Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Shining on-stage
|
Quasar Padamsee scouts young talent in the city
|
PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR
OUT OF THE BOX Quasar likes to find alternative sets outside the confines of an auditorium.
Taking up a theatre workshop in the Google cafeteria during his recent visit to the twin cities was so like Quasar Padamsee— finding alternative spaces and sets outside the confines of an auditorium— a pub, bookstore, or a house like for his The Maids in Calcutta. The son of veteran theatre pros Dolly Thakore and Alyque Padamsee, he says of the latter, "We live secluded theatre existence. He does bigger productions," as he wins laurels in his own way.
Ask him about his three passions and what you get is theatre, cricket and rock music. "U2. I will go anywhere to see their concert if I have the money," says Quasar.
At an age when the youth seem to be hooked on to bubblegum pop and coffee bars, the junior Padmasee went on to float a theatre company, the Q Theatre Production, with like-minded out-of-the-box thinkers. One of the productions that received rave reviews was Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that was staged in the Bard's hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon, as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's festival, and at Verona in a 1000-year-old Roman amphitheatre. "We rehearsed at Pondicherry for a few days and went on to stage at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata before taking it to Stratford where it was directed by Tim Supple," he says.
His current penchant is underground theatre and to promote people who do theatre for the love of it. Enter Thespo, the annual theatre festival for theatre buffs below 25 years of age - a movement that also binds him with his parents. On Dolly Thakore, "She is my No 1 critique. We share a lovely relationship. She supports Thespo more than she supports my production," he says. And on Alyque Padamsee, "He is involved with Thespo which belongs to Theatre Group Bombay. They wanted young people to get into theatre," he says.
Quasar was in town for a talent hunt. "There seem to be a lot of interest in Hyderabad with plays coming here and people getting involved with theatre. We thought it was a good fit to come here, to recognise and promote young talent through Thespo. This is happening in Bangalore and Mumbai for some time and we are trying to branch out. At the moment we are trying to get plays staged by young people here and probably have a mini fest. The grand plan is to bring the theatre festival to Hyderabad."
As for young theatre buffs here, "They can tell us by October 1 if they have a play. Our screening committee will be visiting here and the selected plays will be staged in the festival in Mumbai and Bangalore in December," he says. Interested? Do shoot a mail to thespo@gmail.com
SYEDA FARIDA
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
