What do you get when you put a bunch of energetic, crazy actors, one sane director and an Oscar Wilde play in the same room?
The rehearsal of the Evam’s production ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, that’s what.
Brief flashback:
Manasi, our sane director (also variously described as young, raring-to-go and ‘having a head on her shoulders’), was handpicked by Evam to direct a brand new play of her choice. She picked ‘Importance of Being Earnest’ by Oscar Wilde. Auditions were held. Actors vanished. Actors stayed. And finally a group of people began to get together at the rehearsal space.
Curious Team Evam bloggers eavesdropped on the proceedings to bring you all the news that’s fit to print.
Shannon, who plays Lady Bracknell, is an oasis of calm in the madness. “Oscar Wilde wanted to express his feelings about the upper classes through this character,” she observes. “She’s not mean-spirited. Just really controlling. Not like me at all,” she adds.
Actors read their lines. And reflect on various doubts in between. ‘What exactly does passionate celibacy mean?’ ‘Was Gwendolyn turned on when Uncle Jack pulled this sleight of hand?’ We wonder too.
Refreshments arrive. Paneer puffs, cashew katli and imported cookies are among the snacks that our spoilt actors have gotten during rehearsals.
Assistant director Baggy believes this is a commercially viable play. It’s Evam’s biggest production to date, slated to run in three cities with some 25 shows across three months. It’s ’silly but classic British silly’, ‘charming, sweet and fun’ – the adjectives flow freely when asked to describe the play.
KK, actor, producer and Evam director, thinks this is as close Evam will ever get to the Bard. “It’s a great relief to play Algernon. There’s nothing serious about him. It’s very liberating.”
His partner in crime in ‘The Odd Couple’ and actor TMK is excited about the play. It’s a wonderful change to not have Evam directors calling the shots, he finds. “Watching KK being contradicted is fun.” About his character: “It’s interesting to play Jack. Everyone is different with different people and everyone will relate to this character who has a double life.
And so we leave our team rehearsing in earnest. Stay tuned for more updates and the dates of production..
