First edition of 'Actor Unveiled Theatre Festival' begins on Monday

From the rights of a sex worker to nouveau spiritual lifestyles to the different facets of women, the first edition of the 'Actor Unveiled Theatre Festival' will reflect various issues society is struggling with. The two-day festival, which begins on Monday, will see the staging of three contemporary plays written and directed by actor and motivational speaker Kanu Priya.

"The three plays are a reflection of the society we live in. They deals with strong willed women. They also address the changing gender dynamics," said Kanu Priya.

Interestingly, the cast is drawn from the theatre group, 'Actor Unveiled', which brings together amateurs from the different strata of society. Set up in January, it's a platform for people interested in theatre and helps them explore their potential. "The advantage of casting amateurs is that they are not methodical actors. And they question every aspect of the play," she said.

"The Intimate Liasons" explores the darker shades of society and the changing gender dynamics.

The story revolves around a court hearing on the rape of a prostitute by a bisexual business tycoon.

"The play throws up crucial questions like 'Can a prostitute be raped' and whether we have the right to choose our sexuality. I deal with lot of young people and they are confused about their sexuality. They are scared to discuss their sexual orientations with their parents," she said.

"Shabash Kudiye" is an amalgamation of three short stories by award winning poet Urmil Satya Bhushan. They explore many facets of women in middle class society and their challenges.

"The play features strong-willed women of different age groups who know how to come out of their difficult lives. Most of these women face domestic violence at home, but they fight it out," she said.

"On the Astral Plane" is a satire on the spiritual lifestyle which is becoming a fad. It's the story of a very successful self-made businessman, Raghuvender Singh, and his wife, Romilla Singh, who has metamorphosed from a homemaker to a kitty party socialite to a Tarot reader.

"The play is a satire and it has lot of interesting characters. It is all about understanding the impact of these spiritual modalities in a normal upper class household setup. It's a situational comedy," Kanu Priya said.

The festival win run Monday-Tuesday at Alliance Franciase, Lodhi Road, from 6 pm-7 pm and 8 pm-9 pm

--Indo-Asian News service

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