Satire from Manipal, 'The Original Last Wish Baby'

Dramanon, which stands for Dramatist Anonymous, is a 10-year-old theatre group that has been dabbling with various genres— black humour, comedy and tragedy. “The
basic genesis of the group was to bring like-minded people who share a passion for theatre,” says Radhika Ahuja, group director.

The band has staged 25 productions so far but this will be their first time in Mumbai when they perform The Original Last Wish Baby on June 27. Based on the play written by playwright, novelist and cartoonist William Seebring, this play is a satire — a melange of black humour and splashes of comedy.

William Seebring is famous for producing narrative comics for Fantagraphics, DC Comics and Harper Collins but The Original Last Wish Baby (part of anthology The Best American Short Plays), is his most popular work — a cult favourite with college and high school drama students. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that Dramanon picked up the play.

Started by 10 students and teachers from Manipal University who came together to fulfill their passion for theatre, Dramanon has also spread to Bangalore and Hyderabad. “We expect a real good response in Mumbai, we’ve already been entertaining many queries from inquisitive students,” says Ahuja.