META announces list of 10 plays for 15th edition

A political satire based on mythology, an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea", and a musical on the life and times of Bhagat Singh are among the plays competing in the 15th edition of Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).

As many as 10 productions from over 358 plays have been selected for awards across 14 categories including set, costume and light design, direction, production and performance, said the organisers.

The week-long event, featuring plays in Hindustani, Assamese, Bengali, English, Hindi, Malayalam, will be staged here at the Kamani Auditorium and Shri Ram Centre, starting March 13.

The short-listed plays are: 'Chaheta' (The Beloved), 'Ekadashavtar', 'Mickey', 'Every Brilliant Thing', 'For The Record', 'The Old Man', 'Gagan Damama Bajyo', 'Bhaskara Pattelarum Thommiyude Jeevithavum', Ghoom Nei' and 'Maze'.

"This year's selection of plays reminds us of the richness and diversity of our theatrical heritage. With over 385 submissions from all regions of India and the final selection of 10 plays representing many languages and cultures, we are confident that this year's festival will yet again bolster the spirit of theatre practitioners and audiences alike," Jay Shah, vice-president and head Mahindra Group's cultural outreach, said.

The selection committee this year featured veteran thespian Sohag Sen, film-theatre actor Deepika Deshpande Amin, journalist and theatre critic Ajit Rai and Deepa Punjani, artistic director of OzAsia Art Fesival (Australia) Joseph Mitchell, and founder of Aalaap, an arts managemnet company, Akhila Krishnamurthy.

While the festival itself will come to a close on March 18, the winners will be announced at a red-carpet awards ceremony on March 19.