The Wait...........

this month can be associated with lots of emotions.I staged my first play on the 20th of August 2008.It was an amazing journey.

I wanted to write a play to and I did. It shaped OK. However, my question was how do I take this forward? I had no one to go to. In fact when the play was written I was not sure that it would be staged and so on.

Then came in a friend,after a drink we were discussing about my writing and the days to go when my stories so light and so forth.She then asked me to mail her the play that wrote. I did promptly as asked. I got a call one day from this friend,she asked me to come over and meet her director.This place is called GOETHE-ZENTRUM HYDERABAD.So there I was in the office,waiting for the director.She is a lovely lady.my friend bless her muah.got this done for me.we spoke and the lady who is the director,heard me out and she pulled out her calender and was like when would you want to do this play.I was like , wait does this mean a yes or a no.She was like of course it means a yes.You must imagine I was thrilled to bits.

So the date was decided and then all I had to do was go back and find that perfect actor and the perfect child for the play.the mails kept going back and forth on the date and the venue.Me and his friend went to an awesome school, I would have loved to have the play there. However, it was way to far.My fear was , who would come all this way to see a play by me?. which was and is true.Then there was a another place called the Vidyasagar Arts Center.This place too seemed like heaven.but the rains were the question.So , that was pushed aside.So my dear Friend was busy looking for a place for the play.

My actors - I wanted another dear friend to play the role of the old woman in my play. Dear K was all excited and ready.However her working hours were so busy that she was dead beat.So I then approached another Friend S,she was reluctant at the beginning.then after cajoling and coaxing she agreed. ( I could not have asked for a better actor). I needed a younger actor and voila her son Sharan was the best and the naughtiest boy for the play. All fell in place. My challenge was to bring out the emotions in my actors as they are first timers and have nothing to do with acting.they did not choose this as profession. One is a housewife and another is a school going chirpy kid.They did not take much time.It was as if i wrote the roles for them. Music which is an essential part of our play was provided by another friend Prashanth.He was right on Track and gave me sounds that blend with the play.Voila the play was going. It had it's ups and downs. But who cares now,the timing was just right!

I was expecting an audience of 25 to 50, but when someone walked out to check.The place was filled with 250 odd people. My heart could have been running faster.My head was numb and blank. It took 2 hugs from my dear ones for me to get going and the mad look from my son...The show went on to be a good.yes i call it good, I could have done better.The Q&A session went on for more than the play.It was so moving to see people react to something I wrote so personal.I wish my writing never stops and my motivation never dies.

My parents face flashed in front of me after the play.They had tears of joy flowing freely. I guess it was ok for It was the first time I saw them so happy after Vijay's phase.I was sitting with a dear friend whose face told me a number of things.I was happy to be there, just there at the end with people i care and who love me more than I ask for....

It takes a lot of people to bring a show to the stage. I thank everyone who was involved in this process......without you I would not have not been able to move and The wait would have never got over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!