I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. Oscar Wild
Delhi Public School R.K Puram hosted one of the most prestigious inter-school, Theatre events, organized by the Expressions Theatre Club of Delhi Public School R.K.Puram, Theatron 2022-2023 on 1st October 2022. It comprised eleven categories out of which ten were on-site and one was off-site. There were a total of 36 schools, and 22 eminent jury members with a footfall of around 1000 individuals. The event was organised by the students and the teacher in charge of Expressions Theatre Club who put in tireless efforts to make it a huge success.
The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp by the Vice Principal, Mr Naresh Miglani. The Theatron offered a plethora of theatrical events to students who had a thirst for theatre and acting. This theatre festival exhibited the exuberance of students that were curtailed during the covid time.
The 11 events and judges were as follows:
Stage Play offered the greatest union of the art of writing and theatre.Taking the art of storytelling to another dimension of dramatic excellence in three minutes; the act presented an array of emotions. The judges for this category were Mr Keval Arora a cult figure in Delhi’s theatre circuit and Ms Lakshmi Subramanyam a retired associate professor of English, at Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University.
Street Play is an art form encompassing entertainment with community education with an aim to spread social messages and create awareness amongst the masses. Passion, energy, ingenuity and emotion on a platform to raise voice to define Nukkad. The judges for this category were Mr Vipul Kalra who is a theatre actor and social activist belonging to the Asmita Theatre Group. Mr Sahil Mukhi an actor who has done more than 3000 street Plays and approximately 200 stage Plays,
Ads Act– Reflected the ingenuity of the media that connect us with the products forming integral parts of our lives. The notion was to get the audience to engage vicariously with the narrative and enthrall attention to the product; something brilliantly displayed by the young students in three minutes. The judges of the category were Ms Disha who currently works as a freelance creative director and Mr Vasu who is an actor and director. He has been part of short films and commercial films (Guilty) and commercial advertisements (Zomato).
Play-O-Poem– This event combined ‘poetry’ and ‘theatre’ in full splendour to exhibit the skills of the accomplished participants. A string of tales opens up the trove of emotions for two to three minutes; the two worlds complementing each other in an enthralling symphony. The judges of this category were Mr Ravi Raj Sagar who is the artistic director of the 35-year-old drama group DramaTech, who has also directed several musicals and plays and Mr Rajneesh Gautam who has been associated with theatre for the last 14 years as a writer, director and an actor.
Courtroom Drama– this event was a portrayal of certain social issues depicted through courtroom settings, reaching a sustainable conclusion. The judges of this category were Mr Stephen Mazzareni a well-known theatre artist and music director with productions like Les Miserables, The Lion King, Cats and The Sound of Music under his belt. Ms Puneet Sikka is an Indian actress associated with the 2018 movie Nanak Shah Fakir, directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu.
Dance Drama– it was a recorded event where participants expressed famous tales through aesthetic and intricate dance movements in three minutes. Drama and dance have ritually been integral parts of dramatic history since time immemorial. The judges of this category were Ms Siddhi Goel who is a professional Kathak dancer-teacher and Ms. Vibhusha Gupta who is a dancer and yoga teacher from Delhi. She has been performing, choreographing and teaching dance professionally since 2014.
Stand-up Comedy– it was a three minute recorded event; a performance art that employs humor as means to express life and to provide a fresh, funny perspective to circumstances. It can provide the audience with a means to relate and bind; as well as seek solace from their tribulations.The judges of this category were Ms. Priya who is an educator, comedy producer and improv artist, she was the co-founder of Playground Comedy Studio and Mr. Baneet who is also the founder of Playground Comedy Studio. Along with comedy, Baneet is also a curator, trainer and host of the studio’s resident improv group Playground Improv.
Thespian Coliseum– this event hailed the legacy of the world’s greatest playwright. Shakespearean monologues , renowned for their emotive expansions and the discreet motives of relatable characters.The judges of this category were Mr. Jobin Thomas who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English. He has been a member of the Executive of the Shakespeare Society of India since 2015 and Mr. Saif Rashid who has always deeply connected with the performing arts and who is driven to conceptualize forms of storytelling and spaces to freely express the same and has relevant experience to orchestrate student creativity.
Mime– it was a recorded event where silent voices expressed raging emotions and made the invisible visible; all in three minutes. Testing the limits of imaginations; the art strips away the intricacies of speech and allows the raw, powerful nature of human emotion to overpower the heart. The judges of this category were Ms. Tsering Lhamo a theatre artist. She is currently pursuing her post graduate diploma in dramatic arts from National School of Drama.
Movie Making– it was an event consisting of film making based on different emotions. The various emotions exhibited were Shringar (love beauty), Hasya (laugher), Karuna (sorrow), Raudra (anger), Veer (heroism), Bhayanaka (terror/fear), Bibhatsa (disgust), Adbutha (surprise wonder) and Shantha (peace). The judges of this category were Mr. Vivek Sharma who is an Indian filmmaker and Mr. Rudrarksh who is a Delhi based filmmaker and improvisational theatre practitioner.
Surprise Event– It is an event which pushes students to show the intricate process of communication with abstract props; visual representations; sound and stimulations. The judges of this category were Ms. Vareni who a researcher, actor and writer and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Delhi and Preet Kaur , an Arts Coordinator at Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, Delhi. She is an Arts-based therapy trainee, Bapu Trust, Pune.
The events took place at different venues of the school like the AVH, Seminar Room, D-block and OAT from 8:30-11:30 AM.
The valedictory ceremony took place in the AVH at 12 PM.The esteemed jury members were facilitated by our Principal Ms Padma Srinivasan.The valedictory commenced with the principal’s welcome speech. Ms Padma Srinivasan spoke about the dedication of Ms. Sanya Taneja towards ETC and how this competition was well managed by the students.A short film on the journey of theatre at D.P.S. R.K. Puram over the years was screened which was a compilation of theatron in the past and theatre helping education in various ways.
The winners of this event were announced by Ms. Sanya Taneja, the teacher in charge of ETC followed by thanking all the teachers and students and also expressing sincere gratitude to the alumni who had been a part of ETC in their years at school.Winners received trophies and certificates for their prominent hard work.
Springdales Public School, Dhaula Kuan won the overall prize. The trophies to all the winners were handed out by our Principal, Vice Principal and the judges of each event.
The vote of thanks was proposed by the principal Ms Padma Srinivasan. She thanked the actors from various schools for participating enthusiastically in the event. She also appreciated the effort put in by the Expressions Theatre Club incharge Ms Sanya Taneja for raising the bar each year.
The ceremony concluded on a patriotic note, with the singing of the National Anthem.
The winners announced were as follows: