Finding a new heartsong

I love Happy Feet. It's one of the best sunshine movies I've ever watched and a pretty kickass reminder that you don't need a camera to make a film. Its also a reminder that indomitable drive can make even the seemingly repugnant become extraordinary.

I need some sunshine. So does LMP.

The unfortunate events of the last month have seriously dented my ambitions. The new Diary and Scarboro Fair together would have been kickass. So would the opening with Sure Thing.

I mean we've still got time. Or so I thought. A couple of junies have already gotten around to Thespo 11 (all the best with that people) with their version of Cut!. Jeeps. And here I had some big plans with the original.

I must be honest I felt like quite a dudu when I missed the Thespo bus in college due to oversleeping if I remember. I doubt if things have changed much. Q was pretty much as close to a genius as I had seen then and I doubt things have changed there too.

But I honestly felt that going for a play now was more important than the fairly lengthy engagement skill imparting process that is Thespo. Is craft more important or doing plays regularly? Standard answer - a combination of both. The ride to good theatre is going to be a learning one as well. Besides I'm above 25 and can't enter Thespo anymore. Gleep.

Which brings me to my fundamental predicament. I was annoyed that people I knew were doing theatre while I was not. And not with us to top it. I've always been competitive but I rarely show it when it comes to theatre. Right now 3 MICAns apart from me have started theatre in Mumbai.

I know. And I get it now. Its a petty thought. I'll get over it.

Theatre is no one's monopoly. Hell if it had been, it wouldn't be a hobby profession despite the entertainment industry boom over the last 15 odd years. And I doubt if some newbies or me are gonna change it. If I need to earn my spurs and so will they. So lads and ladies, the market is watching and its waiting. Fresh talent is always welcome. For every new star there's always someone new breaking through.

Theatre in Mumbai is a constant audition. And for all of us dreaming of another life, while standing now at the downside of advantage, its time to seize our chance.

Because if your on in Mumbai, you never know whose watching. :)

2011 is going to be rocking for LMP. I'll guarantee that. New plays, new directors and new actors. Its time to start planning and strategizing. Coz by the time we get to it, we'll all be itching for some stage air.

Its time for a new heartsong - Mumbai's your stage. Own it.

The truth behind the curtains

Its 5:15 am and Warren Ellis has blown my mind. Volume 1 of Transmetropolitan is a clear reminder of two things : (a) its takes more than guts to write fuckhead every three lines and make it cool. (b) when it comes off, reading fuckhead every three lines is totally cool.

But why is counter culture so inspiring? Why is it always prefaced with the commitment of blood, gore and tears against the bloody odds - no takers, no publishers, no readers and obviously no money? Because art is worth jack. Unless someone is willing to pay for it.

As sole driver of Last Minute Productions, a new pet venture of mine that's frankly come into sorta ambition (largely because of a grand total of two plays successfully survived), I'm inclined to believe the path to theatrical prominence in Mumbai (that people will be willing to pay for) is hugely treacherous.

We've been lucky so far. Very very lucky. Touch head.

'The Diary' was a random experiment - as random as it could get, in its conception, completion, execution and performance. Perhaps why it remained thoroughly original and vaguely inspiring. The writing was honest and the performances were evocative and quite entertaining. The lack of finesse in the performances got cleaned up as we did it again and again.

Making it to the Black Horse was pure benevolence from people I genuinely have not had any connect with. At all. People say they must have seen something. I think they were just really kind. Which in a crab killing hole like Mumbai is almost life altering.

We still fucked up the show a bit - the ending was a little all over the place and the lights and sounds got their mandatory 'one fuck up a professional performance' deal spot on. And frankly the crowd wanted more. With some more scenes and a bit more work, this one's going to be around for a while.

Which brings us to the bringer of redemption - JBDY 2010. A huge production that I managed to completely fuck up a few years ago in MICA. The scars must run deep for some of us to still think its better to bury this (despite 15th August) and move on considering we've spent a good part of two months getting our head around it. Because frankly, the revised play is miles ahead of the first monstrosity. Hell even the video is worth a watch - for about 45 odd minutes.

I for one, have learnt the concept of direction beyond 5o minutes- well not quite, considering my production manager found the entire second act 'an experiment' a day before final performance. Kudos. And that we managed our first freaking dress rehearsal only hours before the final play. Double Kudos.

Still the first act shows hope, some decent acting, good music barring one gigantic fuck up and some pretty entertaining dialogue - thank you Mr Datar may your soul rest in peace, for you gave us the best ice breaker. Act 2 frankly was amateurish - a clear indictment of my failings as a director and a producer - we just didn't give it enough time. The acting was average, the direction was uninspired (barring a few wooden steps) and the climax predictable.

But you have to hand it to our group - we made it look as good as we could despite my failings. And some of the improv stuff was out there with the best.

On a more positive note, I loved working with amateurs. Their energy is infectious and their willingness to open up to the experience putting aside their woes of jobs, launch parties, grinders, cell phones and personal baggage is hugely beneficial when it comes to the pursuit of excellence to whatever extent.

But how do you pursue excellence with an entire team of working professionals in other fields? Do you redefine your boundaries of expectations because of the people you work with? Or do work with people who fit in to your expectations? How do you remind someone that they are responsible for something or they're well ... hell can I even fire them? Or do you accept that the toil of the fucking commute in this rainy hell hole will take its toll on everything that ever mattered to you?

If I go by the words of one of my actors, we'll never go pro unless we do this 24/7, not after a job. Well try your luck mate. I think, you'll find squat even then. Attitude is not a function of time spent on something. Its usually a value thing. Of how badly you want something, and how you show it.

I'm going auditorium hunting in a few hours. And I will find us a venue. And we will do JBDY again. Soon. And by god, we'll nail it. If we do 'The Diary', we'll do it better and bigger. I owe myself this much. We all do. Big role or small, we've worked for it. And if we haven't, we will now.

LMP needs an attitude change and fast. Else, this blog becomes a ghost. Not a reality.

SPANDYQUOTES

Now that we're finished with the play, time for some of those absolute gems delivered by our dear director, Spandan Mishra, displaying various gradients of polite rebuke during feedback sessions.

You shat a little, but cleaned it up. You were more in the loo than on the stage.

- to Shaggy, who did some obvious damage control

The audience does not need to see every length, breadth or hair on your navel and neither do I.
- When short clothes exposed the hirsuteness of the actors

Your reactions were terrible. You perhaps expected him to hump her then and there in the canteen.

- on the Mandili's less-than-impressive reaction post the Shalini Gupta scene

It was fantastic. Just don't do it again, ok?

- on why Bisu should keep some things exclusive

Why do you look away from him?! Look at him. He's a friend. We have to accept them as they are.

- On Bisu's constant looking away from Siddharth Mishra, whose aesthetics are obviously not appealing to the former

What you need to do is find a balance between taking a pause and remembering that there's a line to be delivered.

- to Ketaki, who obviously suffers from amnesia along with arthritis

The consistency with which you were trying to decimate the scene was amazing

- on Shaggy's scene with PeeVee

Thank you, Rama, for adding a sinister South Indian element to the doctor.

- To the soundsman who took over the VOing, leading to hilarious results

I thought someone was taking a dead body across the wings... "Don't mind us" types...

- On Kashan's audibility from the wings

That was a directorial success for the script, so give ME a hand for that.''

- After the last practice

And a bonus dialogue:
Spandy: And now, coming to YOUR scene with Shalini Gupta...
Shaggy: I know, I know. That scene was potty from the moment I started it
Spandy: Extremely touching.

And this one from the The Diary practice days:
I love you all from the cockles of my intestines.

SOME POSTERS OF SORTS - PART 1

Some fun with Powerpoint and MS Picture Manager.

[JBDY '10] A Shaggy Portfolio.

No matter how much our beloved director chides him, you cannot deny that Shaggy has a fantastic gamut of facial expressions, especially in comic scenes. On Day 8 of practice, I shot a complete set and put 'em together - a portfolio, if you will.

And since Blogger is anal about the maximum size they'll display, please click on the below image to see the full 2.95 MB PNG. My personal favourite shot is the second-from-last row, leftmost. Fantastic expression.

Kisses to the Nikon D5000-Nikkor 50mm lens combination.

 

[JBDY '10] Practice Pics - Set Two

Ok, I'll knock off the weird photo captions for this post. This is a bunch of portraity photos. Thanks to the Nikon D5000 and a fantastic 50mm Nikkor lens. I'm still learning.

Biswamitra

Preeti

Gitanjali

Shaggy in the try-fitting-this-on-a-passport photo (Ok sorry. Last caption.)

Shaggy and Gitanjali

Ketaki and Shaggy (Photo by Ramakant)

The Chandus - old and new (Photo by Ramakant)

Shaggy and Preeti

Siddharth

Little Blue Hidin' Hood (Photo by Ramakant)

Preeti

[JBDY '10] Practice Pics - Set One

So let's kick-start with some photos, shall we?

This is from our first day of practice at the INHS Ashwini Hospital Auditorium, Colaba.

Please excuse the captions.

Kashan expertly re-enacts his audition performance for the role of the Empress of Blandings in the latest PG Wodehouse adaptation series.

Kashan's offer to read the setsman's palm for just 25 rupees fall on deaf ears.

This is her 'Nobubby voves me' pose.

Shaggy and Preeti share a contemplative moment while Prasanna looks like he's brushing in the background.

Batlady

This is not a man you want to meet in a dark alley late at night. Except if you're a bootlegger in Ahmedabad, of course...

This is how we select our cast members. No, really.

Lightsman thinks hard about a pun on the word 'candela' but miserably fails.

And here, we have a specimen of the rare 'Timesofindus Blobbus' in a harmless resting position.

Kaushal's distress over his French beard not connecting is palpable for all to see.

Kashan's world-famous impersonation of  a car's exhaust pipe

Take us to your leader.

We settle our disputes over who gets to sit in the director's chair very peacefully.

11:59

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, to the blog of Last Minute Productions.

* applause *
* whistle *
* wheeze *

So what is this dainty little thing called Last Minute Productions? (LMP, if you want. LaMP, even, for the enlightened. Hehe, get it?)

Simply put, LMP is a theater group. Ok, so what are we - actually?
Truth be told, we're somewhere between a consortium of the next Oscar nominees and working class drones. But things that bind us together are a love for the stage. And for each other.

* Awwww *

We've done some pretty cool shit, actually. Which our beloved director, Spandan Mishra will tell you about in another post.