following them around, prefers to do without one. “You need to be willing to adapt and play with the material and the space. There’s a sort of masti and great fun when you go and you’re ready to change things around,” he says.

When theatre practitioner Tushar Dalvi of Rangaai Theatre Company takes his Host-A-Play concept to people’s homes — they have staged Vapsi Ki Barish and The Darkroom 2.0 — he prefers to do a recce before he brings his troop down for the final show. “That’s to see how I can adapt my construction of the play to that particular design of the living room or office space,” he says, adding that they have to bring that theatre environment by creating a similar set-up. Since their plays are anyway meant for an immersive set-up, so far, this has not proved to be difficult.

Opportunity to perform

Mohit, who has performed his play Toba Tek Singh and his stand-up comedy act at people’s residences, feels that it will help both audiences and theatrewallahs. “Newer audiences, who watch a play this way and like it, might want to, at some point, watch it in a theatre as well. It’s like hearing a singer’s album and watching him/her perform live,” he says. Tushar seconds his opinion, saying that the concept will pick up, specially with smaller groups who want to experiment with their material but don’t often have the platform. But the last word belongs to Atul, who believes that an artiste should grab every opportunity to perform. “Wherever you get a chance, you bloody perform! That’s the trick,” he concludes.