The Theatre Army is acting to create a brand-new audience in the cityThey hope to create a movement, one that will involve a large audience not only in the city, but villages too. The Theatre Army is on a roll and wants to reach out to various sections, with socially relevant plays in both Hindi and Punjabi. A pass-out of the Indian Theatre Department, Gaurav Sharma believes in keeping it simple, yet make the process effective. “Nukkad nataks are tough to do, but they have far-reaching effects,’’ Gaurav adds they use their third eye while planning and performing plays. Recently the theatre group presented two plays titled, Mainu Tagore Bana De Maa and Idgah, both chosen to sensitize the audience towards values and human relationships. “Mainu Tagore.was a solo play and depicts the story of unfulfilled dreams of a daily wager, while Idgah was based on Munshi Premchand’ story and childern of Khudda Alisher did a wonderful job of the performance,’’ shares Gaurav, who directed the plays. The group also performs on a regular basis in government schools for they feel youngsters need to be involved in theatre to add meaning to their life and chisel their personality. What’s best, the plays are chosen to get students interested in their syllabus as well. “We are focusing on Punjabi plays as of now, for we felt that not much is being done in the language and we need to promote it, theatre being one of the best mediums and also create a sincere following,’’ Gaurav says they depend on the audience for support, improvement and encouragement. As for finances, it’s always tough to manage that, as their shows are not ticketed. “Precisely why we have to look towards television or films to earn a living and have no regrets doing that, for we have the privilege to follow our heart and continue living our dream,’’ Gaurav and his group are all set to launch a Hindi magazine, which will focus on the latest in the world of theatre and also the personalities influencing the the art. “We are working towards making it both informative and entertaining,’’ promises Sharma.
