Theatron 2024
‘Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasise about a world we aspire to be part of.’ – Willem Dafoe
Delhi Public School R.K. Puram’s Expressions Theatre Club hosted the annual Theatron on August 3, 2024. Theatron 2024 stood as a beacon of expression, showcasing boundless dramaturgical talent. This grand festival attracted students from nearly 50 schools across Delhi NCR and other parts of the country.The fest consisted of 12 events which allowed students from classes IX-XII to showcase their exceptional creative and theatrical skills.The event was judged by 24 eminent jury members from prestigious institutions like National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, IIM Calcutta, UNESCO,Delhi University,Jawaharlal Nehru University and University of Toronto.The event witnessed a footfall of around 1400 theatre enthusiasts.
The various competitions included in the event were:
NUKKAD KI GOONJ (Street Play)
Nukkad Natak or Street Play is one of the most powerful forms of performing arts. The participating teams were asked to prepare a 7 minute long play on the theme provided. The theme focused on relevant social issues, captivating the audience. Use of bilingual vocabulary, street play props such as lathi, gulaal and Indian instruments like dhol, harmonium were encouraged. The teams were judged on the basis of parameters that included content, creativity, acting, dialogue delivery, expression, etc by Mr.J.P Singh and Mr.Purushottam Bhatt.
STAGE-A-THON (Stage Play)
Stage plays capture the charm of street theatre while enhancing the experience with stage equipment such as lighting and soundtracks to create a compelling atmosphere. All participating teams, consisting of 4-5 performers, were to prepare an original bv 5-minute stage play on a topic chosen from various ambiguous themes provided. The use of bilingual vocabulary was encouraged. Teams were assessed based on their interpretation of the topic, overall execution, creativity, innovation, premise, plot, and fundamental theatrical parameters such as delivery, expression, and more. Stage play was judged by Mr.Ramesh Manchanda and Mr.Mohommad Ali Shah .
ADS ACT (Advertisement Enactment)
Advertisements become unforgettable due to their memorable storyline. The “Ads Act” event brought this unique art form to the stage, where participating teams were tasked with creating amusing advertisements for equally amusing topics or products provided to them. Ranging from a memory revival cap to a remote to the future, our young salesmen and saleswomen were ready to pitch it all! Mr.Joginder Singh Panwar and Mr Nakshatra Sachdeva judged the enactments on the basis of creativity, presentation, innovation, delivery, and other key aspects.
THESPIAN COLISEUM (Shakespearean monologue/soliloquy)
The eloquent and ingenious Shakespeare and his timeless works are revered to this day. Shakespeare’s oeuvre primarily consists of either heart-wrenching tragedies like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet or irresistible comedies such as The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This event was designed to pay homage to Shakespeare. Participants were to prepare a 2-3 minute monologue or soliloquy from a list of Shakespeare’s works provided to them. They were asked to choose a character from their play of choice and honour the theatrical legend through their performance. Innovative and symbolic props such as daggers, maces, or Renaissance hats were encouraged, and participants were dressed in accordance with the act and era. They were judged on delivery, diction, costumes, props, execution, and overall presentation by our esteemed judges Ms.Harriet Raghunathan and Ms.Vaishali Chakravarty.
PLAY-O-POEM, was a theatrical enactment of an adapted or self-composed poem based on the theme ‘Seven Stages of Man’, which included birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, old age and end of life. The participants combined their love for poetry with theatre to produce an enchanting performance that depicted the transient nature of human life. They were judged on the basis of their expression, voice modulation, recitation and presentation. The judges included Mr. Manish Bharadwaj and Ms. Shefali Chopra.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! was an online movie-making event which included teams of 4-5 participants, and was submitted online by 31st of July 2024. It was an opportunity for the participants to dabble in actual cinematography, keeping the essence of their portrayal close to any of the 5 idioms which were given as the topics. The judgement criteria consisted of direction, on-screen acting, editing, sound design and characterization. The judges for the event were Mr. Sourabh Yadav and Mr. Vikram Singh.
मूकाभिनय/ MIME ACT
A silent, yet powerful portrayal, the performance of the Mime Act was truly a treat for the eyes. Employing the usage of inviting expressions and gestures, white, black and red-painted faces, black costumes and subtle sound effects, the participants conveyed the genres of tragedy, horror, action thriller, comedy and mystery. The event was judged by Ms. Namrata Sharma Jape and Ms. Aakriti Sethi.
STAND-UP COMEDY
‘Laughter is the language of the soul’.
An event full of hilarity and witty commentaries, Stand-up Comedy was a humorous portrayal of topics that entailed significant meaning. Participants put up a jocular bilingual performance that was judged on the basis of sense of humour and use of wit, fluency and expression, and content and creativity. The judges for this event were Mr.Sahil Sharma and Ms. Swati Sodi.
DANCE DRAMA
-TELL-A-TALE THROUGH AESTHETIC MOVEMENTS
An expressive art form where the flair of the words met aesthetic movements to create a dramatic and creative amalgamation, this event required the participants to use their creativity to depict the dramatic intensity of the moment through their graceful movements on the theme ‘Epic Echoes’ in a time span of 3 minutes .
The act was a beautiful blend of dance and drama. Dancers performed either an Indian or a Western dance form by enacting any of the epics and delivered a praiseworthy synopsis of the act . The jury included Mr. Bali and Ms. Ankita.
RES IPSA LOQUITUR – (CourtRoom Drama)
The courtroom drama was a 6-7 minute act portrayed in English/Hindi or in a bilingual language . The play involved usage of props , costumes and a basic courtroom setting including the witness box, lawyer and judge’s table and chairs. The participants were given a choice range of topics from Negligence , Family Disputes , Defamation and many more . The courtroom drama comprised a team of 5-6 participants . The drama was judged by Mr.Sumit Rawat and Mr.Raj Sharma.
BOLT FROM THE BLUE
The bolt from the blue came out as a surprise element based on the spontaneity of the actors to add excitement among the participants . The act was delivered in the time span of 2 mins . It was portrayed in Hindi/English or bilingual languages . The use of technology in any form was permitted during the event. The jury included Mr. Himanshu and Mr. Siddharth Shaw.
MIMICRY
Mimicry was a one act play spanning 2-3 minutes . The participants were required to choose any famous personality or public figure. The act did not contain any content which could potentially hurt the sentiments of any individual, group,religious and/or political community . The act was portrayed in English/Hindi or bilingual languages. The judges for this event were Mr. Prabhat Sengar and Mr. Ajay.
The Valedictory ceremony commenced with an inspirational speech given by the Vice Principal , Mr. Mukesh Kumar who emphasised on the importance of participation over victory. This was followed by a visual presentation titled ‘Theatron over the years’ which struck a chord with the audience . The presentation celebrated how the grand fest has stood the test of time and stands as the one of the greatest theatrical events. The students of the Expressions Theatre Club showcased an intriguing play portraying the twelve essential attributes that theatre brings in the lives of the artists.They were appreciated as the hall reverberated with a thunderous applause. One of the jury members, Mr. Mohammad Ali Shah then addressed the crowd by quoting lines from the much famed poem by Sohan Lal Dwivedi, “ Koshish Karne Walon Ki Kabhi Haar Nahi Hoti.” He congratulated the Principal for providing a vast canvas to the children to explore their creative surge and Thirst for Theatre.
The Principal, Ms.Padma Srinivasan, in her address, commended the efforts of the Expressions Theatre Club in putting up a successful event of this magnitude.She appreciated the tireless efforts put in by the teacher incharge ,alumni,hostellers and the outgoing batch of class XII . She recounted her memorable experience with the Theatre Club’s Alumni.The Principal in her congratulatory address applauded the participating school’s performances. Adding to Mr. Shah’s address she quoted an anecdote from her personal experience on learning sudoku and reiterated how one must always keep giving in their best and become aware of one’s potential.
The prizes were given by the Principal, Ms.Padma Srinivasan along with the other members of the Jury. The Teacher-in-charge, Ms. Sanya Taneja proposed the vote of thanks. She profusely thanked the Principal for giving her and the theatre club the forum to put up such a successful event. Furthermore, she thanked the jury members, teachers, and all the volunteers and the participants. She also thanked the participating schools for engaging wholeheartedly and helping in making the event a success. The ceremony concluded with the rendition of the National Anthem.
The results of the various events are as follows:
| OVERALL WINNER | Delhi Public School, R.K. PuramDelhi Public School, Noida |
| NUKKAD KI GOONJ (Street Play) | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, Patna |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| Third Position | DAV Public School Sector-14, Gurugram |
| STAGE-A-THON (Stage Play) | |
| First Position | The Heritage School |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Patna |
| Third Position | Delhi Public School, R.K. PuramVenkateshwar International School |
| ADS ACT (Advertisement Enactment) | |
| First Position | Tagore International School, East of Kailash |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| Third Position | Apeejay School Pitampura |
| THESPIAN COLISEUM (Shakespearean monologue/soliloquy) | |
| First Position | Vasant Valley School |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Mathura Road |
| Third Position | DAV Public School Sector-14, Gurugram |
| PLAY-O-POEM (Poetry Enactment) | |
| First Position | Springdales School Dhaula Kuan |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Patna |
| Third Position | Delhi Public School, Faridabad |
| LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| Second Position | DAV Public School Sector-14, Gurugram |
| Third Position | The Indian School |
| मूकाभिनय/ MIME ACT | |
| First Position | Apeejay School Pitampura |
| Second Position | Venkateshwar International School |
| Third Position | Mayoor School, Noida |
| STAND UP COMEDY | |
| First Position | New Era Public School Mayapuri |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School Patna |
| Third Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| DANCE DRAMA | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| Second Position | Venkateshwar International School |
| Third Position | Delhi Public School, Bulandshahr |
| RES IPSA LOQUITUR (CourtRoom Drama) | |
| First Position | Delhi Public School, Noida |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Bulandshahr |
| Third Position | Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan |
| BOLT FROM THE BLUE (Surprise Event) | |
| First Position | Lotus Valley International School, Noida |
| Second Position | Vasant Valley School |
| Third Position | Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok, Gurugram |
| MIMICRY | |
| First Position | Vasant Valley School |
| Second Position | Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok Gurugram |
| Third Position | The Indian School |