Chennai-based theatre artist to bring 'Russian Sleep Experiment' to stage

CHENNAI: In 2010, a horror story by an anonymous author hit the internet and spoke about a certain military-sanctioned scientific experiment that was conducted on a group of political prisoners in the 1940s at the beginning of the Cold War era. Titled “The Russian Sleep Experiment,” the story delved into the unimaginable extents leading countries of the world – in this case Russia – to develop manpower in their hunger for power.Young city director Hari Ramakrishnan of Light and Blind Productions will now adapt this story to the stage. Titled ‘Subject UH1317’, the play will explore the journey of three subjects who are brought in for a government-funded experiment and the experiences they undergo during its course. "Some say The Russian Sleep Experiment is fiction, while others say it's based on isolated instances that took place during that period. I found this knot interesting and contacted my friend Shruti Parasuraman who has penned the dialogues for the script. I am pretty excited as we are incorporating surprise elements in the play to keep the audience hooked," says Hari. “A lot of research has gone into developing and layering the characters. It was interesting to look at how man could be pushed to the extreme through experiments to enhance regular functioning. Some things keep haunting you and this story is such that we are trying to find ways to constantly make it better,” he says. The play is open to 16 plus. Tickets are available at bookmyshow.comCast: Syamantha Kiran, Hari Ramakrishnan, Denver Nicholas Anthony, Shubh Mukherjee, Aditya Kajwe, Vinayashree Jagadeesh, Joel Mark, Shyam Chandar, Aadhu Deshmukh, Ponni Suresh, Aravind, Gopalan, Aravindan and Abhishek.Venue: Alliance Franchise, NungambakkamDate and time:March 8 at 5pm and 7pmMarch 10 at 4pm and 7pm