Yesterday was the first time that I went to see a play. The play was “The Real Inspector Hound” by Quaff Theatre (Mumbai), which was a part of the Metroplus Theatre fest 2011. And, I must say, it was a very rewarding and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I had been wanting to watch a play for a long time, but had somehow never got around to doing so.

There were a lot of apprehensions when it came to watching plays in an auditorium. Will the dialogues be audible? Will the tickets be too expensive? Will I be able to follow what’s going on if I zone out for a moment or two during the play? Would it be too hard to understand the intent and the purpose of the play? Will I be able to get a good look at the actors if I get a seat in one of the last rows?

Yes, I did have these and many other equally bizarre questions looming in my head even while I was booking the tickets for this event.

It was difficult for me to convince others to come along because I myself had not done anything like this before. “Lets go watch a movie instead”, “PLAY!!!”, “Ummm, only if the tickets are very cheap”, “You go, watch and then tell me how it went” were the kind of responses I was getting from all and sundry. I finally found one friend who was ready to take the plunge. And let me tell you, it was worth the effort. I got to witness some remarkable performances from the masters on stage.

Let me first start off by saying that theatre has been made very affordable with passes being sold at Rs. 100/250/400 apart from student passes which were priced at Rs. 50. So, its not an exorbitant expenditure on an unknown experience. In the worst case, it’s as good or as bad as watching a bad movie in the multiplex (…and don’t tell me that you have never ever watched one).

The environment is very different from that of a movie hall. You can’t have phones ringing or walk in anytime during the play as it causes immense distraction to the actors on stage. You can’t hoot or whistle, and nor can you be a pain in the neck for the people sitting on either side. Its a much more civil and well groomed gathering, where everyone has come to have some quality entertainment being delivered on-par with international standards.

At first, you may feel out of place but once you get in, you follow the crowd (something we Indians are so very good at) and blend into this new kind of fabric easily. As far as following the dialogue or getting a good look at the actors is concerned, trust me, all those misconceptions will vanish the moment the play starts. The  level of involvement is very high as the play unravels and consumes you to allure your senses in every which way that it intends to.

Go for a light-hearted comedy if you are not the one for political satires and strong social statements. But, go and experience this almost-forgotten and yet-to-be-mainstream form of entertainment and it will give you a different take on the world around. ‘Play’ is the way.

(Image: wemedge  from sxc.hu)