Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Life in Oct 16 - Feb 4
If you go to the previous blog in this series, it says - a period of calmness.
Well it was calmness before the storm as the next period was a torrent of action. One thing after another and it was all planned and executed to perfection.
Travel -
- Travel was the bulk of the activity. All started with the 16 day NZ trip . Documented here, here and here.
- Immediately after NZ, after 10 days, we were off to run Kaveri Trail Marathon in Mysore. It was a HM after a long time, took 3 hrs plus but feels good to have done it without injury. Report is documented here.
- All of the above was in Nov. For NY, it was an impromptu plan to attend Sunburn @ Pune. Amazing experience plus a road trip from BLR.
- For the anniversary weekend, Kanishka and I decided to visit Sunderbans + Kolkata together with Aman and Divya. Kolkata was a foodie trip and Sunderbans is a hidden gem in India. Report will be shared soon.
Events-
Life in city (when not traveling) was also full of activities. December is anyways a month of lots of interesting things.
- Ruhaniyat - This year edition had a group of 9 from our side. Here was the lineup -
Mongolian performance by Hosoo Khosbayar
Mukhtiyar Ali and group
Belgian performance by Louvat brothers.
Nandesh Umap and group from Maharashtra
Qawwali by Chisti brothers
All were good but nothing stood out like last year. But a great night with home-cooked rolls under open skies.
- Sunburn was anyways the highlight and as Kanishka says - 'once in a lifetime experience'
- Play - Ram lala ki Mata at Ranga Shankara. A play on role of Kaikeyi in Ramayana and why she did what she did. A self aware play which tries to rope in the current political topics into its narrative. But overall not very spectacular either.
- Concert : Local Train at Phoenix market city. There is only one Indian pop band which I started following closely in last year, it was Local Train and I got to know that they were coming to Bangalore. I instantly booked tickets. It was amazing performance. The best highlight was the crowd as these were the die-hard fans of this band. Each song before the artist could sing as sung by the crowd. It was a thrilling performance and it was so good to be in good company of today's youth.
While travel and concerts were happening at one end, Kanishka and I decided to leave our life of rental nomads and decided to buy a flat in Sobha Daffodils. But post the registration, the process of finding a good interior designer and ideas for interior made us go out every weekend from one group to another, and in the online world from one website to another. The process is still underway and we are hoping things to get done by April.
Movies -
First Man- 4/5 Again a process movie (no doubt it is by the same guy who wrote Spotlight - Josh singer), but very well executed. I think the major accomplishment of Damien Chazelle is that he makes Ryan Gosling watchable :) Soundtrack was amazing and it is now my ring tone too!
Watched a bunch of bad action movies - Close (2/5), The girl in Spider's web(2/5), and rom-com - Leap year (3/5), The Spy who dumped me (2/5) , The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (3/5)
Tumbad -
4.5/5
Watched on the way to Pune in road trip. Very well done film. Probably the finest horror film from India. Absolutely highly recommended.
Raazi -
3.5/5
Good story telling and good acting. Liked it a lot.
Mowgli - Legend of the Jungle
3/5
Adds a darkish tone to the entire Jungle book and comes out okay.
TV Series -
Finished Gilmore girls. Watched it till season 5 and skimmed through 6 or 7. There are lot many things to like here but some things are just unwatchable.
Brooklyn Nine Nine. I am a fan boy. 5/5. Love all the aspects of the show.
Bodyguard - 3.5/5 Not as good as Line of Duty but still action and performance keeps it going.
Also finished season 1 of Mad men by forcing to watch and get it done. Not an easy series to watch.
Black Mirror - Watched 3 more episodes and each one is a good one. Will take some time to get back to it.
Books
- Finished Sacred Games. 3.5/5 The first half is amazing with good commentary on what happens at a police station and how cops work. The making of Ganesh Gaitonde is also amazing. But the ending though it ties together things is not as thrilling as it should be.
It was a mammoth book and took 2 months to finish.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Stories in a song
Stories in a song
Justin called me about two weeks before this play was to be performed at the annual RangaShankara festival this year. "Batra! you must attend this play, I have seen it 3-4 times before and i am telling you, you must attend this one." There has never been a time when i have disagreed with Justin's recommendation. I checked my calendar and for some reason, it seemed difficult to confirm at that point of time.
Being a true citizen, i had broadcasted this recommendation to near and dear ones. Even if i can not attend, others should. On the day of the event, at 11 am, Nikesh says that lets go for this play. The play time was 3:30 pm. Being at EventsHigh, it felt difficult to turn down an impromptu request and that too of this one. So, lo and behold, we attended 3:30 pm show.
Stories in a song is a motley of different stories with songs as a theme in each one. They depict a time and an era where a certain kind of music was used. There is a story on how a Brith lady tries to learn hindustani music from a local musician and applies it to western classical music. One story talks about how Gandhiji used the paakeezah like singers to promote the message of freedom. There are stories from Lucknow on their unique style of singing, a nautanki musical with lots of slapstick comedy built into it. Stories are laid somewhat in a chronological order. As we get to modern era, we see how a classical music song is remixed into a party number, right in front of our eyes.
This is one of those plays that has to be seen to be appreciated. The music is by Shubha Mudgal and it is beautiful. But what makes this play a must watch is its amazingly awesome cast. They nail the characters and their comic timings are outright brilliant.
Some thirty minutes into the play, I was so immersed that everything else was forgotten. The world outside was meaningless, time was controlled by these stage magicians and they could have taken us anywhere. Once the play ends and I walked out of the theatre hall, it felt like an eternity has happened while we were inside. Somebody had massaged the mind, it was active, ready to fire and take on the world. The worries with which I had gone inside were completely lost, they were meaningless in the new world. A new day had begun, although it was 7 pm in the evening.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Shanbag
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/a-piquant-journey/article5064841.ece
Justin called me about two weeks before this play was to be performed at the annual RangaShankara festival this year. "Batra! you must attend this play, I have seen it 3-4 times before and i am telling you, you must attend this one." There has never been a time when i have disagreed with Justin's recommendation. I checked my calendar and for some reason, it seemed difficult to confirm at that point of time.
Being a true citizen, i had broadcasted this recommendation to near and dear ones. Even if i can not attend, others should. On the day of the event, at 11 am, Nikesh says that lets go for this play. The play time was 3:30 pm. Being at EventsHigh, it felt difficult to turn down an impromptu request and that too of this one. So, lo and behold, we attended 3:30 pm show.
Stories in a song is a motley of different stories with songs as a theme in each one. They depict a time and an era where a certain kind of music was used. There is a story on how a Brith lady tries to learn hindustani music from a local musician and applies it to western classical music. One story talks about how Gandhiji used the paakeezah like singers to promote the message of freedom. There are stories from Lucknow on their unique style of singing, a nautanki musical with lots of slapstick comedy built into it. Stories are laid somewhat in a chronological order. As we get to modern era, we see how a classical music song is remixed into a party number, right in front of our eyes.
This is one of those plays that has to be seen to be appreciated. The music is by Shubha Mudgal and it is beautiful. But what makes this play a must watch is its amazingly awesome cast. They nail the characters and their comic timings are outright brilliant.
Some thirty minutes into the play, I was so immersed that everything else was forgotten. The world outside was meaningless, time was controlled by these stage magicians and they could have taken us anywhere. Once the play ends and I walked out of the theatre hall, it felt like an eternity has happened while we were inside. Somebody had massaged the mind, it was active, ready to fire and take on the world. The worries with which I had gone inside were completely lost, they were meaningless in the new world. A new day had begun, although it was 7 pm in the evening.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Shanbag
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/a-piquant-journey/article5064841.ece
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Drama streak
Last month i blogged about going to Stanford summer theater here. Combined with Oedipus from SST, i went for three plays in three weeks. This post is a review.
Stuffed and Unstrung -
Website - http://www.stuffedandunstrung.com/home.html
This i got to know through SHN Broadway stream and was quite curious by reading about it. A combination of improv and puppetry, very interesting. Again, i have seen only one or two improve before and so far, i have found it interesting but have realized that i do not have the context (the american slang) to get a more complete experience. But this idea of combining improv with puppetry sounded very interesting and indeed it was. Modi and me went to see it, there are about 100 puppet heads sitting on a stand and there are 6 artists who take different roles for different scenarios. Suggestions for each act come from audience and even though the audience is trying real hard to give cheesy or double entendre like scenarios, the artists handled them very well. Puppets are also very well done and the artists change their voice to match the puppet's character. Highly recommended! May again go again.
Cymbeline
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbeline
Modi and i were sitting at Philz on this saturday evening. Having worked all day, i was feeling a little bit tired, philz break was always welcome. There we saw this poster of Shakespeare in the park and today it was the Tragedy of Cymbeline. Modi asked - chalna hai? and a play in the park is always interesting, so we went.
It was performed at the park at Cupertino. The setting of the stage was just too good, they built a stage on the water pond and people were sitting on a small grass hill giving it like a amphitheater like get-up. The play was done very well, it was a free play yet the performers were quite professional. It took me some time to understand the accent but after reading the wikipedia page, it all made sense. Since it was all done in open, it became quite cold once it got dark and wearing shorts, sitting on a grass soon got a little uncomfortable, but the play was good enough, we didnt move. Donated some money after the show was over.
A good experience with no planning. Thats the best kind, if you know what i mean :)
Stuffed and Unstrung -
Website - http://www.stuffedandunstrung.com/home.html
This i got to know through SHN Broadway stream and was quite curious by reading about it. A combination of improv and puppetry, very interesting. Again, i have seen only one or two improve before and so far, i have found it interesting but have realized that i do not have the context (the american slang) to get a more complete experience. But this idea of combining improv with puppetry sounded very interesting and indeed it was. Modi and me went to see it, there are about 100 puppet heads sitting on a stand and there are 6 artists who take different roles for different scenarios. Suggestions for each act come from audience and even though the audience is trying real hard to give cheesy or double entendre like scenarios, the artists handled them very well. Puppets are also very well done and the artists change their voice to match the puppet's character. Highly recommended! May again go again.
Cymbeline
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbeline
Modi and i were sitting at Philz on this saturday evening. Having worked all day, i was feeling a little bit tired, philz break was always welcome. There we saw this poster of Shakespeare in the park and today it was the Tragedy of Cymbeline. Modi asked - chalna hai? and a play in the park is always interesting, so we went.
It was performed at the park at Cupertino. The setting of the stage was just too good, they built a stage on the water pond and people were sitting on a small grass hill giving it like a amphitheater like get-up. The play was done very well, it was a free play yet the performers were quite professional. It took me some time to understand the accent but after reading the wikipedia page, it all made sense. Since it was all done in open, it became quite cold once it got dark and wearing shorts, sitting on a grass soon got a little uncomfortable, but the play was good enough, we didnt move. Donated some money after the show was over.
A good experience with no planning. Thats the best kind, if you know what i mean :)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Stanford summer theater
Links -
Stanford Summer theater - http://www.stanford.edu/group/summertheater/cgi-bin/sst/
This season, SST is having plays on theme Memory. They had two plays and i have seen both of them. Old Times by Harold Pinter and Seneca's Oedipus.
Old Times -
A very interesting play, a play where it takes some momentum to get over the inertia and once its gone, its a delight to watch. I think the story is very well scripted and its sensual nature keeps everyone at the edge. There is so much electricity in the air and no one knows where it is going. The play summary can be read on wikipedia
Oedipus -
Since i had read the book, i was familiar this time with the story line. But everyone knows about the story of Oedipus. The fun lies in how it is going to be narrated because by no means it is no easy to dramatize it. In Oedipus, a big shout out for the protagonist who played Oedipus, he had atleast thousands of lines to remember and speak them as continuous monologues at a high pitched voice and he was just very good at it. One of the big thing in plays is how the set can be used with minimal prop and in this one, it has been done in a very clever manner.
Acting is good in both plays. The plays were quite cheap 20$ a ticket. Looking forward to more of them.
Stanford Summer theater - http://www.stanford.edu/group/summertheater/cgi-bin/sst/
This season, SST is having plays on theme Memory. They had two plays and i have seen both of them. Old Times by Harold Pinter and Seneca's Oedipus.
Old Times -
A very interesting play, a play where it takes some momentum to get over the inertia and once its gone, its a delight to watch. I think the story is very well scripted and its sensual nature keeps everyone at the edge. There is so much electricity in the air and no one knows where it is going. The play summary can be read on wikipedia
Oedipus -
Since i had read the book, i was familiar this time with the story line. But everyone knows about the story of Oedipus. The fun lies in how it is going to be narrated because by no means it is no easy to dramatize it. In Oedipus, a big shout out for the protagonist who played Oedipus, he had atleast thousands of lines to remember and speak them as continuous monologues at a high pitched voice and he was just very good at it. One of the big thing in plays is how the set can be used with minimal prop and in this one, it has been done in a very clever manner.
Acting is good in both plays. The plays were quite cheap 20$ a ticket. Looking forward to more of them.
Friday, March 18, 2011
jisne lahore nahin dekhya woh janmya hi kya
Saw the play Jisne Lahore nahin dekhya woh janmya nahin
Link- http://www.artsopolis.com/event/detail/441101705/Jis_Lahore_Nai_Dekhya_O_Jamyai_Nai_Hindi_Play_with_English_Supertitles
Play was by nataak theatre a Sunnyvale based theater company. The play was written by Ashgar Wajahat and i had seen it before at India Habitat Center when it was performed by Naya theatre and Habib Tanvir was alive and in the play. Seen i had seen it before, naturally i was bound to compare but good news is that i do not remember Habib's play in detail (All i remember is that i was blown away by it and i had loved theater since then). But watching this one, it was a wonderful delight.
One things that stood out was people using thet punjabi in the play. Multani punjabi sunne ko bahut kam milti hai. Stage decor was quite good, what was missing was a background score. Habib ji's plays always had music in them. Acting was quite good and it was later only i realized that the actors where actually from a local theater group in Sunnyvale and they were all Indians settled in US. After the play, those very people were speaking english in a manner that they were out of some British movie, quite interesting to watch the contrast.
The theme of play is so strong, the lines are very well written and based on partition, homeland, home and underlying humanity in the play is so good. This play is a timeless classic and there will be many groups performing it. I will not reveal the story here.
The other interesting thing that the organizers did was to organize an informal stage after the play where they invited people from audience to share the stories of partition. Two people came to stage, one was 8 and other was 6 and half when partition happened. Their stories were quite sad and listening to first hand experience was very interesting to me.
As the organizers described their motive behind this - stories about partition are never written in books, they are not told to children, people do not talk about it, slowly and slowly this is fading from the minds of people and the newer generation have very little idea of this tragic incident. This is quite true and indeed sad.
More links -
http://www.naatak.com/current_event.html
http://www.facebook.com/Naatak
http://jis-lahore.blogspot.com/
Link- http://www.artsopolis.com/event/detail/441101705/Jis_Lahore_Nai_Dekhya_O_Jamyai_Nai_Hindi_Play_with_English_Supertitles
Play was by nataak theatre a Sunnyvale based theater company. The play was written by Ashgar Wajahat and i had seen it before at India Habitat Center when it was performed by Naya theatre and Habib Tanvir was alive and in the play. Seen i had seen it before, naturally i was bound to compare but good news is that i do not remember Habib's play in detail (All i remember is that i was blown away by it and i had loved theater since then). But watching this one, it was a wonderful delight.
One things that stood out was people using thet punjabi in the play. Multani punjabi sunne ko bahut kam milti hai. Stage decor was quite good, what was missing was a background score. Habib ji's plays always had music in them. Acting was quite good and it was later only i realized that the actors where actually from a local theater group in Sunnyvale and they were all Indians settled in US. After the play, those very people were speaking english in a manner that they were out of some British movie, quite interesting to watch the contrast.
The theme of play is so strong, the lines are very well written and based on partition, homeland, home and underlying humanity in the play is so good. This play is a timeless classic and there will be many groups performing it. I will not reveal the story here.
The other interesting thing that the organizers did was to organize an informal stage after the play where they invited people from audience to share the stories of partition. Two people came to stage, one was 8 and other was 6 and half when partition happened. Their stories were quite sad and listening to first hand experience was very interesting to me.
As the organizers described their motive behind this - stories about partition are never written in books, they are not told to children, people do not talk about it, slowly and slowly this is fading from the minds of people and the newer generation have very little idea of this tragic incident. This is quite true and indeed sad.
More links -
http://www.naatak.com/current_event.html
http://www.facebook.com/Naatak
http://jis-lahore.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)