Theatre needs to reinvent itself post the #CoronaCrisis: Experts

The Covid-19 pandemic has knocked the living daylights out of Hyderabad’s

theatre

fraternity. With all shows cancelled indefinitely, the fraternity is preparing for what could possibly be a year devoid of live drama. In a webinar with

Hyderabad Times

, some of the city’s most renowned theatre artistes, mulled over the challenges that lie ahead and the need for theatre to reinvent itself. The panelists believe that those doing theatre part-time will move away and only the ones truly passionate about the craft will remain. But theatre will not die, they say. Vinay Varma, founder of Sutradhar, sums it up, “Theatre as a medium faces its biggest challenge since World War II but we have no choice but to find a way to survive. Theatre is our life and we will find a way.”

Coronavirus has made the theatre community helpless

Theatre is a medium where it’s essential for the performer and spectator to both be there. The impact of coronavirus has been such that we have now become helpless. If there is no live audience, theatre cannot function. Some people are attempting virtual

plays

but they don’t have the same effect that a live play has on the audience. An artiste can never get the same satisfaction they experience in front of a live audience. This pandemic has made us all suspicious of each other. We cannot go out to rehearse, enact or even talk to people. And without dialogue, there can be no theatre.
- Prof.

Bhaskar Shewalkar

Founder, Rangadhara

Theatre will have to reinvent itself and find a way to survive

I don’t foresee any live theatre activities taking place for the rest of this year. So right now, we have no choice but to reinvent ourselves. Maybe we have to enact plays with lesser actors, or do as many solo performances as possible. But the question is, how do we bring in the audience? Virtual shows are not the same. There could be network issues, and the audience might not relate to it. Having said that, not all is lost. Maybe playwrights will write shows with just one or two members. Maybe directors will come up with new techniques. We cannot live without theatre so we will find a way to survive. Maybe theatre will give us a new ray of hope. - Vinay Varma, Founder, Sutradhar

We’re trying different ways to keep theatre alive virtually

There have been instances where we’ve seen virtual plays take place in Europe but I don’t think that’s possible here. We don’t have the professional setup here to make it happen. Performances will not happen for quite sometime. But we are doing the other things that can happen. We are doing virtual readings with our actors. We are working on an adaptation of a play. So once or twice a week, we meet virtually and discuss about the play and try to adapt it scene by scene. Maybe we can soon start auditions online for different characters. We are doing introductory workshops for theatre and acting and there are people who are enquiring about it. So we are still trying to keep ourselves occupied, in whatever way we can.
-

Rathna Shekar Reddy

, Founder,

Samahaara

The state of our economy will also affect theatre

People have been saying that theatre is going to die or it’s dying, for nearly thousand years now. But I don’t think it can die as an art form. We will find our way, one way or the other. Having said that, it is a long road ahead for us. A hit to the economy will affect theatre as well. So it will be difficult for people to spend on paid entertainment. But theatre has constantly evolved over the years and I think it’s time for us to do that again. -

Rahul Reddy

, Founder, Octopus Group

Covid-19 might help theatre grow in a different direction

It is tough, there’s no question about it. But theatre has given life to thousands of people. Many have come up through theatre and have lived through theatre. When we started out, there were not many platforms to perform in Hyderabad but in the recent years, many new spaces have opened up and that is solely because of the interest among people. And I think that will remain even after Covid-19. In fact the digitalisation of theatre can help the medium grow in a new way. It can help kids understand theatre better and help reinvent it. This phase can help theatre grow further. - Dr Ram Holagundi, Founder, Nishumbita


QR code: To watch the full webinar on the way forward for theatre in Hyderabad post Covid-19, scan this QR code