THEATRON 2021-2022
“We must all do theatre to find out who are and who we could become” – Augusto Boal
The Annual Inter-School Theatre Festival, Theatron, was organized by the Expressions Theatre Club of Delhi Public School R.K.Puram on the 15th of January, 2022. Theatron had an all-time edge with 66 schools from all over India participating in the event with tremendous enthusiasm, bringing together young, vibrant minds to celebrate the essence of theatre .It was a symbol of triumph and a testament to keeping passion alive in tough times.
This year, the event was held virtually wherein the participants had shared pre-recorded videos of their acts and the same were judged on the online platform. This year Theatron featured nine distinctive segment – Stage-A-Thon, Nukkad ki Goonj, Ads-Act, Poem Enactment, Thespian Coliseum, Prop-o-sition, Mime, Standup Comedy, and Dance Drama. The much-awaited ‘Theatron 2021-2022’ commenced with the Principal’s address, followed by a short presentation.
The Principal Ms Padma Srinivasan addressed the gathering by highlighting the role theatre plays in one’s daily life and how it is not merely a way of letting go of one’s inhibitions but also an extremely important way of nurturing and cultivating one’s personality with essential values.
She expressed her gratitude towards the jury members for their valuable time and efforts.
She appreciated the efforts of the teacher-in-charge Ms. Sanya Taneja for being the driving force behind the endeavour. She commended the efforts of the theatre club members for demonstrating the club’s organizational efficiency in conducting the event through inventiveness and ardour. She also introduced the club’s upcoming project, “12 Angry Jurors” as a prominent milestone in the creative journey of Expressions Theatre Club.
This was followed up by a short presentation showcasing the activities conducted by the club and its accomplishments over the course of the year. The presentation was a delightl to watch, with the viewer instantly connecting with the club’s heritage and understanding it’s ethos. The class XII members of the Expressions Theatre Club introduced the prolific judges.
The encouraging words of enlightenment from each of the accomplished personalities added to the exuberance associated with the festival.The judges applauded Delhi Public School R.K Puram for its immense regard and admiration for theatre. They emphasized on the need for theatre to be inculcated in all students as it embeds the values of empathy, dedication and grit in them. They advised the students to engross themselves in the craft while performing and to enjoy the process.The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Sanya Taneja where she thanked the Principal for being very supportive of the theatre club.Theatron hosted nine sub-events with a jury of 18 members.
Stage-A-Thon (Stage Play) -The prolific Mr. Gourab Ghosh and Ms. Mala judged the event. Stage-A-Thon successfully merged the two pillars of creativity: Writing and Theatre. The base pillar of Writing was elevated to another level with the help of its counterpart Theatre within a span of mere 3 minutes; the act presented a versatile array of emotions. The participants fully immersed themselves in the lurching sea of dramatic emotions in their presentations.
Nukkad ki Goonj(Street Play) – Mr. Vipul Kalra and Mr. Ashish Sejwal were the judges for the event. Nukkad ki Goonj is an art form combining entertainment and the ever-important need to recognize the plight of society. Street play as an art form inculcates the fuel and fire to imbibe characteristics prevalent in our daily lives and present them with passionate and energetic emotion. The participants were given three to four minutes to exhibit their skill and prowess.
Ads Act (Advertisement enactment) – Mr. Andrew Hoffland and Ms. Swati presided over the event. Ads-Act reflects the influence of media by which it enthrals us and keeps us captivated. The target was to get the audience to engage zealously and draw attention to the product, something exquisitely shown by the young students in the short span of three minutes.
Play o Poem (poem enactment) – The admirable Mr. Neel Sengupta and magnificent Ms. Jyotika Singhal judged the participants who took the best of parallelly similar worlds. It was an enthralling symphony of poetry and theatre that showcased the skills of the participants in the Play o Poem event. A string of tales opened up two or three minutes of raw and uncut emotions, displaying the limitless skill of the performers.
Thespian Coliseum (Shakespearean monologue) – The event was judged by pioneers like Ms. Payal Nagpal and Dr. Poonam Trivedi. Thespian Coliseum event rekindled the flame of William Shakespeare’s evergreen legacy of soliloquies. Shakespearean monologues are renowned for their expressive emotions and the blunt intentions of strangely relatable characters. It was an exhilarating mixture of theatre and soliloquy in a span of 3 minutes, where the mind met action and the combined result was a spectacle to behold.
Prop-O- Sition (Movie- Making) – The event was skillfully judged by Ms. Anurupa Roy and Ms. Manpreet Kaur. Prop-O-Sition was a recorded movie-making event where participants used the intricate beauty of visual art to convey the narrative of action and its consequences in three to four minutes. An unconventional methodology that has evolved and changed drastically over the years, Movie-Making is a detailed process of communication with abstract props; visual representations; sound and stimulations.
Mime – The event was presided over by Mr. Rajan Chawla and Ms. Roshni Shripad; renowned for their emotive magnificence. Mime was a recorded event wherein the picture of silence prevailed but was worth a thousand words, all in three minutes. Stripping away the shackles bound on imagination, the mime allowed emotions to speak more than words and let the raw, expressive nature of human emotion prevail over the clamour and vociferity of speech.
Standup Comedy-The event was judged by theatre practitioners like Mr. Rochan Mathur and Mr. Gaurav Verma. Standup Comedy was a three minute recorded event; a truly enriching act that blows a breath of fresh air to those immersed deeply in the world of powerful, emotive solitude. It reaches out to the audience, with relatability being its essence of success with humour on the side. The participants credibly showcased their sense of humour and ability to see the funny side of otherwise dire situations.
Dance Drama- The event was presided over by acclaimed dancers and performers Ms. Anu Rawal and Ms. Soumya . Dance Drama was a recorded event where participants expressed emotive tales with each step and curve moving in tandem with each twist in the story. Drama and dance have traditionally been integral parts of dramatic history that go hand in glove since a long time back. Dramatic dance employs theatrical narrative action to showcase the power and ingenuity of two emotive arts in a mixture of immense splendour.
VALEDICTORY CEREMONY
THEATRON 2021-2022
The Valedictory Ceremony for Theatron 2021-2022 was organised on the 30th of January 2022. The auspicious Lamp Lighting ceremony marked the inauguration of the Theatre Festival, Theatron 2021-2022. The ceremony commenced with the Principal’s address.
The Principal, Ms Padma Srinivasan addressed the gathering by welcoming the Chief Guest, Ms. Neena Gupta and Guests of Honour, Mr. Imtiaz Ali, Mr. Amit Sharma and Mr. Vikrant Massey. She applauded the efforts of all the participants and encouraged them to continue upholding this enthusiasm. She commended the efforts of the teacher in-charge Ms. Sanya Taneja and the students of the Expressions Theatre Club for hosting Theatron Thirst for Theatre 2021-22 at an all-time zenith of a national event with 66 schools participating from all over the country through a virtual medium. She congratulated the entire team for their tireless efforts.
The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest, the much acclaimed and experienced television actress- Ms. Neena Gupta. She emphasized on the fact that theatre had had a big role in shaping her career as well as the profound impact it had on her life. She spoke eloquently about the necessity of discipline in the ever-broadening horizons of the constantly changing world we live in today. She called theatre the greatest of all the art forms that is required for holistic development and congratulated all those who seized the opportunity of participating in Theatron, making her love for theatre evident.
The Guests of Honour, all renowned artistes with immense experience and success in their fields- Mr. Imtiaz Ali, Mr. Amit Sharma and Mr. Vikrant Massey graced the occasion with their presence. Mr. Imtiaz Ali spoke vividly about theatre, his views sending waves of encouragement to all the club members. He concluded by expressing his heartfelt wishes to all the participants who had taken part in Theatron and commended the club’s efforts for providing the platform to all theatre enthusiasts. Mr Amit Sharma passionately described how theatre was very close to his heart and encouraged the students to follow their passion with such creative endeavours. Mr. Vikrant Massey expressed his fondness for theatre and how he vividly remembered wanting to do it. He told the students to take a plunge into the ‘creative side of life’ by immersing themselves into it to experience fulfillment .
The students of Delhi Public School R.K. Puram then presented a short movie which displayed an in-depth sight into the world of artistes and highlighted the significance of essential attributes such as humility and respect.
Finally, the much awaited moment of glory had arrived- The announcement of the results of Theatron 2021-2022. The photos of the winners, along with snippets of the winning performances were displayed.
The valedictory ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the club incharge, Ms Sanya Taneja. She encapsulated the true essence of theatre by quoting Vanessa Redgrave who compared the importance of theatre to water, which in itself is a prerequisite. She appreciated the fervent passion for theatre in every person associated with Theatron 2021-22. She congratulated the winners and participants. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards all those who had contributed to the success of this event with such grandeur and fervour.
