“The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life.”  

― Oscar Wilde

Delhi Public School R.K. Puram hosted the Theatron, one of the most renowned inter-school theatrical events, conducted by the Expressions Theatre Club, on Saturday, 5 August 2023. The event consisted of 11 sub-events in total for students of classes 9th to 12th.

This year, the event saw overwhelming participation from a large number of schools that brought raw talent and healthy competition to the table. 

The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp by the Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan and Vice Principals. They were accompanied by the judges of the events and the teacher-in-charge, Ms. Sanya Taneja. 

The Chief Guest, Mr. Harinder Sikka, a renowned author and ex-Naval Officer, graced the occasion with his benign presence. He has authored the book ‘Calling Sehmat’ that formed the basis of the famous movie, ‘Raazi’. His illustrious achievements inspired all the theatre enthusiasts to achieve their dreams.

Theatron offered a plethora of sub-events to the passionate young thespians.

Nukkad Ki Goonj was an energetic portrayal of street plays on various socially pressing topics. The participants, with the use of props and musical instruments, gave enthralling performances. The judges, Mr. Sahil and Mr. Prabhakar, evaluated each performance on the basis of voice modulation, creativity, expressions, and body language, and went on to impart valuable advice to the participants.

Stage-A-Thon, was a series of dramatic stage plays that enhanced the theatrical ambience of the event. Taking topics of deep introspection in both English and Hindi, participants presented touching stories. The plays were evaluated by Ms. Averi Chaurey and Mr. Sanjeev Johri, based on the interpretation of the topic, creativity, originality, plot, and expression.

Ads-Act, a commercial event, brought forth the strategies and planning that go into advertising. The participants used relatable, domestic plotlines to engage viewers and enhance the appeal of fictional products. The judges, Ms. Swati Singh and Mr. Purusharth Budhiraja, presided over this event and selected the winners based on content and product descriptions, expressions, creativity, and delivery.

Thespian Coliseum, the Shakespeare monologue/soliloquy, showcased the undying legacy of Shakespeare through the powerful essence of the characters. The monologues with clever and bold individualism were judged by Dr. Payal Nagpal and Dr. Poonam Trivedi. The audience was left awestruck.

Play-O-Poem, a theatrical enactment of poetry, gave participants a platform to display their poetic and dramatic prowess, with the choice of utilising acclaimed poetry or self-composed works in English, Hindi or through a bilingual medium. Students were then judged on the basis of their voice modulation, creativity, and execution. The judges for this event were Mr Ashutosh and Ms Nayana Sagar.

Lights, Camera, Action!, the movie making event, was conducted online. Teams were expected to submit their short film online by 31st July 2023. The films depicted stories of vices and their opposing virtues, candidly expressing human nature, in English, Hindi, or bilingually. The judges for this event were Mr. Tom Keller and Ms. Charu Sanan.

मूकाभिनय-Mime Act – With painted faces and black attire, the students conveyed the seven chakras: Muladhara (fear), Swadhisthana (anger), Manipura (happiness), Anahata (pain), Vishuddha (freedom), Ajna (surprise), Sahasrara (spiritual peace), through silent gestures, exemplifying the notion, ‘Actions speak louder than words’. The judges for this event were Ms. Shikha Rajpal and Mr. Manil.

Stand-up Comedy harnessed the art of making people laugh through witty commentary and creative remarks on various topics. Despite comedy being a tough skill to master, participants brought forth great confidence and comic timing to liven the audience. The judges, Mr. Chirag and Ms. Jyotika Singhal, evaluated the comedians on the basis of their humour, originality and expression. 

Dance Drama approached storytelling through the aesthetics of various Indian and Western Dance forms, captivating the audience with the emotions that vibrated through each thrum of the music. The deep and complex emotions were conveyed to the audience through every movement. Stories were woven with the nine threads of emotion, the Navarasa (rasa-emotional state of mind). The judges, Ms Anu Rawal and Ms Somya, presided over the event.

RES IPSA LOQUITUR, the Courtroom Drama, classrooms took the form of courtrooms at the juxtaposition of theatrical art and legal jargon, the participants brought depictions of pressing social issues by stepping into the shoes of lawyers, judges, criminals and victims. Teams were judged on the basis of their originality, factual accuracy, stage presence, and dramatic abilities. The judges for this event were Ms Puneet Sikka and Ms. Kanchan Chetal.

Bolt from the Blue, the surprise event, was a unique event that combined spontaneous thinking with creativity to present humorous plays depicting the mundane aspects of life through a fresh perspective. Decked in black-and-white clothing, the participants brought vibrant colour to the stage, with just 3 minutes to prepare. The judges for this event were Ms Sameera Mehta and Mr Saurav Padhi.

The events took place simultaneously at different venues of the school, like the AVH, Seminar Room, D-block and OAT, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The valedictory ceremony commenced with our Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan, felicitating the chief guest, Mr. Harinder Sikka, and the judges, which was followed by a short speech by her emphasising on the efforts made by all the participants and members of the Expressions Theatre Club in organising and facilitating the event. The Chief Guest, Mr. Sikka, addressed the gathering and shared his views on being passionate and true to one’s duties towards the nation. He also shared his journey as an artist, and emphasised on the importance of overcoming challenges to achieve one’s goals. 

Following his inspirational speech, Ms. Sanya Taneja announced the winners who were awarded trophies and certificates by the principal, the chief guest and the respective event judges. The grand ceremony came to an end with a vote of thanks by the teacher-in-charge of the Expressions Theatre Club, Ms. Sanya Taneja. 

The ceremony concluded on a patriotic note, with the singing of the National Anthem.

THE RESULTS OF THE EVENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: