When the Deccan Herald began this theatre series back in the 80’s, no one knew it would be this successful. Now it is one of Bangalore’s most awaited cultural events of the year. Any theatre lover wouldn’t dare to miss it as it brings out promising plays from the nation’s most talented directors and performers. This year was no different, with the theatre fest going into full swing from 3rd December 2017 until the tenth of the month.
Here’s what stood out for us:
1. A stellar panel of judges :
A theatre competition of this scale requires literary personalities to set the bar for expectations. That’s exactly what organizers had in mind while choosing judges. Founder and former executive director of the India Foundation of the Arts, Anmol Vellani, was one of the esteemed personalities on this panel. The other notable judge was Bengaluru-based arts manager Anita Mithra, while well-known playwright, director, actor, poet and painter Salmin Sheriff was also asked to judge the event.
2. A platform for young performers alongside stage veterans:
This is one of the primary highlights of the entire event. Deccan Herald makes an effort to promote young and vivacious talents from the city along with experienced theatre artists such as Asif Ali Beg, Kanchan Bhattacharya, RJ Jimmy Xavier, and others. This year’s festival gave Bengaluru college students a chance to audition to perform at the final day in Alliance Francaise De Bangalore. The three colleges who made it to the top were St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Christ University and Mount Carmel College.
3. A variety of plays for almost anyone:
In general, the theatre festival brought into focus five different plays written by notable playwrights such as Girish Karnad, Pawan Kumar, Prashanth Nair, Thereisa Walser and many others. Apart from these, there were three other plays which were put together by the colleges and which won a spot onstage through the competition held before the event. These were: Woyzeck (St. Joseph’s College of Commerce), The Actor’s Nightmare (Mount Carmel College) and Draupadi (Christ University).
This year’s Deccan Herald Theatre Fest introduced a whole new lineup of Bangalore’s up and coming theatric talent from a range of age groups and skillsets. The organizers, Sandbox Collective, have done a splendid job in making the program accessible through the city’s auditoriums and theatres. Compared to last year’s edition, the Deccan Herald Theatre Fest 2017 featured more theatre groups and styles to whet the appetite of the city’s existing community of avid theatre-goers, while also introducing new faces and helping nurture budding talent.
Featured image credit: LinkedIn
Written by: Disha Mukherjee
