On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary, 'Finding Ananda' -- a work in progress -- by Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT), was recently showcased as a dramatic rehearsed reading at Alliance Francaise.
The play has a contemporary setting and engages the audience, while seeking the relevance of Vivekananda's life and work in today's world.
The project is part of BLT's long-term programme called 'The History of Ideas'. The essence of the programme is the production of plays based on the lives of great personalities, who have contributed significantly to human thought in a historical context.
"The play development project needed a focus and we realised that our own struggle to come to grips with this complex personality was probably it. If only our play could get people to see the continued relevance of Swami Vivekananda's life and work in today's context, perhaps we would have made our little contribution," notes the play's writer and director, Vijay Padaki.
The evening's presentation was a reading of the first draft of the script, which traced certain important events in the philosopher's life. Questions were asked on what he means to society today. It made the audience rethink their understanding of him, despite having read books on his life and teaching.
A play within a play, it tackled the various ways in which Vivekananda could be and should be portrayed to an audience.
Interestingly, the event also managed to show what goes into making a play, by showing the actors warming up, rehearsing individually and dealing with each other on set.
Most of the audience members were well versed with Vivekananda's life, and almost all appreciated the script for the shape it was taking.
"I see Vivekananda not as a person or a personality, but an enormous force. The script, written as a play within a play, is a great way of engaging young audiences. Today, we need Vivekananda's thematic principles in a well-encapsulated form," says R Balasubramaniam, who attended the reading.
What was most encouraging to see was the discussion following the play, where the audience openly interacted with the cast and director, giving them feedback and valuable inputs that could allow the play to become a masterpiece.
"The two main purposes of a reading are to understand better how a script sounds and to see how it's perceived by people other than the artistes themselves, who may have a limited perspective," says Vijay.
"The reading and discussion served both purposes very well. Version 2.0 will
definitely benefit from it," he smiles.
After the reading, there seemed to be only one resonating thought in the minds of the viewers. "There is no one who lived 150 years ago who is more relevant today," sums up Mahesh Krishnan, an audience member.
The play has a contemporary setting and engages the audience, while seeking the relevance of Vivekananda's life and work in today's world.
The project is part of BLT's long-term programme called 'The History of Ideas'. The essence of the programme is the production of plays based on the lives of great personalities, who have contributed significantly to human thought in a historical context.
"The play development project needed a focus and we realised that our own struggle to come to grips with this complex personality was probably it. If only our play could get people to see the continued relevance of Swami Vivekananda's life and work in today's context, perhaps we would have made our little contribution," notes the play's writer and director, Vijay Padaki.
The evening's presentation was a reading of the first draft of the script, which traced certain important events in the philosopher's life. Questions were asked on what he means to society today. It made the audience rethink their understanding of him, despite having read books on his life and teaching.
A play within a play, it tackled the various ways in which Vivekananda could be and should be portrayed to an audience.
Interestingly, the event also managed to show what goes into making a play, by showing the actors warming up, rehearsing individually and dealing with each other on set.
Most of the audience members were well versed with Vivekananda's life, and almost all appreciated the script for the shape it was taking.
"I see Vivekananda not as a person or a personality, but an enormous force. The script, written as a play within a play, is a great way of engaging young audiences. Today, we need Vivekananda's thematic principles in a well-encapsulated form," says R Balasubramaniam, who attended the reading.
What was most encouraging to see was the discussion following the play, where the audience openly interacted with the cast and director, giving them feedback and valuable inputs that could allow the play to become a masterpiece.
"The two main purposes of a reading are to understand better how a script sounds and to see how it's perceived by people other than the artistes themselves, who may have a limited perspective," says Vijay.
"The reading and discussion served both purposes very well. Version 2.0 will
definitely benefit from it," he smiles.
After the reading, there seemed to be only one resonating thought in the minds of the viewers. "There is no one who lived 150 years ago who is more relevant today," sums up Mahesh Krishnan, an audience member.