Hi All,
I was in the 21st batch of Weekend Theatre Workshop in the period of 19.03.16 to 08.05.16, and boy I’ll tell you what a great time I had there. I was new to Hyderabad then, only three months before I came here for my job. So I had no friends to spend my weekends with. Just imagine I once visited Ramoji Film City for the whole day all alone! And it all started from there. The underlying urge of mine suddenly wanted to take action as it has sensed that resources are available nearby. Googled acting courses in Hyderabad, reviewed Samahaara’s record, their performances in the city and in various other cities and enrolled for this course almost one and a half months before the actual start of the workshop!
During the complete period of the workshop, I woke up on Saturdays and Sundays more energetically and enthusiastically than I usually wake up on my weekdays. After all I had started doing something which I always wanted to. And believe me, doing something or being involved in something which you love, even for just two hours a day is very relaxing and makes you feel light. After the workshop sessions I felt positive, confident and came out with a different approach towards life and people. There are so many aspects involved in art, and it also involves how you are as a human being, how you observe this world, how you feel and have empathy towards other human beings. The theory and practical which we did, bonded each one of the group members and we all came close to each other. So close, that in the farewell night we all got scattered here and there and spent approx. Rs.11,000/- (25:75 Food:Alcohol) in the party!
The workshop was very well planned starting with theories of theatre (and art as a whole) which were explained at the grass root level (sometimes to secondary root level also: who are you/what is your purpose of life/why is there gender bias in our society, etc.), and later leading to practical performances and activities. And there in one of the practical I did something which I had never done in my life : ARGUED WITH A GIRL. And to my amazement I was quite good at it, though at the end I surrendered. The practicals which were conducted required the involvement of each one of us and equal opportunities were given to all to carry out a freak show of their own! Everyone opened up, had a hearty laugh, expressed themselves, trusted each other, and all had one thing in common : We all loved art! We all aspired to be an actor or an artist in some form!
I am really much honored and am glad to have bumped into Mr. Rathna Shekar Reddy in my life. His unorthodox opinions about our world in which we live, the courage with which he expresses himself and then explains his views with logic; is something which I really adore. My opinion about this world is also very unorthodox, but I neither have the courage to express myself nor the ability to explain them. Sometimes I think that if I catch a thief while stealing a property, and if the thief starts shouting that I was actually stealing, then that’s it! I’m finished! Proving myself has never been an average feature of mine (forget about strong). Even though the cause for which I’m standing up is true. And that’s a major reason why I’m working in a fourth company within a span of five years. So to see someone with such views and approach and that too doing good in life was very encouraging for me.
The way he disciplined us; not by being strict and rude but by generating curiosity and creating questions in our minds, by making us realize that it’s not wrong in raising voice against something which is baseless, that it’s possible to do something you love and fulfill your dreams and in the process create harmony among people; was simply amazing. And the energy and commitment he brings to the class is really appreciable. And learning art from such a person is like dream come true.
To summarize things, I really feel very nice and happy to have done that workshop. And it has given me both courage and an opportunity to pursue something which makes me feel good and to do something which I want to do.
On 29.05.16 I did my first live performance on stage in the Comedy Nights organized by Samahaara at Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Though my play was a 10 mins play but I was performing in front of 60-70 people; initially with a beating heart, but after sometimes couldn’t recall whether my heart’s beating or not or whether I’m breathing or not, as it was all spontaneous from there on; and it required a lot of practice. (And sacrifice too: For a bachelor it’s no less than a sacrifice. I postponed my visit to home, to see girls for marriage which my mother had lined up, after the end of theatre workshop. And now I have further postponed it till the end of my film acting workshop.) So wish me luck (in both the cases). And to you all, ALL THE BEST!
Regards,
Akash Kumar