A 12-day children’s theatre workshop in Thrissur succeeded in awakening the histrionic talent of the participants.
Play time: The children’s theatre workshop ended with the enactment of three short plays.
Achildren’s theatre workshop in Thrissur, provided a welcome break to 34 youngsters, all under the age of 15. They took on the onus of entertaining rather than seeking to be entertained.
Suresh Mechery, an alumnus of the School of Drama, conducted the 12-day workshop. The objective was the overall development of the child through training in theatrical activities. Children were encouraged to use non-verbal communication. Elements of
Kathakali, Kalari and Yoga were taught in addition to practical classes on the basic elements of acting. Then the creativity began to flow. The meditation and group bonding exercises helped a great deal.
“I put up a few posters with Stanislavskian tenets. There was no compulsion but some participants who were ready, did read and imbibe them,” says Suresh Mechery. The children were taught clay modelling and mask-making since producing and setting up props are important aspects of theatrical training. They learned to design costumes and put on make-up. Some even tried their hand at direction.
Theatre personalities and technicians were invited for interactive sessions with the children. A few small productions, notably one on the introduction and relevance of biogas, were put up during the camp.
The camp ended with the enactment of three short plays. The first item, ‘Chandala Pennkodi,’ was a choreographed piece with simple, stylised movements but no dialogue. Besides the two actors who enacted the Buddha Bhikshu and the Chandala girl, there were six other participants who used innovative measures and movements to form the backdrop for each scene.
The second piece was a delightful portrayal of an imaginary ‘Kundala Desam,’ where the king loves to listen to stories. The story of the ‘Vegetarian Fox’ and the gullible hens and chicken carried a relevant moral for children, ‘Don’t be taken in by the sweet words of strangers.’
The moral of the story is…
The final play was a loose adaptation of Paulo Coelho’s ‘Alchemist,’ called ‘Swapnangalil Anginey Anginey…’. Little Ramu’s dream of prosperity takes him (like many Malayalis) to Tamil Nadu and then the Middle East. He rejects his simple lifestyle only to learn that the treasure that he sought is within him. The director also brought in the subtle message that if one listens to Nature and is in tune with it, one cannot go wrong. The participants improvised with their own songs and dance steps. The atmosphere in the camp was one of creativity and congeniality. The bonding was palpable even on stage.
Besides picking up the theory and techniques of theatre, the children had obviously learnt some other important lessons. A parent who spoke on the occasion admitted that he was amazed by the transformation of his child from a shy introvert to a confident and vocal youngster. The participants shed their inhibitions and grew, and more importantly helped each other grow. The camp was organised by Thalam Cultural Trust.
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