Mere players?

ON STAGE

Theatre acting is tough and very demanding. It engages your entire self "" body and mind "" in a manner that very few activities do. Additionally, not only is it not lucrative but a loss-making venture. Only some rare souls who are bitten by the theatre bug pursue it against all odds.

But I feel that theatre can easily compete with the health spas and hill stations for rejuvenation and getting a new lease of life.

Why else would all film stars/actors, when they have become stale, boring, old or whatever, resort to theatre every now and then? (Sometimes also for prestige! Though how can a sector that is ailing and always found with the begging bowl give prestige is a moot question. But I will not get into that now). So it is a rejuvenation destination that needs to be nurtured.

Actually, theatre activity allows for a creative and explorative journey into the lives of different characters where, along with your co-actors and the director, you discover layers of meaning, inflections and possibilities, that can be quite fascinating.

In fact, unlike film acting, theatre acting allows the luxury of journeying, exploring, questioning, and changing interpretations through a strict, often rigorous, discipline of rehearsals.

The rigour helps you delve deeper into yourself and discover truths about yourself that you may not have known. Time "" that is, a month or two of rehearsals "" plays a major role in discovering new dimensions.

And if you actually manage to etch out the character with rare insights and portray it with some truth, the sense of having grown provides a tremendous degree of satisfaction. In fact, it can keep you charged for quite some time for other jobs.

The fact that you are working with a collective who is also part of the same journey contributes immensely to the learning process. Here I would like to point out that a theatre group is one of the most egalitarian platforms, with no discrimination based on caste, religion, etc.

It gives equal space to all members of the collective. Having said that, such a collective naturally has very different viewpoints, attitudes, backgrounds, and therefore varied reactions, readings and expressions of the same text, character or situations. And all these voices contribute equally to arriving at the final interpretation.

Other than this, of course, there are endless discussions over endless cups of very sweet, over-boiled tea "" which brings the whole group together in a very unique way. Ego clashes, and severe ones at that, are an integral part of this concoction, as are tantrums. But at the end of it all it is great camaraderie and fun, which is necessary for a good performance.

Finally, and most importantly, is the experience of facing a live audience in person that allows for the biggest thrill. If you have ever been in the wings just before a performance, the energy, tension, anticipation, and excitement is all very palpable "" simultaneously.

The excitement of seeing the auditorium fill up, the behind the scene feedback of the audience mood, the tension of getting dressed up for the role, arranging your props so that you find them during performance in the dark, worries about power failure, tension of remembering the lines and finally as the first bell rings, the anxieties "" will it go well? Will the audience appreciate it? Will the actor manage to steal the hearts of the audience?

And...and if all goes well, the effort of several months' hard work and vulnerability pays off a very rich dividend. Believe me the experience is something no spa or rejuvenation centre can match. It is the ultimate in providing renewed energy to the artist, because audience appreciation is what he craves for.