They pack much drama in a minute

BANGALORE: Who said one minute is only 60 seconds? Trust women to show the million moments that make a minute. An all-women theatre festival slated to kickstart later this week in the city is out to pack as much drama as one can in one-minute performances. Thriller, comedy, tragedy... a plethora of emotions is set to unravel on the stage.
According to Anita Mithra, organizer, "The festival is aimed at giving budding women playwrights, directors and actors a chance to showcase their skills in a 'never seen or experienced before' genre in theatre.It is the first-ever one-minute play festival in India and will bring forth brand new scripts."
"The one-minute play is a form of theatre that looks at the 10-minute form and structure, distills it down to the most immediate story-telling event or core emotional content. The festival gives a quick barometric reading of the creative mental state of Bangalore's theatre scene,'' Anita explains.
Forty women from Bangalore and Chennai will showcase 52 one-minute plays written and conceived by them.
"The playwrights from Bangalore include Rachana Prasad, Akanchha Karki, Shubra Rishi and Shanteri Mallya. We will also have Jayashree Venkatesan, Padma Divakaruni, Deepa Ravi and a host of other writers and performers from Chennai. In addition to cash prizes, publicity and multiple shows, the winners will get the opportunity to perform in an even bigger show- a face-off with the men three months later,'' Anita says.
Theatre person Rachana Prasad, who is directing four English plays, If Only, Me, The Fuel of Life and Fooled, says it is a challenge to direct a play for one minute. "We had four stages. First I wrote a script. In the second stage, I gave a reading. If we found it took more than one minute to perform it, we edited the scenes in the third stage. The last stage was practice where we finalized the script and ensured that it was packed into one minute.''
Shubra Rishi, who has penned two plays Runny Love and Option B is No Longer Valid, says, "While the first play has a surprise element and deals with women bonding, the second one is a comedy on betrayal of a woman."