Life and acting. It’s all about objectives. At the end of the day, it’s about what you want, what action you’re going to take and what your obstacles are.
I really got into theatre at the age of 13. My friend and I ended up stealing a role from the play. I’ve kind of been the weird actor-y kid since I could speak. I tend to go for really physical based stuff. I normally start off the workshops, with getting people to tell stories with physical movements and getting them to highlight how the physical is used as a tool of communication. Just movements, no verbal at all. At the same time, you put in emotion. So you let the physical and the emotion to tell the story. It’s like watching a movie with the sound off because just by the physicality of it, you should be able to sense how the person is feeling from what their body is doing
For people who are doing the workshop, it’s primarily to learn. To broaden their horizons and to hone their skills. A lot of people go to drama school, and they end up working and some of their skills fall to the wayside. The workshops are to inspire newcomers or amateurs and instruct them. And for others, it’s to remember the skills they have and help them focus on what they need to improve.
Indians seem to be hungrier for the theatre and for the knowledge. For people who have so little, as in no time, no room, no rehearsal spaces, there is an absolute hunger and a drive to create. If I do a workshop here, when it ends, 10 people will want to get a coffee with you and talk to you over the next hour about what you’ve just done. I prefer the Indian way, because they want to learn and therefore I want to teach them. They’re a lot more willing to put themselves out there. The work ethic matters too. I’ve had to kick a couple of people out of workshops because they’re 15 minutes late. It’s also hard to get an honest conversation going. Everybody’s so eager to please, eager to be seen in a nice light. I really try to break down that barrier; I try to say, “It’s ok if you don’t understand.” But once the bond has been created, they’re very giving actors. They really want to do the work for you. We’re having a lot of problems of funding in Australia at the moment, because unfortunately they don’t see the value of the art.
I’m very inspired by Sam Shepard, just because so much of his stuff comes from his own life and he’s so willing to put it out there in front of you. I’m a very big Ibsen fan. I love his play ‘An Enemy of the People’. My boss, Glen Hayden inspires me too. Thespo inspires me. To make a festival out of almost nothing is amazing. Basically anybody who has a passion for art inspires me.
I‘d absolutely love to train and perform here. I really want to perform at the Prithvi Theatre. I want that on my CV. It’s a brilliant space.
- as told to Aadya Shah
For Prithvi Theatre Notes, January 2012
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