As winter kicks in in the capital city, it brings with it a season of moonlit dinners, concerts in the park and a wave of culture. October, especially, is a swell time for theatre lovers with the Old World Theatre Festival taking place in the middle of the month. From October 20th onwards, India Habitat Centre will host a series of 15 plays within just 9 months, making it a culture-packed week for aficionados and those with a passing interest as well.
The plays originate from all over the country, from Kerala, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and other cities, and reflect a unique voice from each part. For example, the opening play for the festival is Kutiyattam from Kerala, which is inspired by one of the earliest forms of Sanskrit theatre from the 3rd century AD.
A one-of-a-kind concept Say, What by Avantika Bahl involves the extensive use of sign language to show the conversation between two people in the play. There are two female-centric plays by an all-women cast&mdashBeyond Borders, a play that explores themes across nationality, ethnicity, gender and body, and DekhBehen, a comedy about female relationships during a big fat Indian wedding. Interesting, relevant themes such as the objectification of the female body and its interplay with media are explored in a play called Item.
In addition to deeply compelling themes, there are performance entwined with other cultural facets&mdashmusic in Dastaan Live and food with Stand on the Street. Those interested in the technical know-how behind the scenes can also attend a workshop by lights designer Yael Crishna to learn more about handling theatre lights.
The shows will take place in three venues within India Habitat Centre and tickets start at @INR 200 and are complimentary in some cases.