Solo acts to support aspiring theatre actors

It’s no secret that an increasing number of corporate professionals are making a deliberate attempt to break free from their robotic work culture and find relief in , music or poetry. While Bengaluru’s vibrant art scene, alternative spaces and diverse workshops are providing the required inspiration and platform to pursue one’s passion, a good number of aspiring actors are still struggling to showcase their talent or land the desired role in a play. , a new theatre initiative in the city, is trying to bridge this gap.

Conceptualised and curated by theatre persons and Devanand Mahakud, this one-of-its-kind arts project puts forth four actors on stage every month, allowing them to elaborate on their acting skills through four mono acts. The stories are written by Sushmita Chatterjee and Raakhee, and directed by Devanand.

“The main motto of this initiative is to help first-time actors hone their skills and provide them with a platform where they can showcase their craft and be noticed. These 15-minute performances are a blend of storytelling and theatrical elements. These mono acts are mostly inspired by real-life stories, enabling the actors to enact multiple characters within the said time-frame. Apart from actors, new playwrights are also roped into the project,” explains Raakhee, who herself was explains.

The latest edition of the show features four female actors — Tania Thomas, Sukhleen Kaur, Saily Pall and Soundarya Nagaraj — each of whom will portray roles involving the issues that contemporary face in their day-to-day life.

Saily — who is opening the show with the act, titled Corporate Kingdom — says, “I have been a software engineer for 7-8 years, but now I want to pursue theatre. I have done a few acting workshops before, and this will be my maiden solo show. I am a little nervous about it, but hopefully the audience will like my performance.”

The stories…

• Corporate Kingdom is a corporate fantasy satire about an arrogant woman, who is too proud of her success and sacrifices. But she eventually discovers that she’s no different from other employees in her workplace.
• Birthday Gift is a story about a woman’s journey, who falls victim to domestic violence, but even then she tries her best to live happily and cherish every moment of life.
• The Unspoken is a story about a ‘breakup meet’ of a woman in a long distance relationship.
• The Fling is a story of a modern woman who dreams of success, pleasures and freedom.