FINALLY A STATE –OF- THE- ART AUDITORIUM

It took a school to offer it to artists and art lovers of the cultural capital. As I drove into the compound of the Lady Andal School for the opening performance of the Hindu Theatre Fest, I looked to the right and saw the building I had heard so much about. Huge pillars, the steps so aesthetically decorated with colourful lamps. There certainly was a festive air about it.

This time, unlike in previous years when this festival was held at the Music Academy, parking was a breeze. In a relaxed frame of mind, I walked towards the venue. Music wafted through the air. A mellifluous voice which I would later realize belonged to Vedanth. As I approached it all, a great sense of pride surged within me. Finally, the city has an auditorium. Believe me this is cause for celebration.

As a dancer I shifted from Singapore to Chennai ten years ago. The reasons for shifting and those for continuing to stay are very different. Shifting had something to do with the sabhas, if I remember right. It is so long ago and so much has happened in between. But yes, I did believe the sabhas to be the ideal platforms for dance and music. What was I thinking?

One of my early performances was for the opening of the Vani Mahal festivals. There wasn’t much of a stage there (I am told it has been revamped but I’ll have to see it to believe it). And the lack of aesthetics was horrifying. On a blue backdrop, shiny long pink and silver streamers hanging from top to bottom. And of course, the Banner. In front of all this, I danced. What was I thinking? Obviously I wasn’t!

And I continued to put my brain on hold for quite a few years after that, dancing in various sabhas in the most dismal of conditions – depressing dressing rooms, stages with flooring totally unsuitable for dance, lack of adequate lights, terrible audio systems, banners etc etc etc.

Until one day it got to me. Either my work or I had transcended these spaces, or both. I am not speaking of the organization of these festivals. That is another story. I am restricting myself here only to infrastructure. More precisely the lack of it. And everytime I asked for something more that my work required I would be told that so and so had managed with this much, why not me.

Why have artists just settled for what there is without pushing for more? Why do we dance and sing on stages that do not serve the needs of our art completely? Why haven’t we protested and taken our art back to the temples or other intimate spaces? Why this great desperation to perform even in the shoddiest of spaces? It is this desperation which the organizers have been exploiting season after season. Imagine what would happen if senior artists thought beyond themselves but in terms of art and future generations. Imagine if for two December seasons, no artist performed. But that is hard to imagine and that is why after so many decades, it is only now that we have a state-of- the-art auditorium provided not by the cultural organizations, arts fraternity or government, but by a school.

And truly, what a theatre experience. It began outside – the imposing architecture, sense of space, greenery. The Hindu embellished it with beautiful decoration and music. And then you walk into this large hall, take your seat and for a moment you forget where you are until you notice the name of the hall at the top of the stage. This one vestige has unfortunately crept in here. But then because of the sheer size of the hall and stage, it does not interfere with my vision and I decide it is worth overlooking a minor glitch.

For soon, the festival begins – no sponsor videos this time. In more ways than one, we have arrived. As the Korean actors take over with their brilliant acting and movement technique, supported by splendid acoustics and lighting, I sit back ready to watch Yohangsa Theatre Company perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the cultural capital of India.

PS: I wrote this piece after watching The Koreans perform. Last night I attended the Indo-German work and unfortunately saw and heard more glitches. Considering the money spent on constructing this space and the rental charged, I have to say there is something garish about the wooden paneling on the side walls of the auditorium. Sadly the same paneling extends up to the stage. Perhaps this is alright for music concerts but in the case of the visual performing arts, something more dark and sedate would have been more appropriate. Also during last night’s performance we could here the loud sound of the rain outside. A disturbing oversight.

But then, when Korea performed the actors took over; the glitches paled into insignificance.

NIRMALA SESHADRI