AKA Hyderabad turns 10 : Theatre Productions

"It's 8:30 pm. There's a dress rehearsal for 2 and a half hours. Please bring your costumes and come with a smiling, happy face!" This is a fond memory of mine when every day after school I looked forward to drama practice: to wear my costume, embrace the spotlight, and far escape the tensions of the day. In a magical instant, the pressure and tiredness from the hectic school day would vanish as I entered the rehearsal room, and this cathartic experience was shared by my peers.

Only a few things have the power to become traditions, and not merely remain activities. I can say proudly, theatre summer productions are a ‘tradition’ at the Academy. I put this down to the fact that theatre made us happy. The impact it had on us as students and individuals is very unique: it challenged us, motivated us, but most importantly, we enjoyed each other’s company and developed incredible relationships.

Right from my first summer production ‘Ek Raja ki Kahani’, I observed as Mr. Chandrasekhar created an environment where we could experiment, entertain and learn whilst doing something we loved. Our plays always had an element of comedy, therefore we put heavy emphasis on improvisation. Contrary to the usual method, we almost never had scripts before the rehearsals began. Rather, they were created organically as a result of how scenes transpired during practice. Each and every scene, dialogue and movement had a sense of individuality seeping through. At the end of the day, the plays were a result of our understanding of the storylines, and Mr. Chandrasekhar played the role of facilitating our own perceptions of characters and their dynamics.

Witnessing a growing appreciation for our annual productions, we were increasing our efforts and continuously finding creative techniques to impress the audience. The change was evident when we started to have better budgets for production and more planning to put forth something unique. My artistic peers welcomed this change with open arms, as this meant that they could make better props and create a ‘grander’ stage, especially when it came to fantasy plays like ‘Cinderella aur ek Chor ki kahani’. This again proved that participating in our theatre productions was a conduit to present your own individuality

There was always something for everyone. I can very clearly remember the claps and the appreciation at the end of our shows. I would walk into school the next day knowing that I had achieved something. It gave us confidence as people and as students. Given the impact theatre had on us, I strongly urge all current students to participate, and be confident’ you will always surprise yourself with the outcome. Theatre is an integral element of the Academy. Personally, I cannot wait to sit in the audience and enjoy the next intriguing and creative production!

Vignesh Reddy