Preview: What to look for at AHA! Ranga Shankara Theatre For Children Festival 2023

Rupesh Tillu, Vivek Vijayakumaran, and Sananda Mukhopadhyaya explore how children’s theatre is unadulterated, interactive, and encourages imagination. They believe it teaches children to navigate human interactions and is a crucial part of their development. AHA! Ranga Shankara Theatre For Children Festival 2023 offers five plays, storytelling, theatre games, and clowning workshops to explore the beauty of the world.

Actor, writer, and director Rupesh Tillu makes a strong case for how children’s theatre is, in a way, unadulterated compared to theatre for adults. “I feel that the evolution of theatre over time has somewhat diminished the magic it once had,” he says, “Traditional art forms in India, like Kathakali and Bharatnatyam, were always interactive with the audience when they originated, often performed in temples. However, with the rise of proscenium theatre in the 19th century, it became more detached, resembling cinema where the audience is a passive observer.”

Rupesh regrets the disappearance of playfulness in theatrical performances. “After all, it’s called a ‘play’ for a reason, right? Sometimes, we get so caught up in the literary aspects of it that we forget to have fun and enjoy ourselves,” he says.

Children’s theatre, however, goes beyond words and dialogue, delving deep into subtext, where the unspoken is as significant as the spoken. It speaks directly to the senses, engaging sight, sound, and movement to create a truly immersive experience. Unlike theatre for adults, children’s theatre transcends the realm of intellect, tapping into raw and instinctual responses.

Rupesh, hence, is happy to be a part of the annual AHA! Ranga Shankara Theatre For Children Festival 2023, beginning from July 19. His 45-minute non-verbal performance, Bags of Gags, will be the final one of the festival.

The theatre festival, now in its 14th year, centres around the theme ‘Life is Beautiful.’ It will feature five plays, storytelling, theatre games, and clowning workshops, helping children explore the beauty of the world around them.

“There is no magic wand to change things. In this bleak landscape, however, there is cause for celebration, too,” says Arundhati Nag, Director of Ranga Shankara. “A network of people concerned about what art is presented to children is coming together across India. A clutch of talented theatre makers who believe that the early years are the time of maximum absorption and this is the time when the power of ideas and imagination are to be kindled in children to create good memories is making fine, age-specific work. We are showcasing five such nuggets at this festival. I would like parents and teachers to give their children the gift of good theatre and reiterate that ‘Life is Beautiful.’”

The five plays offer a delightful variety of experiences for audiences. From exploring the concept of home through objects and materials to unravelling hidden worlds, embarking on quests to bring hope, and showcasing the magic of clowns, each play brings a unique perspective and engages audiences with its distinctive themes and storytelling techniques.