‘Thirst For Theatre
“Theatre is poetry that rises from the book and becomes human enough to talk and shout, weep and despair”
Theatron, the Annual Inter school, Theatre Fest, organised by the Expressions Theatre Club of Delhi Public School R.K.Puram on 20 July 2019 provided a platform for budding actors from a plethora of schools to emblazon their passion for the stage.The event is organized for those with a passion for theatre and aims to find the brightest among these young talented artists. This year, there were nine distinct events: Nukkad Natak, Stage Play, Ads Act, Thespian Coliseum, Play-o-Poem, Bolt from the Blue (Surprise Event) ,Mime,Courtroom Drama and Movie-making. The Guest of Honour was Mr. Inderpal Singh, an eminent television anchor, film actor and writer, with movies such as Vicky Donor, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Besharam in his repertoire. He was also the judge for Stage Play.
Nukkad Natak ,a form of traditional art play for dramatic and effective communication helps an actor express himself on a social issue that has been plaguing the society. The students displayed a brilliant blend of emotions. About twenty schools participated and were given eight minutes to showcase their talent.Mr. Ashish Sejwal, a renowned theatre actor and director, judged the Nukkad Natak.
Ads Act brought out the ingenious creativity in the participants as they scrambled to impress the judges, Ms. Swati a film producer and Ms. Gayatri Sethi, Business Head of White Balance.Twenty five schools participated, with the students keeping the audience’s eyes glued by their electrifying performance. They used numerous soundtracks to make the acts interesting and funny.
In Thespian Coliseum, twenty-five schools participated to reminisce about the Golden Age of the legend, William Shakespeare. Dressed in period garb, the young actors breathed life into these immortal characters and iconic scenes. In the blink of an eye, the participants transformed into gracefully dressed eighteenth-century Kings and Queens.The judges, Ms.Sukriti and Ms.Saheb Kaur had a difficult time deciding on the most eloquent monologue.
In Play-O-Poem, twenty-five schools participated and were given four minutes to act out a self- composed or adapted poem in either Hindi or English. The children displayed finesse in their portrayal of various socio-cultural phenomena. The beauty of poetry was delightfully demonstrated by all the participating students.The event was judged by Mr. Akhil Katyal, a proficient poet who has to his credit the Editor’s Choice Award- Winning book ‘ How Many Countries Does The Indus Cross’.
Sixteen schools participated in the Stage Play where they were given eight minutes to showcase their talent through a small skit which could be performed in either English or Hindi on a topic of their choice. Their engaging acts mesmerised everyone present.The event was judged by Mr. Inder Pal Singh, the Guest of Honour, and Mr. Gaurav Ghosh.
The surprise event “Bolt from the Blue” included 2 rounds. The first round involved on-the-spot 2-minute skits using prompts which ranged from a wooden stick to a water bottle.The participants used both Hindi and English, some even resorted to local dialects to express a spectrum of emotions and their views on social issues like drug addiction and poverty. The round also involved an impromptu portrayal of varied emotions and characters which were provided to them.The innovative second round pushed the students to act on the spot with the judges providing them unexpected starting positions. The event was judged by Mr.Rajan Gulati, a veteran who has performed in over 100 street plays and has been a part of international theatre festivals; and Mr.Gaurav Verma, who has been acting for over 22 years and has appeared in a number of commercial films and was an assistant director in plays like ‘Vidhua’ and ‘Molki’.
In the Mime, participants from twenty- five schools portrayed their own interpretations of Shakespeares’s ‘Seven Ages of Man’. The background music along with unique formations conveyed sentiments and feelings that words could not.The judges for the event were Ms.Sania Saifi, a graduate in English literature from the Delhi University, and is a poet, writer and performer. The second judge Mr.Guneet Singh who has completed his acting specialisation from the National School of Drama and has been associated with theatre for the past 8 years.
The Courtroom Drama was judged by Mr. Prabhash and Ms. Isha. Students highlighted social issues deeply rooted in our country. They also portrayed emotions of the victims of these social issues.Twenty students participated and were given seven minutes each to perform.
Movie-Making was an offsite event, in which 25 schools participated. It was judged by Mr. Rajesh Amrohi a famous director and writer and Mr Aalim Rushdy a famous director, producer and a prolific writer. He is known for films like ‘Fanaa’ and ‘Last Metro.’ The 6 minute movies showcased the talents of students as they directed a short movie on various topics that were given on the spot.
The Expressions Theatre Club of Delhi Public School RK Puram showcased an imaginative Nukkad Natak portraying the plight of indian soldiers and a stage play titled ‘In the Game Of Thrones you either win or you die’ at the Valedictory Function. They were appreciated as the hall reverberated with thunderous applause.
The Principal, Ms. Vanita Sehgal, in her address, commended the efforts of the Expressions Theatre Club in putting up a successful event of this magnitude. She recounted her memorable experience with the Theatre Club’s Alumni, and their effort in putting up the Greek tragedy ‘ANTIGONE’ last year. She also encouraged the Club members to explore other Genres of Theatre other than the Nukkad Natak.
“Nothing is above an actor’s performance,” she exclaimed while speaking about the importance of committing oneself to Theatre.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Inderpal Singh, began his congratulatory address by applauding the host school’s performances. He said that the character of a nation is determined by the amount of respect given to women and the armed forces. “Theatre is the best medium to express and to learn”. By saying this, he emphasised on the significance of Drama in Education and various school subjects, and how it must be established in India. He concluded by saying that no person can be the judge of another as each one has his own unique identity, and all of us must accept this uniqueness.
The prizes were given away by the Principal,Ms. Vanita Sehgal, The Guest of Honor, Mr. Guneet Singh and Ms. Saina Saifi.
The Teacher-in-charge, Ms. Sanya Taneja delivered the vote of thanks.
The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem.
The results are as follows:
|
Event Name |
Position |
School |
|
Stage Play |
First |
Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar Harshita Avana(Mayoor School, Noida) |
|
Nukkad Natak |
First |
Delhi Public School,Noida |
|
Ads Act |
First |
The Heritage School(Rohini) |
|
Play-o-Poem |
First |
Delhi Public School Sushant Lok |
|
Mime |
First |
Venkateshwar International School |
|
Courtroom Drama |
First |
The Shri Ram School, Moulsari |
|
Thespian Coliseum |
First |
The Shri Ram School, Moulsari |
|
Movie Making (offsite event) |
First |
Delhi Public School, Gurgaon(Sector 45) |
|
Bolt From The Blue (Surprise Events) |
First |
Delhi Public School, Noida |
Overall Trophy– Delhi PublicSchool,Gurgaon(Sector 45)
