“Even the most mundane tasks can be made interesting if a touch of drama is added to them,” as conveyed by the members of the unconventional Thespian Theatre Company. The company was started by two graduates of Hans Raj College – Ishan Soni, who was an active member of Hans Raj College’s Dramatics Society and Pranav Sachdeva, who was the President of the Society. It started with the aim to change the face of Delhi theatre. Their company aims to promote theatre as an art form and inculcate it in daily life.
Their upcoming play, ‘Kya Family Hai’ starring Mr. Asrani, is directed by Mr. Raj Upadhyay who is very passionate about theatre and has been teaching the art form for many years.
To spark on the Christmas excitement, they invite DU Students on 25th December at Shri Ram Centre at 5pm or 7.30pm to witness the fun. The play called ‘Kya Family Hai!‘ follows along the tycoon of comedy ‘Asrani’, the ‘Angrezon Ke Zamane Ka Jailor‘ who guide the viewers through the satire on the fading morality of society, on how we have become so greedily self-centered that we trample on the wishes of our own loved ones. Though they surely say, “A word of caution- On the day Christ was born, you might just die laughing!” To throw light on their wonderful venture, we tell you about their founders, aims and vision.
So, what is this venture all about?
Thespian Theatre Company is an amalgamation of love for the craft, passion for teaching, and a distinctive vision that aims to build a strong platform for budding enthusiasts. They essentially cater to the needs of many aspiring and existing actors who require the right kind of guidance and look to nurture the potential of numerous kids and adults.
At thespian they aim at inculcating the ability to find the means to the end. Being equipped with a team of experienced faculty, stalwarts of the field and regular guest lecturers, they promise to deliver not only proficiency in the art but also counsel and consult based on one’s individualistic needs.
Through the different modules based on varying age groups and interests, they aim to provide an invaluable skill set, enthralling learning journey and a gratifying life experience.
That sounds amazing. Who are the founders of this company?
The visionary founder of Thespian, Ishan Soni is one of the strongest and most grounded roots of Thespian. Belonging to a staunch business background, he always wanted to be a businessman with heavy bank balances. It is in his third year of college that he along with Pranav Sachdeva, after a number of overheated ‘Subway’ discussions, conceptualized this strikingly magnificent idea which led to germination of the seed of Thespian School of Acting.
We have Pranav Sachdeva who has always lived by the saying “Aim high and soar higher.” Having done lead roles in more than a dozen professionally staged plays, he has also received thirty odd best actor awards at the university level. Post doing a corporate film for domino’s and playing the protagonist in the T.V. serial- ‘zindagi dot com’ he kick started his film and television career.
The Creative head and Director, Mr. Raj Upadhay is a governing council board member for Ministry of Art and Culture Children Academy New Delhi. He is a noted actor, director and an acting teacher in India. He contributed immensely for CBSE board in designing the syllabus of Theatre. He has also produced and directed one of the most popular radio serial ‘Vishwa Katha Collage’ for all India radio, Delhi. He has also worked as a Research Scholar for the Government of Uttar Pradesh to revive the folk art forms of Eastern U.P.
How do they go about this?
School and college students have impressionable minds and are brimming with energy. To channelize this energy, they have designed several workshops for them, as well as for teachers. They organize workshops for children, both from schools and colleges. They use a child-centric approach and design programs for children keeping in mind the needs of the child.
Functions have a very important role for any educational institution. It is a stage for communication between the staff, parents and community. Previously, schools and universities were viewed simply as academic institutions, but today every school and college tries to provide a complete set of curricular and extra-curricular activities. They help direct the school/college functions professionally. They organize Plays, Ballet, Choir, Orchestra, Vandana and Light and Sound programs.
They welcome everyone, from all walks of life and add a spark to every life it touches. They believe that theatre can prove to be an immensely beneficial tool to corporations to motivate employees and increase employee efficiency. It is also an unconventional, yet extremely effective form of promotion.
In Images: Behind-the-scenes of ‘Kya Family Hai!’
Shaina Ahluwalia
[email protected]
Comments are closed.