VidYouth

“Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. With it, it becomes creation”, observes Bette Davis. And what better way to present an act than the Theatre, which Oscar Wilde said is “the greatest of all art forms.”

Theatre is a remarkable medium of communication and has been an integral part of our human culture and society for decades. The recent years have seen a commendable growth in theatre. Creative thinking and innovation are abundant in today’s youth. Theatre, today, is not just a mode of expression, or a means of entertainment. It is a highly evolved form of art which ensures ‘learning through fun’.

‘Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation’ based in Hyderabad, is a familiar a name to reckon with, the people of the city are exposed to finer nuances of theatre. Youngsters in the city actively participate in prominent theatre festivals like ‘Samahaara’ and ‘Saarang’, to name a few. A number of theatre groups have emerged in the city owing to the excess talent in the field. Shoelace Dramatics, D-Fir, Ingenium Dramatics, Dramanon, Jeunesse and Clockwork Dramatics are names of some of the eminent youth theatre groups in the city. “Having many theatre groups is the best thing that can happen. Each group has carved a niche for itself. They have each set their unique standards and don’t need to compare with each other,” says Mr. Vijay Marur, founder member of the Little Theatre Hyderabad, the Secunderabad Club Amateur Dramatics Society and the Torn Curtains.

'Alexander- Rising of the Great'. Credits : Pens Eve

Ingenium Dramatics, presented its second spectacular staging of ‘Alexander- Rising of the Great’ on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at Ravindra Bharathi. The proceeds from the show were contributed to The Institute of Rural Health Studies (IRHS). The organization works towards the development of women and children living in the rural parts of India. The institution is headed by Ms. Pat Bidinger, who says, “I loved the play. It’s very impressive that young people are doing something out of the ordinary. A big ‘Thank You’ to Team Ingenium. IRHS is very grateful.”

Ingenium, in Italian stands for ‘talent’ and the group’s motto ‘Equipaggio Teatro’ means Team Theatre. This group of young theatre enthusiasts firmly believes in the importance of team work for the success of the show. Founded on July 4, 2008, by Natasha Chandra, Ingenium Dramatics has provided a unique platform for the city’s youth to explore their talents and present them for all to see.

Ingenium Dramatics has been delivering great performances since its inception. Its first splendid production, ‘Simba – The Lion King’ (August 2008) was followed by ‘Take Two- The Word Play and the Medley Musical’ (December 2008). ‘Alexander- Rising of the Great’ was staged for the first time in December 2009. The response was phenomenal, that Ingenium decided to present the second staging.

Young Alexander with his father, King Philip. Credits : Pens Eve

“Alexander was a challenging and fresh script. I say ‘fresh’ because no theatre group in Hyderabad has presented something like this. The experience during both its productions has been unique and special, as most of the cast and crew were different people”, says Amit Dasani, the Sound Director of Ingenium Dramatics.

The play traces the juvenile years of the life of Alexander, son of King Philip of Macedonia, Greece, who goes on to become the greatest conqueror, the world has known. Surrounded by deceit and hate, torn between his mother and father, Alexander learns that “Fortune Favours the Bold”. Alexander’s fate of greatness is sealed as he learns philosophy, history and geography from the Great Aristotle and the art of warfare from Master Maximus. The company of his loyal and devoted pals, Hephaistion and Ptolemy nourishes his personality. The assassination of King Philip paves the way to the throne for ‘Alexander the Great’.

Ingenium’s portrayal of the formative years of the life of Alexander is incredible. The play is written, directed and conceptualized by Natasha Chandra, a student of Film and Theatre from Queen Mary’s University of London. The cast and crew consists of about 40 youngsters, who fall under the age group of 9-25 years. The creative heads behind the success of the show were Assistant Director, Vichitra Chandra; Music Diretors Amit Dasani and Suhit Chirutapudi, Stage Managers Zainab Rangoonwala and Anurag Prasad, Light Coordinator Sankeerth Saradhi and Sound Coordinator Amit Dasani. Anurag Prasad had also taken care of the Art Work for Publicity. The show was sponsored by Concept Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, Flytech.

Alexander's 'tiff' with his mother, Queen Olympias. Credits : Pens Eve

“Alexander is an original script, written by Natasha Chandra. The response to the play has been very good, as Ingenium Dramatics is getting popular”, says Mr. K P Chandra, one of Ingenium’s patrons. Ingenium’s ‘Alexander- Rising of the Great’ has set standards for theatrical innovation in more ways than one. The actors portrayed their characters remarkably. “It matters not if someone is a good or a bad actor. If he is able to keep his inhibitions aside and come on-stage, it’s a great step”, feels Mr. Vijay Marur. Some theatre critics feel that the personalities of both, the protagonist as well as the antagonist are crucial in defining the audience’s reception of the play. The character of Alexander was played by three actors – Tanav Kesava, Anirudh Srinivas and Lalit Devraj, who did justice to their respective parts. The antagonist or the “villain” was Attalus, played by Radheshyam Pai, who poisons the King’s mind by flattery against his own son. The powerful characters of King Philip and Queen Olympias were played by Jerin Cherian and Neha Poddar respectively and acted their parts in earnest. They helped bring out the dilemma of Alexander, who is torn between his parents.

Background scores emphasize the tragedy or the joy of a scene. Keeping this in mind, the background scores for this play have been originally composed and designed by Suhit Chirutapudi, a qualified musician and Amit Dasani, a newly qualified sound engineering student. The background music during the soothsayer’s scene, when Queen Olympias is informed by the Soothsayer that her son Alexander will be remembered and loved by all, was successful in evoking anticipation among the audience. Dancers Sneha Shukla and Suhasini were very graceful and thrilled the audience with their performance.

Team Ingenium at practice. Credits : Pens Eve

The battle-scenes were well-choreographed with royal costumes, authentic jewellery and appropriate props. The back-stage crew did an efficient job during scene transition and the play went on smoothly. “As part of Ingenium Dramatics, we hope to take theatre to a new and professional level with this show producing colossal set designs, extravagant costumes, original music scores and of course cultivating and presenting the depth of talent that the youth of Hyderabad possess”, says Natasha Chandra.

“It was put forth in a nice manner and everyone did a wonderful job. However, either the background music was too loud or the actors too soft, some of the dialogues were unclear. Otherwise, it was very well presented,” feels Vrinda Mohan, a viewer.

“I haven’t been to events of this kind before and this is the first time for my son is performing”, says a proud Ms. Deepa, whose son was a soldier in the play. “It was a very good show and I’m happy that he’s used his time productively”, she adds.

“With remarkable team work and co-ordination, everyone did a brilliant job. The show was magnificent. But there’s always scope for improvement,” opines Ambika Sashittal, another viewer.

'Alexander- Rising of the Great' : Behind the scenes. Credits : Pens Eve

The young team of Ingenium Dramatics worked with a high degree of efficiency, making the show a grand success. The enthusiastic youngsters balanced academia with play practice, so as to put up a memorable show. They turned up for practice even during the days of Telangana agitation, with numerous bandhs and chaos in the city. Posters for publicity were put up in eminent public places such as Sangeet Sagar in Imax; Odyssey at Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills; Almond House Banjara Hills and Landmark, Banjara Hills. There has been active online publicity done through social networking sites such as facebook, myspace and orkut. Event hosting sites such as fullhyd.com have been used to set up event listing for the play. A video clip serving as the trailer to the production has been uploaded on Youtube and is quite popular.

To create awareness about the play in the city, important characters of the play such as King Philip, Queen Olympias and her maids, Alexander and his friends – Hephaistion, Ptolemy and Kearchus and the royal guards interacted with the people at Hyderabad Central. Fully equipped with their costumes and weapons, they made a lasting impact on the people, with the result that the final show was enjoyed by all.

To know more about Ingenium Dramatics, log on to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21612108009&ref=

To know more about IRHS, log on to www.worldhealthindia.org