It’s more about confidence-building than acting at theatre workshops

Nagpur: Local theatre may not have attained the desired level of popularity in the city, but workshops conducted by theatre persons are definitely thriving. The months of May and June see a plethora of such activities held at different venues. The participants are aged between 5 and 35 years.
The open air stage at Rashtrabhasha Bhavan was throbbing with activities as participants of the fortnight-long workshop were busy rehearsing for the play Jallianwala Bagh on Wednesday.
Conducted by NSD graduate Mangal Sanap, the workshop is in its sixth year. “Only freshers are selected as interactions are healthy and participants are eager to learn,” says Sanap. For the entire duration of the workshop the participants are moved in the direction of putting up a production. “We selected Jallianwala Bagh as it’s the 100th year of the tragedy and no drama has so far highlighted it,” says Rupesh Pawar of Meraki groups who co-conduct the workshop.
Sanap shares her experiences of the National School of Drama with students. “The finer nuances of theatre acting, writing and stage management are taught through practical work. At the end of the workshop the students are a notch better than amateurs,” says Pawar.
Workshops have become a norm with theatre artists of the city who are engaged in this activity full time. “I have learnt at workshops conducted by Mahesh Elkunchwar and Vijaya Mehta,” says Roshan Nandwanshi, a veteran of twenty years. “My workshops are about learning through situations. I tell them to quarrel, slip and fall, cry, talk and share their experiences. This gives them an insight into the real meaning of theatre,” he says.
Not just adults, even kids aged five years are soaking in the nuances of theatre activities. “Theatre is an excellent platform for social bonding among children who come from different backgrounds,” says Ashlesh Jamre who conducts two batches for kids in the age group of 7 to 10 years and 11to 15 years. “I have radio jockeys come in to teach voice modulation and I teach them body language and poise through different games,” says Jamre, who also teaches a batch of underprivileged children.
“The best part is that at the end of the workshop we get a very encouraging and positive audience comprising of parents,” he adds.
It is the lure of becoming film actors which draws many to these workshops. “Since schools do not teach theatre, films become the first ambition for those bitten by the acting bug,” says Virendra Ganvir whose workshops have a special segment for films.
“Theatre workshops are just stepping stones. I teach from what I have observed and give them real life experiences,” says Ganvir but agrees that workshops have not made any difference to theatre activity in the city.
But for the underprivileged children who attend it under the Akshar programme of Chitnavis Trust, it is life changing. “It is an extremely enriching experience for them. Their behaviour and body language changes as they shed their inhibitions,” says Nisha Thakur, the incharge of Akshar.
And for Kashmira Gupte, a bank employee, the theatre workshop that her 13-year-old daughter attends is just a means to keep her occupied during summer vacations. “I don’t think my daughter has any acting ambition. For her it is just a confidence building exercise,” she says.