I like having the entire stage to myself so that I am free to experiment, says Sam Kerawala `Technical director: Sam Kerawala', say credits for Hosi Vasunia's Barefoot in Mumbai, besides every other play these days. Who is he?From stage personalities to fashion designers to film stars. even Zubin Mehta knows Sam Kerawala - the 67-year-old former manager of Patkar Hall. But what is technical direction all about?Straight from the horse's mouth: "A person who knows everything about the technicalities of stage craft - acting, direction, make-up, stage design, lighting." And where did he get the training from?"Voltas. For six years I worked in every possible department of that company - carpentry, painting, turning. And then with Premier Auto Electric, as a fuel injection specialist. I set up five service stations in India. But before they could make me a service manager, I left the job to take over Patkar Hall." Any formaltraining?A two-year scholarship from Natyasangh, which was affiliated to Indian Academy of Dramatics and Arts. Sam also studied at the J J School of Arts where he later taught set designing - a course started by him, which closed down a few years ago. In 1970, five years after he joined Patkar Hall, he was the youngest director chosen to attend the World Theatre Conference in Germany. Later, he went to England for a course in acoustics, sponsored by the British Council. Did he also gain from Patkar Hall?"I had the entire stage to myself. After midnight, I would experiment there." And 10 years ago, Sam directed Run for your wife, the longest running show of that time. He also directed for Hosi Vasunia before shifting to musicals. Unforgettable projects."Several." He set up the stage for a month-long fashion show at the grounds where the NCPA is now, sets for Paul Taylor Dance Company when it came to India, the acoustic shell for the European Community Youth Orchestrain 1989 (starring Zubin Mehta and Pandit Ravi Shankar), sets for the play Mousetrap that was staged across the country, the Screen Awards last year, lights for Feroz Khan's Qurbani and the first ever shows of Pierre Cardin and the House of Dior. His gurus?Sam Kerawala swears by the legendary playwright, the late Adi Marzban, with whom he worked as a backstage worker and later graduated to lighting and designing sets. He sees no parallel to set designer Anant Pai. "He was one person who could come out with cheap yet excellent set units." The next best theatre personality?"I am," he jokes. "In fact, after Adi no one could influence me," he adds.-MEETA BHATTI
