DreamScope Theatre

Street Theatre - Traffic Signal

2012-01-15T20:36:00.003+05:30

The growing rage at traffic signals, and ruthless driving was targeted during this small project initiated and performed by school children of SVV. The workshop with children culminated in a small skit which aimed at educating children about what an individual needs to do when he comes across an accident on the streets. During crisis situations they should be near their parents, and not wander. Parents should be alert about their children. We also addressed speeding, drunken driving and being careful about the physically impaired who use the streets too in helping them commute safely. Citizens should not act ignorant and avoid the responsibilities which come with being a good citizen. We should help each other when a situation arises, take charge and move forward to solve situations.. and of course to take care that immediate needs of the accident are met.

Street Theatre - Food Shortage

2012-01-15T20:19:00.001+05:30

As a small interactive project, we performed a street play in various schools to create awareness on food shortage and how an individual can save food instead of wasting it. The impact lack of food has on the poor and their struggles. It created sensitivity amongst children and they empathized with their fellow children. As the privileged ones we can afford food, but their are many children and families who struggle even to have a square meal per day. They come from broken families and/ or no family at all. They struggle and sometimes make do with water or remains from bins. The situation around the globe is worse as children die of hunger and malnutrition everyday.

Some post performance snapshots....

10 July 2010

On the Streets

2012-01-13T23:03:00.001+05:30

In 2011, DreamScope Theatre worked with children to create awareness about Road Discipline and Traffic Sense. This project was initiated with special permission granted by the Bangalore Traffic Commissioner, and was highly successful. The children performed for more than 6,000 audience members. They toured various schools and even performed on the streets.

Here is a short teaser of the event for the ones who missed it...

These are some pictures from the performances...

Juniors Creative Factory

2011-12-15T14:39:00.000+05:30

DreamScope Theatre recently organized a Laathi Kaathi Workshop for juniors (four years and below).

Stage Combat Workshop Stills

2011-11-08T10:23:00.000+05:30

Documentary Film Shoot

2011-10-23T23:48:00.000+05:30

Some Pictures of DreamScope Theatre actors on a Documentary Film Shoot.

akhri baar

2011-10-17T08:30:00.002+05:30

"a very short horror film"

actors:

manoj pandey

niv patil

jayashree goyal

story idea, written by niv patil

directed and edited by puja goyal

The Fight - Video

2011-10-12T13:58:00.001+05:30

Fight Sequence designed in our Spare time. Please give us your feedback :)

Film and Stage Combat Workshop

2011-10-12T12:25:00.002+05:30

DreamScope Theatre will be organizing a workshop on Film and Stage Combat In November and December, every Sunday. There are two batches between 12.00pm to 2.00pm and 3.00pm to 5.00pm in the morning and afternoon. The workshop will include fitness exercises, mixed martial arts for stage combat for theatre and film. The workshop is open to anyone between 15 years to 50 years. Only criteria is that the individual will have to be fit. Individuals with any sort of health ailments need to inform in advance.

The workshop is limited to 10 members per batch and the last date for enrollment is 31st October, 2011. For further information call: 9008410075

DETAILS:

Months: November - December
Days: Sunday
Timings:
BATCH 1: 12.00PM - 2.00PM
BATCH 2: 3.00PM - 5.00PM

Batch Limit: 10 members.

Fees: 2,500/- for 8 classes

For registration details call: 9008410075

RSVP: Enrol Combat Workshop

NEWS UPDATES FROM EXTREMITIES

2010-09-09T08:21:00.008+05:30

In TIMEOUT Bengaluru (Click on link)

Extremities in MIDDAY: Cruel Intentions (09-09-2010)

Deccan Chronicle - 09-sept-2010

Extremities

2010-08-29T14:02:00.009+05:30

DREAMSCOPE THEATRE presents an all India premiere of

William Mastrosimone's
eXtremities

directed by Puja Goyal

In collaboration with Hollywood writer William Mastrosimone, DreamScope Theatre brings to you An All India Premier of the Oscar Winning Play EXTREMITIES.

"Complicity, it means you sit there like an asshole and watch someone do a crime" - Raul

Set in present-day, Extremities is every woman's worst nightmare. A young woman, Marjorie, is attacked in her home by a would-be rapist, Raul; she manages to turn the tables on him, tying him up in her fireplace. Her roommates come home to discover the attacker bound with cords, belts and other household items.

Terry and Patricia, the roommates, express different points of view about rape in society. Terry, a rape victim herself as a teenager, believes that Raul will not be convicted since a rape didn't actually occur and there is no proof. Patricia believes in the judicial system and insists on calling the police. The three friends also turn on each other at various points in the play, due to Raul's psychological game plan.

Extremities is a disturbing play on crime against women. Previous performances around the world have incited dramatic reactions from the audience where they have even attempted to save Marjorie from being raped on stage; later realizing that it is only a play. Extremities is not only a psychological drama but an insane piece of art which transcribes human reactions towards serious issues like rape.

Directed by: Puja Goyal
Produced by: DreamScope Theatre
Cast: Puja Goyal, Tushar Patil, Sweta, Marion Ksing
(In order of appearance)

Tickets are priced at Rs. 100/- and are available @ Crossword (Brigade Road), Blossoms (Church Street).

You can also book them online with our online ticket partners: www.bookmyshow.com, and www.indianstage.in

Call us at +91 9008410075 for bulk bookings you might just get a discount.

Venue: KH Kalasoudha, Ramanjaneya Temple Compund, Hanumantha Nagar, Bangalore - 560050

Dates and Time:
11th September, 2010 (Saturday): 4.00pm and 7.30pm
12th September, 2010 (Sunday): 4.00pm

NEWS FROM EXTREMITIES:

In TIMEOUT Bengaluru (Click on link)

In Deccan Chronicle: 09 - 09 - 10

A Directors Diary - TechMate

2010-06-13T09:48:00.000+05:30

Sometimes what looks good on paper, does not necessarily have to look good on execution. The essence of the idea changes with a slight change effected with changes in environment.

It is the same with theatre. Today was an ideal example of how the idea needs to be altered to suit the environment. We normally rehearsed in a closed surroundings; but when we moved to a larger space things didn't quite work out the way I expected it to. I'm still left wondering why a change in rehearsal space should result in a drastic change in the way the actors approach the subject, his dialogues, character and movements.

Should a mere addition of SFX, or a slight alteration of props, or even a larger space provided to the actors after a long session of rehearsal in a compact environment; result in a complete alteration in the way the actors gets into character? Should this affect the actors position in this situation? Is this a normal phenomena, that a slight change in environment results in a character loosing personality, thereby loose balance and topple over completely.

If I draw parallels to real life, and say, a slight alteration in my life or difficulties which suddenly drown me, does not change who I am; so why should it change a character?

Today, it altered everything.

- Puja Goyal

WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN: “Once upon a time …”

2010-06-13T09:31:00.000+05:30

A Storytelling workshop for Children and Teenagers

(between 7 – 15 years of age)

DreamScope Theatre is holding a 3 month long story- telling workshop aimed at introducing theatre to children. The workshop will be conducted by Radio Jockey and Theatre Artist Puja Goyal and will include: Story Telling skills, Imagination, Basic Theatre Skills, Inter- Personal communication, Story Performance and more… Needless to say, the children will have fun time with their peers while learning and creating.

The workshop will end in a small project created for parents and peers. The children will get an opportunity to audition for DreamScope Theatre’s upcoming productions. The children will get a free T- Shirt and certificate on completion of course.

Venue: Podar Jumbo Kids, Banashankari 2nd Stage

Registration Dates: 15th June - 15th July, 2010

Course Duration: 17th July 2010 – 17th October 2010

Class Schedule:

Every Weekend - Saturdays and Sundays

Batch ONE - 9.00am to 11.30am

Batch TWO – 12.00pm to 1.30pm

Registrations are on first come first serve basis. The batches are limited to 15 students each.

For Details on Registration Contact:

Website: http://www.dreamscopetheatre.com

Email: info@dreamscopetheatre.com

Mobile: +919945677157

Not Completely SQR - Photos

2010-04-02T09:51:00.000+05:30

Posting some pictures from the photo shoot of NOT COMPLETELY SQR a play staged at CFD last month.

Famous five

2010-03-10T16:43:00.000+05:30

Catch the play Not completely Sqr at Sona Towers today and tomorrow

PIALI DASGUPTA, Miller’s Road

Times of India (Bangalore)

Five short stories. One play. That’s Puja Goyel’s new production that mounts the stage at 3.30 pm and 6.30 pm today, and 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm tomorrow. Brought to you by Bangalorebased Dreamscope Theatre, which was formed in 2003, the play is an hour long and is the brand new production of the group. In fact, this is the first time Puja is experimenting with this format and she wants to take the production to Mumbai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.

Puja, who’s been into theatre for 15 years and works as a radio jockey and a freelance journalist with a Delhi-based IT mag, is part of the cast. There’s also Tushar Patil, Sindhu S and Lester D’Couto who have been working on the play for two months. “They all have day jobs,” reveals Puja, adding, “I wanted to bring in variation. People will find this format interesting. But short plays don’t really get an audience if done individually. The stories are open to interpretation. That’s what I like about them. The sets are minimalistic and simple. The focus is on acting and the stories.”

As for the name, she calls it Not Completely Sqr as a square has four angles and the play has five. The absurd plays are based on short stories. “The Worker by Walter Wykes is about two people dealing with relationship problems. Sustained by Eric Kaiser deals with sustaining friendship. As we grow up, everything becomes well-defined. The question of sustaining ourselves in the midst of everything is what the play explores. No Such Thing by Douglas Hill is about a gay freelance journalist who sends a story to his friend, who sends it to his boss, the editor of the paper. The editor gets to know about the gay writer writing under a pseudonym and wants to expose his sexual orientation. There’s also Death of a Hired Man by Robert Frost and Frog loves Christie, which defines human relationships differently. It’s about a girl who thinks she’s a man. But sometimes it’s ok to be confused,” says Puja.

Tickets, priced at Rs 200, are available at Crossword, Residency Road and Blossom on Church Street. You can also call Puja at 9945677157.

New Concept

2010-03-10T16:42:00.000+05:30

Deccan Herald

BY DH CORRESPONDENT

DreamScope Theatre is staging a new play called, Not Completely SQR at Centre for Film and Drama, 5th floor, Sona Towers, Millers Road, on March 6 and 7. The play is directed by RJ Puja Goyal and has a fresh cast. It is a series of five short absurd plays on a moving stage and explores a new concept in staging theatre. On March 6, the play will be staged at 3.30 pm and 6.30 pm. And on March 7, the show will be at 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm. For details, call 9945677157.

Into the realm of the Absurd

2010-03-04T16:38:00.000+05:30

Deccan Chronicle

by DC CORRESPONDENT

When Napoleon stated “From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step,” the world called it absurd. Now, the team of Not Completely SQR has highlighted absurdity as the theme of their debut play, which will be staged in the city.

Puja Goyal, the director who is also acting in the play is a student of Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares — a school for acting. She along with three other debut artistes will be staging performance in Centre for Films and Drama.

Talking about the play, Puja says Not Completely SQR is a series of five absurd plays bordering on the ridiculously unsound and unreasonable. It is an exploration of people outside the relationship in relation to the psychology of abstract elements. These abstract elements give voice to things unseen and words unspoken simply because one has not been made aware of them. We have these webbed incidents into stories, which otherwise could be considered vague and ambiguous.”

The play will have four actors staging all the five stories. This is going to be a debut performance for the three actors apart from Puja. “I have directed and acted in many plays like Cat’s Paw, The Afghan Women, Experiments in Love and Love Letters. But the other three actors are on stage for the first time and they are very excited about the concept and the stories.”

Tushar Patil, Sindhu Murthy and Lester Dcouto are the other three actors along with Puja.

Not Completely SQR will be staged at the Centre for Film and Drama, Millers Road on March 6 and 7. Tickets are priced at Rs 200 and are available at Blossoms on Church Street.

Not Completely SQR

2010-02-24T18:32:00.000+05:30

"Not Completely SQR" is a series of five Absurd plays bordering on the ridiculously unsound and unreasonable. It is an exploration of people outside relationships in relation to the psychology of abstract elements. These abstract elements give voice to things unseen and words unspoken simply because we weren’t aware of them. They are interestingly webbed into stories and events which would otherwise be considered vague and ambiguous.

We will have four performances for discreet crowds. So buy or book your tickets soon if you'd like to be a part of the performance. We would love to have you at the show :)

Cast: Puja Goyal, Tushar Patil, Sindhu Murthy, and Lester Dcouto
Stage: Meenakshi Upadhya and Puja Goyal
Directed by Puja Goyal
Produced by DreamScope Theatre

Show Time:
6 March 2010: 3.30pm & 6.30pm
7 March 2010: 12.30pm & 3.30pm

Venue: Center for Film and Drama, 5th Floor, Sona Towers, 71, Millers Road, Bangalore

Tickets priced at Rs. 200/- each and are available at:
1. Blossoms - Church Street, Bangalore
2. Crossword - Residency Road, Bangalore

For more information contact:
Mobile: +91 9008410075
Email: info@dreamscopetheatre.com
Website: www.dreamscopetheatre.com
We are also on Face Book: be a part of our group to be updated.

NEW!!! - Music Workshop

2009-09-24T09:23:00.000+05:30

Farrah Fawcett - EXTREMITIES

2009-07-02T20:18:00.000+05:30

How would we remember Farrah Fawcett?

For starts, I hadn't heard about her till I started working on "EXTREMITIES". She is an all American girl and I'm an all Indian girl. Poles apart. Back then, she was to me, every guys pin- up girl, dream - girl, fantasy element keeping them awake at night; an icon under whose light even Pamela Anderson or Marlyn Monroe would diminish in comparison. She was beautiful beyond imagination, but this is not why we are talking about her. Everyone knows beauty when they see it (I think). No, its not beauty we are talking about, but the struggles, trials and tribulations that come with trying to be someone.

Farrah Fawcett, American Actress, Golden Globe and Emmy Award Nominee, TV Star for Charlie's Angels, Pop Culture Figure, and International Sex symbol of the 1970's and 1980's. She was best known for her hairstyle, which was emulated by many young women of that time, and her red swimsuit picture.

Isn't it strange that most Sex symbols and people growing up on the wild side... or for that matter beautiful people; grow up in strict households, or stringent catholic communities with very disciplined surroundings, good education, etc.. So was Farrah. The youngest of the daughters, Farrah was a Roman Catholic educated in the parish school of the church her family attended. What's fascinating is that she became a sister of Delta Delta Delta Sorority before being chosen as the "Ten Most beautiful Coeds" from her University.

She started her career by acting in TV Commercials and then went on to serials. Her big break though was Charlie's Angels. The movie and the series gave her super publicity. Even then, she fell short of achieving super stardom. Her biggest accomplishments ended up being her hairstyle and Charlie's Angels. For many who don't know, Farrah got her first movie break at the age of 30.

The series Charlie's Angels, formally debuted on September 22, 1976. Fawcett emerged as a fan favorite in the show, and the actress won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Performer in a New TV Programshe said: "When the show was number three, I thought it was our acting. When we got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra".

People considered her a bimbet, and a poster girl; she wanted to break out of it to show people she could be better and do better. she therefore decided to choose a more serious side to acting and creativity and took up characters which were not only challenging but outrageously brave.

Everything was not proper in Beauty town. She did have her fair share of flops because people always found it difficult to take someone so beautiful, seriously; however, Fawcett finally won critical acclaim for her 1983 role in the off-Broadway stage production of the controversial play Extremities, written by William Mastrosimone. Replacing Susan Sarandon in the role, she was a would-be rape victim who turns the tables on her attacker. She described the role as "the most grueling, the most intense, the most physically demanding and emotionally exhausting" of her career. Extremities, was also well-received by critics, and for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

This was only the beginning of a series of serious roles she was offered to play. Surprisingly, she got parts similar to Marjorie's; where the characters were battered or bruised and struggling. For example, Tv Movie, The Burning Bed where she plays a battered housewife, earning her, her first of three Emmy Award nominations. The project is noted as being the first TV movie to provide a nationwide 800 number that offered help for others in the situation, in this case victims of domestic abuse. It was also the highest-rated TV movie of the season.

Fawcett, who had steadfastly resisted appearing nude in films or magazines throughout the 1970s and 1980s, caused a major stir by posing nude in the December 1995 issue of Playboy magazine, which became the best-selling issue of the 1990s, with over four million copies sold worldwide. At the age of 50, she returned to the pages of Playboy with a pictorial for the July 1997 issue, which also became a top seller. That same year, Fawcett was chosen by Robert Duvall to play his wife in an independent feature film he was producing, The Apostle. Fawcett received an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Actress for the film.

There is so much more to write about her and you could read more about her out here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrah_Fawcett

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/life/12613-a-legacy-larger-than-her-roles.html

Fawcett died on June 25, 2009 after a prolonged suffering due to cancer; her death coinciding with the death of Michael Jackson.

Her image brings to us advertisements of the yesteryears Torino ads... with girls on skateboards riding in the wind, with their hair perfectly blown away somewhere unseen. Farrah Fawcett will be remembered by guys all over the world for the childish fantasies it created for them all thanks to her hair, her larger than life honest smile and a soft and subtle eroticism emitting from her innocence. Her eyes belied the 70's tryst with anger and rebellion and her naivity possessed all those who ever set their eyes on her.

While there will be many who will remember her for her nudes and all the wrong reasons; I would remember her otherwise. She shattered images of a stereotypical mindset and was the last of a proper pin- up girl. To me, she was an inspiration and amazing woman. The more I researched and read about her. The more I was in awe of a woman who struggled and fought all her life for her space. her smile belied her struggles. Her attitude towards life; the blend between beauty and ambition. The will to carry on despite all odds.

‘THE importance of the individual against the massified and the collective is actually one of the most important lessons to have been imparted by the 20th century.” The statement comes from Vanity Fair: The Portraits—A Century of Iconic Images.

- Puja Goyal

(Some Photos of Farrah Fawcett borrowed from the Internet:)

Dreams to Reality

2009-04-16T09:02:00.001+05:30

Niveditha Rao
Deccan Chronicle
Date 15th APRIL 2009

Not many follow their dreams, but Puja Goyal did exactly that and the result was her production house — DreamScope Theatre. Started in 2003, this production house has to its credit five plays till date (Love letters, The Afghan Women, Akhbaari Vighyapan and Cat’s Paw to name a few) and is in the process of finalising three new plays. Conceptualised by Puja Goyal, this production house grew out of the play Bang Bang You’re dead, written by Hollywood writer William Mastrosimone. This play for first staged in Bengaluru by DreamScope and after that, there was no turning back. Talking about the group, Puja says, “The theatre group is an initiative to explore new theatrical concepts and create a foothold for new artistes in theatre.”

She is currently the only permanent member of the group, but is on the lookout for permanent members. “It is a moving theatre group which welcomes actors, volunteers, producers, sponsors, designers etc. But now I’m looking to find hardworking individuals who would like to take up permanent interest in the work for at least a year,” says Puja. Their current agenda is to organise two theatre workshops which will cover all aspects of acting from scene study, personality development, character analysis, etc.

Speaking about her latest venture, Puja says, “We will be staging three productions in June/July, soon after the workshop is over. The actors and production team will be chosen from the workshop. They will have to audition for the same irrespective of being a part of the workshop. This will enable them to get a first hand experience of a production.”

Workshops like these are a good way for people who have been bitten by the acting bug to follow their dreams.

Casting for... roles

2009-04-15T13:39:00.000+05:30

Cast required for upcoming theatre productions...

Extremities:

1 Male: (Playing AGE RANGE - 18 - 30)
rapist, and stalker who defends his case properly, flaky.

3 Female: (Playing AGE RANGE - 20 - 30)
One Victim (beautiful) and two friends of the Victim (smart)

EK Ajnabee (Hindi and Kannada Version)

4 Males
Stranger: (Playing Age Range - 20 - 25) educated, smart and rich
Old man: (Playing age range - 40 - 50) poor and uneducated, drunk farmer.
Old Man's Friend: (Any Age) poor, uneducated, drunk friend in a bar
Lover: (Playing Age Range - 20 - 25) smart, dude types, but uneducated. in love with old man's daughter

2 Females
Daughter: (Playing Age Range - 18 - 25) young, greedy, poor and uneducated.
Mother: (Playing Age Range - 40 - 50) uneducated, bitchy but wise, fearful

Auditions for Workshop and Productions

2009-04-15T13:19:00.001+05:30

DreamScope Theatre is auditioning for its upcoming productions in Kannada, Hindi and English and the workshops (workshop charges Rs. 5,000, (7) days) it will be organizing soon.

The plays are scheduled to be staged in June/July as of now and the workshops will be held likewise. If interested please email your details to info@dreamscopetheatre.com to schedule and confirm your audition by 20th April, 2009 or call 99456 77157. Or log onto: www.dreamscopetheatre.com

Bring the following details along when you come for the audition:

A COPY OF YOUR MONOLOGUE

AND

APPLICATION DETAILS:
Auditioning for Workshop/Production:
Name:
Occupation:
Age:
Address, Phone number and Email:
Previous Theatre experience (if any)
Languages known and auditioning for:
Availability for other theatre productions and the time you can commit for rehearsal in case you get picked for a part:
Why DreamScope:
A photograph: (email the photo; need'nt bring along)

Please mention subject as when you email.

Date of Audition: 26th APRIL 2009
Timings: 3.00pm to 7.00pm
Venue: C F D
5th floor Sona Towers
71 Millers Road Bangalore
Tel: +91 99456 77157

Note: Only confirmed actors allowed to audition

TIPS: Prepare a monologue for the language you are auditioning. (for eg: if you are auditioning for a Kannada play, prepare your monologue in Kannada, not French). The monologue should not be less than 3 minutes and preferably include one character not two. Try to avoid pieces where you have two people conversing back and forth.. avoid pieces in which you have to play two characters simultaneously.. of course if you excel in it then no problem. Only you know what you do best!!!

More Photos of Cast and Crew - Cat's Paw.

2008-05-12T10:46:00.000+05:30

Cast & Crew of Cat's Paw:
front: Tushar Patil, Meenakshi Upadhya & Mutthuraman
back: Sridhar, Sindhu (fooling around with the rope), Kruthika & Keerthi.

The Stage where everything happened.

Snap Shots from Cat'sPaw

2008-05-11T11:05:00.000+05:30

A Directors Diary - What Maths taught me.

2008-05-03T22:20:00.001+05:30

Normally, any concept before implementation should be run through thoroughly before it being put into practice. The idea as such needs to have some workability factor attached to it.

I studied mathematics as a "very important" subject of my curriculum. I'm not a math person and yet because it was included with other Science subjects I had to study it. I hated it. I have always believed 2 + 2 = some other number, which they are not telling us about hence tricking us into believing otherwise. Besides 4 is not one of my favourite numbers'. How did they ever come up with such a number??

Okay, I was never good at Math. Just don't get it. My teacher was the best though. She was patient and unassuming, even frantically nerdy sometimes, with chalk powder finding its way all over her nose.

I think I understood Algebra more than normal Arithmetic. I prefer complicated mathematics with alphabets and numbers instead of only numbers. That way, you at least know that everyone is assuming things and coming up with some valid arguments and results. It not 2 + 2 = 4; it is x + y = 25. Then you mix and match and come up with some result, in your own basic way so it results in a commonality amongst your peers.

I like Algebra.

There was another thing I learnt in my Math class. When you come up with a formula, you also come up with a valid result. A formula always has a result. It's compulsory. Nothing is ever half correct, if you know what I mean; its more like either it can be done or it cannot, its as simple as that. So, if the formula does not have a result then it is not a formula at all, its gibberish. Period.

An actor always works with a formula provided to him/her by the director and the onus lies on the actor to come up with a solution. He researches, puts together pieces from what he reads in the script, uses the directors helpline when required and then performs. The result is seen when the actors performs in front of the audience. The applauds are directly proportionate to the conviction he was able to create.

There are no half marks here.

You either make the scene real with your conviction or you don't. If you do there are many congratulations; and if you don't then a lot of heartbreak to everyone who is resting their hopes on your performance. (after all you bring in the moolahs for the producers and if you are lack and effete.. then, well then.)

Its very much like a formula here. You either convince and be, or, "act" and be patronised by the many who have come to watch you. After all they also have to reassure themselves that they have gotten the value for their money. It helps them mentally, pacifies their pockets.

Oh also, I remembered, when you solve an algebraic equation you always substitute numbers with alphabets and visa versa, to come up with various methods of solving the formula. That way, you might have two different approaches to the same problem but the result is always the same. I like the idea :)

- Puja Goyal

ps: you like it! You like it!!... - Victor (Cat's Paw)

A Directors Diary - The value of Trust

2008-05-02T14:15:00.001+05:30

It was the year 2003 (I think) not sure. I had attended a theatre workshop conducted by Artists Repertory Theatre at Museum Inn Road. The two days workshop taught us a lot of things. At moments, I wondered what we are doing here. Why is she making me play games and what has that got to do with theatre. The workshop was my first every foray into proper theatre training so I let it be. Maybe something is happening here that I should let be. "You have to learn to give things some time," I told myself. Even then, when I went to sleep at night, I couldn't stop thinking. Maybe there is a secret I didn't quite understand. Maybe everyone is getting it, but I'm not.
I was so desperate to understand the concepts.

Early next morning, I finished with my breakfast packed my bag and left for training. I promised myself that I will not look into things and give the process some time. That I would do as I was told and not pressurize myself. So, the workshop was complete. The entire batch of participants exchanged numbers with each other; and promised that we would keep in touch. Now, five years down the line, we hardly know each other anymore. I really sometimes wonder if they have put what they have learnt into some use, or for that matter; if they have staged a play, or worked on any production etc. It would be interesting to know.

Reading one of the articles from a prominent theatre director then brought to my notice that a series of games and processes that actors perform in a workshop and/ or on stage or while rehearsing for a play is not something that can be explained. It is more about what you gain out of it. It is really up to you. Something that every participant understands but it is for them to build on. Which means what I get from a particular program might be quite different from what you gain from it. It cannot be explained; you just use the medium to discover more. As you grow and learn, it will help you become more skilled.

I was walking down the road today while talking to one of my production guys about how things are proceeding and what needs to be covered. Our cordial, philosophical and animated discussion led to aspects of human life, relationships and thought processes which was far more important than techniques, creativity and ideas. I just stood midway and thought. Just thought. The first lesson that I learnt through the process of the workshop hit me then, now many years later. It was a lesson that was a small pinch of the process but has immense meaning now. The value of Trust.

We had a game, (cannot really explain the game here because it could be copy written, I don't know. I don't want to take the risk and it wouldn't be right) in which I had to trust the group completely, so they wouldn't let me fall on the ground. My life was in their hands. I was afraid of falling and hurting myself; but I had to take part because everyone else was. The bright side for me was that everyone was afraid. We didn't know each other, what are the odds that they would hold the person falling???? There was no room for doubts and we just had to do it.

So, we did it!!

Guess what? No one fell. Not even the slightly heavy ones or the tall ones. Everyone was safe. Soon, fear translated into action. We started enjoying falling. Each one of us knew that if I fell, someone would not let me hit the floor. They will be there for me.

They didn't let anyone down. The one's falling, trusted the others with faith and convictions, and the others reciprocated the same by holding on and not letting them down.

Although is it important to trust; it is more important to reciprocate and respect the fact that someone thought you capable enough to hold. Respect the fact that someone trusted you with their job and gaurd it from falling at all possible times, don't sleep over it and never take it for granted. A breach of trust results in bad readings, and a shabby production. Trust ensures that the job is done with the best interests of the job in mind.

Trust brings purity to the production.
It takes the group to another level.
The non - existent of which pollutes it.

Although, a lot of talk about basic theories and styles of theatre are discussed amongst people. The most important one's are often the most basic. (You can build on it and make your own deductions out here so you can use this to your own advantage. What I have understood of trust is for me to know, keep and build on.)

The truth is that trust is of great consequence. Its value has far reaching results and reflects on the production in the end. It should allow you to have no fear, and to have complete faith sans doubt. This keeps the environment cordial, and progressive and the results are shown in every aspect of the job.

"Never underestimate the value of trust" Puja Goyal

- Puja Goyal

PS: "don't you trust me?" (Cathy - Cat's Paw)

A Directors Diary - Relationships

2008-05-01T16:09:00.001+05:30

Can people who are not connected to each other be connected? Today, on a hot sunny afternoon, I was sitting with my production team (Tushar and Meenu) at a coffee shop. We chatted animatedly with each other; about everything that fell within the parameters of our work and everything else. The everything else was of course less compared to the work at hand. I sometimes wish we would in general talk about other things too. Because other things often tell you more about a person that what both parties are interested in and the topic on which the conversation is happening.

Why would I want to know about you? What difference would it make to my life? There is a cliched idea and an excuse which people give when they tell you why they want to know anything about you... "I will know better", "I will learn from it", "it will help me grow", so on and so forth. What if none of it were true. I don't want to learn anything from you; I don't want to ask you random questions to fill the pages of my book, and don't want to use you as temporary muse. (By the ways, I detest writers and people who call up and say stuff just to get a reaction from me or ask random vague questions because they are working on something. I feel like I'm being used here (darling - cat's paw); and its a terrible waste of my time. It angers me!!) It's just like I want to talk about something else for a change. I don't know what, just something.

Is it a waste of time, if its not productive? To me, NO.

For example: At home, mum is always talking about household stuff. I know her, I know her work and I know what she wants etc. It is routine mum stuff. We discuss this all the time; I love her for all the contributions in life and I don't think I can do half of what she ever done in her life. But sometimes I wish, what if we spoke of things that completely remove us from the present realm and have no connection whatsoever with us. That is something which would tell me more about her and bring us closer to reality. I think.

What we (at least I) need is to evolve from our present relationships formal and routine set- up in order to explore other possibilities of conversations. To look beyond the dialogue and into the depth of what could have been but isn't.

"Therein lies the mysteries and secrets of people, and that is the secret I would like to discover about you and keep." Puja Goyal

- Puja Goyal

p.s: is this what Jessica means when she says, "I want to know the man"

A Directors Diary - Why Cat's Paw??

2008-04-30T14:25:00.001+05:30

This is my first post as part of the Directors Diary:
(do read and leave a comment; or a critic)

Cat's Paw was first offered to me by William in mid 2006, when I was in the process of staging "THE AFGHAN WOMEN". The first reading was done in a rush. The dialogues were dramatic, thought provoking and put together in very contemporary and ideal set - up. As such, the play was ideal for any type of audience.

A couple of readings convinced me as a director to stage the play. That and of course, if Bill gives it to me, then it should be good. But how would the audience take it? After all it is for them that we are staging the play right? Most importantly, the dreaded critics. They would probably mince the whole thing into chutney and then you would probably be scared for the next few months before you pick up another script. Especially when you are a kind of person who is highly sensitive and a bundle of emotions all the time. Should these be the criteria for decision making??

The other dreaded most question I had to face from people was, "ITS AN AMERICAN SET- UP!!" and "ITS AN AMERICAN PLAY. PEOPLE WILL NOT UNDERSTAND." So, I'm thinking; aren't we allowed to exercise our creative art and work on something that we are good at, instead of trying to stage something I cannot relate to at all. Now, I'm not Americanized in any way. It has nothing to do with Americanization of a script and I don't intend to appear so. The truth is, it is all about if you can be honest about a script. Can you understand the psychological aspects that come with it and the words written in between the lines... (its a long theory and I would like to spare you all the agony of going through yet another lecture)

A play is a play, is a play. It is American, Indian, Chinese, Japanese etc because the play is written by the playwright who is best able to describe it in its context. Ethnic backgrounds and culture, even language adds flavours and ideas to a particular situation which we probably can never decipher. It is like staging a musical; where you have to understand, research and formulate plans to ensure that justice is done to that script which you have in your hand. For me, it was an opportunity to understand another frame of mind and educate myself about people around the world. (Yeah, there is news on TV, lets move beyond it)

This is where culture and traditions transcend to accept and understand something beyond who we are as individuals and as a society.

So. A play is a play, is a play. Which means; it is just a play. I like it, I think I can do justice to it. We live in a global set- up where I want to reach out to other sides of the planet and see what everyone is up to. I want to see how theatre in another world addresses their own causes and immediate critical situations; when compared to how we script our own plays on our own issues at the same time.

On the other hand, theatre is a mode of expression. The audience wants to be entertained. They want something that is not only glamorous but me thinks, something which is genuine. With this thought I would like to pick up a script which I can be honest with first. Critics (not referring to journalists; hell, I'm a journalist, so :P.. everyone who suffers with an obsessive compulsive disorder to judge and criticise furtively is a critic) wonder why my plays are American. The audience can only be entertained when I am capable of entertaining; and I can only entertain when I know the subject I am using as a medium to entertain.

For example, you will never catch me tell a joke. I am not a funny person. I don't understand funny. I probably won't laugh if you cracked a joke or if we went to a comedy or did anything funny. Therefore I shall stay away from trying to do anything funny. Because funny is not what I do. So, tomorrow if you say why don't you stage a comedy and me buckling under pressure trying to entertain people with what they want, do funny. The results will be anything but funny. The "critics" would say, she should stop being funny.... wasn't that my idea in the first place??

All said and done; I have the most respect for this script, which I am working on right now. In fact I have been working on it close to two years now. I need that much time for a script to settle down in my head. Sometimes, its less... but less has never come by.

All I know is everywhere I go and anyone I talk to; emotions are the same. They work with the same Earnest zeal and they are all human. Only the lifestyle and culture varies. Why should that stop me from reaching out and understanding what makes us one?

Why should 'who I am' stop me from discovering 'who you are'?
Why should 'who you are' stop me from discovering 'who I am'?

- Puja Goyal

Cat's Paw

2008-04-28T13:58:00.000+05:30

Published @ Bengaluru Theatre
Date: Monday, April 28, 2008.
Media: Internet - Bengaluru Theatre

A DreamScope Theatre Presentation
Written by: William Mastrosimone
Directed by: Puja Goyal

This season's most gripping satirical thriller!!

This is a gripping drama about an unusual terrorist, one who is brilliant, articulate and right? Victor is the head of a group responsible for a bomb attack at the White House in which 27 people have been killed. He has a television news reporter led to his lair so she can tell the world why he has done what he has done. Victor's obsession is the destruction of the world's water supply and, with it, the final destruction of the human race by pollution. When the reporter asks if he feels any guilt about the death of the 27 innocent people, he replies that hundreds of innocent people die every hour because of what mankind is doing to its water supply and do the people responsible feel guilt for this? The cat and mouse game between the young woman reporter and Victor gets more and more tense, leading to a shocking and violent conclusion.
Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French.

Cast: Sindhu S, Sulabh Dhall, B Sridhar, Keerthi Laal Kala & Kruthika Rao

Crew: Sound Design & Management - Nikhil Goyal, Light Design - Puja Goyal, Light Management - Muthuraman, Production Assistant - Tushar Patil, Stage Manager - Meenakshi Upadhya, Creatives - Karthic Iyer

Venue: NAYANA RANGA MANDIRA, KANNADA BHAVAN, J.C ROAD, BENGALURU Directions Map - Click here!!

Date & Show Timings: 3.30 PM & 7.30 PM; Dates - 9TH, 10TH & 11TH May, 2008

Tickets: Passes @ Rs. 220/-, available at,Crosswords Book Store, Opposite Gateway Hotel, Residency Road,Blossoms Book Store, No. 84/6, opposite Amoeba, Church Street

For Bookings and more Information Contact +91 99456 77157. Email: info@dreamscopetheatre.com; Website: http://www.dreamscopetheatre.com/

Cats Paw: "A person used by another as a dupe or a tool"
"A group of eco-warriors seek to “shock and awe” the world into stopping the polluters of the Earth’s fresh water supply; while colluding with the global business of news reportage to get their message heard."

(Cast of Cat's Paw)

Cat's Paw

2008-04-14T21:04:00.000+05:30

CAT'S-PAW is a one act play on a group of eco-warriors who seek to “shock and awe” the world into stopping the polluters of the Earth’s fresh water supply, while colluding with the global business of news reportage to get their message heard.

Cat's Paw is DreamScope Theatre's third venture in collaboration with Hollywood Writer William Mastrosimone. Previously, we have staged Bang Bang You're Dead and The Afghan Women. Cat's Paw written by Mastrosimone and directed by Puja Goyal is a gripping drama about an unusual terrorist, one who is brilliant, articulate and right? Victor is the head of a group responsible for a bomb attack at the EPA Building in which 17 people have been killed. He has a television news reporter led to his lair so she can tell the world why he has done what he has done. Victor's obsession is the destruction of the world's water supply and, with it, the final destruction of the human race by pollution. When the reporter asks if he feels any guilt about the death of the 17 innocent people, he replies that hundreds of innocent people die every hour because of what mankind is doing to its water supply and do the people responsible feel guilt for this? The cat and mouse game between the young woman reporter and Victor gets more and more tense, leading to a shocking and violent conclusion.

Cat's Paw is an in depth look of how a good cause can sometimes turn fatal; about the boundaries of fighting for a cause and crossing the lines into terrorism. The play reiterates the position of media and journalism in providing a powerful story. It also brings into focus the idealistic youth whose passion becomes a threat to society. The question of what means are ethical and moral to use to right a wrong—especially today; when we are surrounded with so many urgent issues requiring quick and effective remedies. It questions the line when activism crossover to terrorism. As such, the play is an absorbing display of interviews, drama and a well- masterminded script; which will leave the audience dramatically exposed to what they see around them. The truth is we have always had individuals like the characters around us, but have never realized. The youth who wants to make a difference and are so urgent and needing a change so desperately that they soon effect change by other means possible.

Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French

Crew: Author - William Mastrosimone :: Director - Puja Goyal :: Produced by DreamScope Theatre :: Production Assistant - Tushar Patil :: Sound Management - Nikhil Goyal :: Lights - Muthuraman :: Stage Manager - Meenakshi Upadhya :: Creative Designs - Karthic Iyer

Cast: Sindhu S, Keerthi Laal Kala, Kruthika Rao & Sridhar

Place: Nayana Rangamandira, Kannada Bhavan, J.C Rd, Bengaluru

SHOW TIMINGS - 3.30 PM AND 7.30 PM; DATES - 9TH, 10TH & 11TH MAY, 2008

Passes available at Crosswords, next to Gateway Hotel, Residency Road; and Blossoms (in front of Amoeba) Church Street. Passes can alternatively be booked on: +91 99456 77157. For more details contact via Email or log onto Cat's Paw

EARTH NOW Logo Credits: Original Design by Noah Lee Margetts & Original Artwork by Kosha Engler for New Line Maverick Stage Productions, UK.

Sound FX by: Mark Estdale, OUtsource Media for New Line Maverick Stage Productions, UK.

William Mastrosimone

2008-04-01T19:55:00.000+05:30

WILLIAM MASTROSIMONE (Playwright) made his debut with THE WOOLGATHERER in 1981, which later won the Los Angeles Drama Critics ward for Best play of 1982. His play EXTREMITIES won the New York Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play of 1982-1983, the John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and later became a feature film by the same title. His pay NANAWATAI! Opened in Bergen, Norway, at Den National scene; it later became a film called THE BEAST directed by Kevin Reynolds and won the 1988 Roxanne T. Mueller Award for Best Film at the Cleveland International Film Festival. His five-hour mini-series, SINATRA was broadcast in November 1992, and won the 1992 Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-series.

He wrote the feature film WITH HONORS and THE BURNING SEASON, an HBO feature about the life of Brazilian hero Chico Mendes, for which he received The Humanitas Award and an Emmy nomination. He recently completed a screenplay for Columbia Pictures entitled ARK OF AFRICA. His play TAMER OF HORSES won the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP Award for Best Play of 1987. His other plays include A TANTALIZING, SHIVAREE (Warner Communications Award), A STONE CARVER, THE UNDOING, SUNSHINE, CAT'S PAW, BURNING DESIRE, and LIKE TOTALLY WEIRD.

He recently completed a screenplay for Dawn Steel Productions, IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT (working title) and wrote four hours of ESCOBAR for HBO. He is currently rewriting PATRIOTS for Paramount Pictures and writing USA for Hallmark. Mr. Mastrosimone earned the degree MFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, is a 1989 recipient of the New Jersey Governor's Walt Whitman Award for Writing, and is a 1989 recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Rider College. His most recent play Sleepwalk is a story again focusing on the traumas of modern teenage society in the United States.

Puja Goyal

2008-01-12T13:09:00.000+05:30

Puja Goyal is the Artistic Manager of DreamScope Theatre, a theatre group that seeks to create interesting concepts for the Bangalore audience. As a theatre actor, she enjoys portraying appealing characters herself and through her actors on stage. Her theatre experiences include, ‘Akhbari Vigyapan’, ‘Panchavati Ka Lakshman’, 'Scream', ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’, 'Love Letters', 'Experiments in Love' 'Afghan Women' & 'Cat's Paw' . Bang Bang You're Dead was also adapted and recorded for radio on All India Radio's youth program and featured on their Vividh Bharati 612 MW.

Puja’s interest does not limit only to acting or directing plays, she also loves writing poetry, scripts, short stories and plays. Her writing style is offbeat with a touch of the dark. Some of the published works both online and in print include ‘The Royal Bird Eagle’, To Be with You’, ‘Dream Again’, The Essence of One’, ‘ The Day the Clock Stopped’, 'You Remind Me’, ‘The Thorn’s Agony’, ‘Mathilda’ etc. As a playwright she has written 'Dr. Sloan's World' &'The Ward', which were previously entered into the BBC Radio Playwriting Competition. She is currently working on an untitled children's musical and reworking her scripts.

She has also been a freelance journalist/feature writer for eight years and has written for Vijay Times (previously), Bangalore Mirror, Magna Magazine, Woman's Era and LiveIT. Freelancing has also allowed her to work part- time as a Freelance Radio Jockey ( 8 years) and Voice- Over artist (narration, characters & animation).

She had currently Volunteered as an ROCC (Regional Online Community Connector) for ymex.org (March - September 2008). And has recently obtained a Diploma in Acting for Film and Television at Chandigarh (Jan 2009).

Love Letters (2004)

Audition Notice

2008-01-10T23:17:00.000+05:30

DreamScope Theatre is holding auditions for its upcoming play Cats Paw on Thursday, January 24, 2008 from 4.00pm to 8.00pm.

The cast includes two male and two female characters. Actors must come prepared with a monologue (modern) before coming for the audition; there will be a cold read from the script with short listed actors later. Audition strictly by appointment only. DST is also looking for tech crew and volunteers for the same. All positions are unpaid. Actors will be required to spend three hours rehearsing every alternate weekday and four hours on weekends. Show runs in March, 2008.

NOTES:
1. do not call and ask what a monologue is, please Google it on the internet!
2. Take an appointment only if you would really like to audition; do not book place and decide not to come. Others loose an opportunity.
3. The play will be in English, therefore, fluency in the language is of utmost importance.
4. No other calls will be entertained.

DreamScope Theatre

2008-01-05T13:03:00.000+05:30

DreamScope Theatre was started by Ms. Puja Goyal, in the year 2003, as an initiative to encourage talent in the theatre world and see more individuals participate, get creative and find a foothold on stage. The company aims at bringing the corporate world and the audience together in the process.

The first staged under DreamScope Theatres, Bang Bang You're Dead scripted by, William Mastrosimone was one of the most successful plays in 2003, in Bangalore. The cast consisted of youngsters, who were participating on stage for the first time, and were brilliant in their performance. Opening to a full house at TownHall, the play was covered by all newspapers and radio channels, and received rave reviews by critics. Bang Bang You're Dead was also adapted and recorded for radio on All India Radio's youth program and featured on their Vividh Bharati 612 MW.

Love Letters, DreamScope Theatre's second venture was staged at Gallery Sumukha (which is a very prestigious Art Gallery) in the year 2004 in the form of Installation Art. We held a painting exhibition, theatre and a music concert at the same time. The play was covered by all newspapers and received good reviews. The play was an attempt to try another form of theatre, and it was on the lines of experimental art. The audience was shocked at the intimacy the play gave them to the actors, which in other words was very successful.

Afghan Women was DreamScope's third venture, which opened to a sold out crowd in 2006. The all India Premier was an attempt to stage a play that seems like a movie and brought notice to the plight of Afghanis. It was well received by the audience. Proceeds from the play were donated to the Afghan Orphans fund.

This Summer DreamScope brings Cat's Paw written by William Mastrosimone. It is a play apt for the Bangalore audience considering the water crisis we are going through. It has a strong political and social message for the youth; which if ignored could have far reaching consequences.

Visit http://www.dreamscopetheatre.com/ for more information.

Losing the Plot

2006-11-08T12:46:00.000+05:30

An excellent play was marred by listless performances and shoddy coordination

LOST CAUSE The excellent plot was let down by unconvincing execution

Dream Scope in collaboration with The Forum presented The Afghan Women recently. The play, directed by Puja Goyal, was written by William Mastrosimone in the aftermath of the World Trade Centre bombing. It is therefore a play of the `present’ plight of most in Afghanistan.

The changes that emerge from war mean different things to different people. All the characters struggle with misplaced identity. The loss of the burkha for the women, the struggle of the men to hold on to their tribe, and the loss of `belonging’ for a new generation of men who can easily follow the path of hegemony are included in the plot.

Plots, counter plots

A warlord, Hamood (Terrence), seeks protection from the new government in an orphanage even as he plots to overthrow it.

The Afghanistan-born, America-raised physician Malalai (Sabreen Baker) sees its futility, and convinces three local women Wajma (Yamini), Gulalai (Gangamma) and Nahid (Ashika Devi) and Hamood’s son Omar (Nabeel), schooled in the ways of war, to overthrow him.

At the core of the plot stands the naked truth of all wars, that a conflicted country probably is the best judge of the right solution.

Going beyond

Mastrosimone’s work transcends from being a play just about women to the lives of the men in the tribes, and of people at large facing war and death every day.

The lines are witty, profoundly light, and develop the characters well, and move between modes of despair and hope rather interestingly.

Which was why it was disappointing to see it performed without conviction and just as publicity vehicle to promote a shopping fest. The audience was made to wait for 45 minutes so that the chief guest could arrive and then again during the interval for nearly 25 minutes for introductions.

The performance that followed both times was listless.

The three women (Yamini, Gangamma and Ashika) merely spoke their lines to static moves. The main actors were either standing or sitting. The music was abrupt and sparse. What really jarred was the use of lapel mikes that had problems. What about actors projecting their voices? Even internationally, in musicals (from where the idea was probably taken), where lapel mikes are used, the actors project their voices. In this case, some actors were inaudible even a few feet away from the stage. There also seemed to be lack of coordination between the technical support group and the actors, evident in the constant sounding of `checks’ in the lapel mikes and the long gaps between the scene changes (nearly five to seven minutes) when the actors were heard conversing backstage!

The death of Hamood was comical and diluted the essence of the scene where the women take over, and claim their power.

There is clear potential Baker, Nabeel and Terrence who showed some interesting work.

The intention of the performance, to donate the proceeds to International Orphan Care for the Afghan children, which is supported by the playwright, was laudable.
DEEPTHY SHEKHAR© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The HinduDate:07/11/2006

war of words sans expressions

2006-11-01T12:55:00.000+05:30

Vijay Times: BVT FEATURES 31st October, 2006

THE dais is dumped with heaps of bones. In comes a scavenger, followed by two more to pick the bones only to sell and earn a living. There they go on a talking spree… “All of Afghan is a grave yard.” At least one child dies here daily out of starvation or disease. The cloud that thunders does not bring rain… so on. So unravels a story of ‘The Afghan Woman’, who is educated in America only to return home planning to run an orphanage in the hinterlands.

But then she is confronted by Mohamood a warlord, a tribal head with ulterior motives. And in the end, Mohamood gets killed by Malalai, the Afghan woman, an act connived by Maheb, Wajma and Gulalai, the three women scavengers. The characters in the play, which was staged on Oct 27 as part of the Forum Theatre Festival, revolve around Malalai and the best part is the conversation of her with Mohamood. William Mastrosimone’s statements stand vertically congruent to Islamic beliefs.

The script provided so much of strength to the characters that the mere delivery of those dialogues should have enabled them derive a pseudo feeling of having enacted the role. Ashika as Mahib proved an effective communicator in the Afghanis accents of English. Terence in the garb of Mohamood appealed by his booming voice but every time the tone goes stereotyped.

Stage craft was fairly good but the lighting left one in despair with hardly any focus. This also dissipated the most minimal of expressions and body language. With many flaws right from the beginning to end, it was the sound that gave a well engineered effect at times. Except an awe inspiring ‘Aza’, nothing much ado about music. Costumes were simple but relevant. It could have been yet more ethnic ushering the real Afghan for the audience both by way of music and other allied aspects of the theatre.

For director Puja Goyal, this is hardly her second directorial venture. She accepts her strong and weak points of her theatrical work . But then, being a multi-faceted persona, she has an undying spirit to make up in the repeat shows which you can expect very soon.

Play: The Afghan Woman
Playwright:William Mastrosimone
Banner: DreamScope Theatre
Direction: Puja Goyal
Venue: Good Shepherd Auditorium

A Directors Diary - Perspective

2006-10-31T13:01:00.001+05:30

notes…Posted in Afghan Women, Pictures on October 30, 2006 by dst

Afghan Women, staged on 27th of October, 2006 at Good Shepherd Audi, Residency
Road, Bangalore.

directors perspective: part one(will write more later…)

Scene One: Malalai being intimidated by “The Afghan Women” (Picture: Mayur)
Notes on the scene from director: There is something about showing intimidation by going around this way. Although it violates all stage norms, and is more of a street play style. The actors and crew were apprehensive about delivering their dialogues in this manner and I can understand their doubts… it took a lot of persuasion on my part to let the collective voice listen to mine, but in the end… the result was extraordinary. What would have been nicer, is, if the three women would have worn burqas.. they look like Israilies instead of Afghani’s (feedback from most people who came in to watch the play). Burqa would have had a terribly fantastic effect, what with large volumes of material swaying around… creating ripples. Maybe next audition I will get actors who find it easier to pull off the look.

Scene Two: Malalai in her refugee camp. (Picture: Mayur)
Notes on the scene from director: I was a little, okay, a lot preturbed about the irregular attendance of my light and sound guy at rehearsals as he was hardly seen, it worried the hell out of my actors and me … got someone else in the end. The lighting was good, considering the fact that the pictures have come out so well. Proof enough that all critics can be put to rest!!!

Scene Three: Malalai preturbed and turns her head away(Picture: Atul Prabhu)
Notes on the scene from director: There is something about this scene, the anguish, the worry the troubles one has to go through… need I say much??

Scene Four: Malalai in the blue Burqa (Picture: Mayur)
Notes on the scene from director: Yeah, okay, no one wears a royal blue burqa. But sometimes for stage effect, one has to let his/her artistic juices flow, and look how the final product turned out. The burqa gleamed on stage, everyone noticed it. I do not think, red, black, white or even light blue would have achieved this effect.

Scene Five: Omar and Mahmood - the last words(Picture: Atul Prabhu)
Notes on the scene from director: This, according to me was the strongest scene in the show. The tension in the scene was immense. The scene always turned out better than before, everytime we rehearsed. Irrespective of what the audience was doing or even during rehearsal for that matter, what I was doing; we could not help but look up and get engrossed in it. Purely captivating, enticing and edge of the seat effect… a movie is nothing compared to seeing this live.
There were two other scene that I absolutely loved in the play. One: The women in Scene one movin like ghosts around Malalai and Two: where Mahmood pulls Malalai to the ground before he is stabbed by the women.

Shop and Enjoy Theatre

2006-10-25T11:59:00.000+05:30

Shop and enjoy theatreTuesday October 24 2006 10:20 IST

Forum Shopping Festival is organising plays exclusively for its customers. On the 25th October, a Hindi comedy based on Three Men and a Horse, Daudaa Daudaa Bhaaga Bhaaga Sa will held at Chowdiah Memorial Hall at 7pm.It is a satire, based on today’s materialistic and commercial rat race and how a simpleton is forced to be a part of it. This production has been put together by The Brat Pack of Ekjute. The writing and direction of the play is a team effort lead by Juhi.
On 27th October, The Afgan Women is to be held at the Good Shepherd Auditorium at 7 pm. The story revolves around the journey of the American educated Afgani Doctor running an orphanage in her native.

At least one child dies every day from starvation or disease. An Afghani warlord, on the run from government troops, plans to use the children as a human shield to get him safe passage. The American-trained doctor is faced with the dilemma — she fears that once the children have served their purpose, they will be killed.

The top 3000 shoppers of Forum will be eligible to avail invites to any of the plays with their FSF ’06 Experience Card. For more details contact The Forum Mall Office.

Cast of Afghan Women

2006-10-18T12:14:00.000+05:30

The Afghan Women will be staged at the Good Shepherd Auditorium, Residency Road, Bangalore 560 025 on the 27th and 28th of October 2006. As of now, we will be staging one show on the 27th of Oct, and then moving onto some other space in November/ December, where we will stage more shows.

Cast: Terence Duraisami, Sabreen Baker, Puja Goyal (Director), Nabeel, Ashika Devi, Gangamma and Yamini Deenadayalan.

Its Audition Time

2006-06-21T12:20:00.000+05:30

Calling actors, and new recruits in the production team for our latest production the afghan women…

THIS is for all those who love acting in theatres. Interested individuals can now be a part of the serious play “Afghan Women”. The story line of which has an Afghani woman, who with an American education leaves her lucrative medical practice in US to return to her homeland and run an orphanage in the hinterland. The conditions are deplorable. At least one child dies every day from starvation or disease. In walks an Afghani warlord and his entourage. They are on the run from government troops, and he plans to use the children as a human shield to get him safe passage. The American-trained doctor is that once the children have served their purpose, they will be killed. Perhaps, more importantly to the Islamic culture and religion, they won’t be buried. Burial is very important in that part of the world.

The doctor needs to decide if she should kill the children herself so they will receive a proper burial. Also, she is in danger of being raped. Is suicide a better option for her? Can she find the strength and resources to stand up to the warlord?

The royalties and ticket sales earned from “The Afghan Women” will be donated to the Afghanistan operations of International Orphan Care. The Play requires actors for the following characters, Malalai-American trained doctor, Mahmood - Afghan Warlord, Naheed, Wajma, and Gulalai - women looking for food, Omar - Mahmood’s son.

Anyone interested in auditioning or being a part of the production team can send in an email at dreamscopetheatre@gmail.com or simply leave a comment or message on the board..

Candle light, love letters and power cuts

2004-10-31T12:26:00.000+05:30

“New Indian Express”
Candle light, love letters and power cuts
Saturday October 30 2004 10:34 IST

BANGALORE: It is widely believed that if a problem occurs, it is better to tackle it head on. The cast and crew of DreamScope certainly seemed to take this approach when performing A R Gurney’s Love Letters at Gallery Sumukha on October 28, for the drama started before the actual Drama.

A power cut moments before the action resulted in the actors improvising under candlelight to a reshuffled close-up audience in an unusual, intimate setting.

Challenging the background noise of a power generator without the aid of a microphone was no mean feat for the actors, so they should be commended for putting across the dialogue in a crystal clear fashion.

Love letters surrounds two childhood friends, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, and their correspondence through their letters, as their lives take different courses over the span of 40 years. Of course, the couple fall in love and the tension between them through their written words is unbearable at times.

According to the author, Love Letters requires no actual stage, no rehearsal and no memorization of lines from the actors. In many respects Gurney is spot on as the set is very minimal consisting of just a couple of tables and chairs and the actors simply read their “letters” on stage.

However this doesn’t mean that skilled acting is not required, as it must be very demanding for the two actors during the course of the performance, especially when they are the only actors involved and they don’t interact with each other.

Brilliantly written, Gurney depicts the characters’ personalities and feelings perfectly. But as important is what is not said in the letters, the feelings that aren’t written but conveyed by the actors. It is the words between the lines that succors the development of the story and grips the audience.

Despite the technical difficulties, it was a pleasure to sit through the whole three hours of what must have been a very difficult performance for all involved.

About Love Letters

2004-10-26T12:29:00.000+05:30

Vijay Times, Monday, October 25, 2004

BVT NEWS

DreamScope Theatre by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc, New York, will bring to the city, Love Letters a play which traces the lifelong correspondence of the staid, dutiful Lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and the lively, and unstable artist Melissa Gardner; the story of their bittersweet relationship gradually unfolds, from what is written and what is left unsaid, in their letters.

Love Letters captures Andy and Melissa with a precision of detail and depth. Evoking the personal, the intimate and the fragile gossamer of the relationships between a staid lawyer and a spirited artist (painter), as they grow up and grow on in their interactions with each other, is predicted on the spatial and elemental arrangement of the play.

DreamScope Theatres’ production of Love Letters is a reshaping of theatre as an installation art and thus emphasizing the extra-per formative facets of a play.

Love Lettes is directed by Nishant Shah and the cast includes, Prithvi Vishwanath, Puja Goyal, and Sanjay Das. Costumes are arranged by Shwetha Williams while stage arrangements are made by Manish Goyal. Nikhil Goyal, Michelle Peters, Jason Zacc and Naveen Thomas will be performing seven songs, including their own compositions.

Love Letters will be staged at Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Depot Road, Behind Parijma Medical Centre, on the 28th, 29th and 30th of October, starting at 6.30 p.m. for a duration of 140 minutes each. Invites are available at Raaga, Devatha Plaza, Residency Road for Rs. 99/-. For further information, contact dreamscopetheatre@gmail.com

Redefining Theatre

2004-10-18T12:31:00.000+05:30

“The Hindu”

Monday, October 18, 2004

By Sahana Charan

It looks like the city is getting an overdose of theatre. But serious drama enthusiasts could not have asked for anything better. Rahul De Cunha’s I’m Not Baji Rao came to townwith Boman Irani and Sudhir Joshi in the lead roles. Naseeruddin Shah in also here with his popular production Manto- Ismat Haazir Hain, a play based on four stories of Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chugtai, which is currently being staged.

But ever heard of a play in the form of an installation art? This is a new concept that the DreamScope Theatre Group is brining to the city.

The group will stage A.R.Gurney’s Love Letters on October 28, 29, and 30 at Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Depot Road, by special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service Inc, New York.

The performance will be in the form of an installation art and will combine music, theatre and painting.

Nikhil Goyal, Michelle Peters, Jason Zacc and Naveen Thomas (of Perusia) will perform seven songs, including their own compositions, while there will be a painting exhibition titled Woven Memories by Rajneesh Kaur and curated by Alka Pande, and all this as part of the play.

Love Letters is directed by Nishah Shah and the cast includes Puja Goyal, Prithvi Vishwanath and Sanjay Das. Costumes are by Swetha Williams and stage arrangements are by Manish Goyal.

The play traces the lifelong correspondence between the staid, dutiful lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and the lively, spirited and unstable artist Melissa Gardner and the story of their bittersweet relationship.

DreamScope Theatres is a new production company established by Puja Goyal, with an objective of redefining theatre and encouraging budding artists.

Apart from dabbling in theatre, Puja is a poet and a radio jockey on All-India Radio’s FM Rainbow.

Invites for the play are available at Raga, Devatha Plaza, Residency Road, Bangalore.

Love Letters on Stage

2004-10-16T12:33:00.000+05:30

The New Indian Express,
Bangalore, Saturday, October 16, 2004

Love Letters on Stage

DreamScope Theatre by special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service Inc.
New york, presents Love Letters, written by A.R. Gurney at the Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Depot Road on the October 28, 29 and 30. The show starts at 6.30 pm everyday. Passes, priced at Rs. 99/- are available at Raaga, Devatha plaza, Residency Road.

Love Letters

2004-10-07T12:34:00.000+05:30

This Season, DreamScope Theatre by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc, New York, is bringing to you the magic surrounding Old-Fashioned letter writing and takes you through a nostalgic and intimate affair of two friends.

Love Letters traces the lifelong correspondence of the staid, dutiful lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and the lively, spirited and unstable painter Melissa Gardner; the story of their bittersweet relationship gradually unfolds from what is written- and what is left unsaid- in their letters.

DreamScope Theatre looks upon A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters as a way of redefining Theatre in India. With Love Letters, we aim to render the fourth theatrical wall, redundant whilst blending the performers with the audience and the fictionality of theatre with the hard sheen of reality. Evoking the personal, the intimate and the fragile gossamer of the relationships between a staid lawyer and a spirited artist, as they grow up and grow on in their interactions with each other, is predicated on the spatial and elemental arrangement of the play.

Directed by Nishant Shah.
Produced by DreamScope Theatre
Cast includes… Puja Goyal, Prithvi Vishwanath, and Sanjay Das.
Stage Arrangements by Manish Goyal.
Music: Nikhil Goyal, Michelle Peters, Jason Zacc and Naveen Thomas will be performing seven songs, including their own compositions.
Invites available at: Raaga, Devatha Plaza, Residency Road, Bangalore-25
Venue: Gallery Sumukha, 24/10, BTS Depot Road, Behind Parjima Medical Centre, Bangalore.

‘Love Letters’ will be staged at Gallery Sumukha on the 28th, 29th and 30th of October, 2004, starting at 6:30 p.m. for duration of 140 minutes each. Love Letters is our attempt at bringing to the English theatre in Bangalore, the coziness of cocktail theatre, the disillusionment of Brechtian performance and the spatial anchoring of an installation artwork.

‘Love Letters’, will be performed in the form of Installation art and combines three forms of art; music, theatre, and coinciding with a painting exhibition titled “Woven Memoirs” by Rajneesh Kaur and curated by Dr. Alka Pande.

Puja Goyal Act One
Sunjay Das Act Two

Bang On

2003-12-22T20:44:00.000+05:30

The Asian Age

2003-12-19T20:47:00.000+05:30

Of Teenage Conflicts

2003-12-18T20:51:00.000+05:30

Dakshin Dhwaj

2003-12-16T21:06:00.000+05:30

Bang Bang You're Dead

2003-12-13T21:06:00.000+05:30

Bang, Bang, but don't drop dead!!

2003-12-13T21:05:00.000+05:30

Bang, bang.... it's a play

2003-12-12T20:54:00.000+05:30

Bang Bang You're Dead

2003-10-13T11:41:00.000+05:30

‘BANG BANG YOU’RE DEAD’ BEING STAGED IN BANGALORE:

Seems like a movie scene -On a lazy and relaxed afternoon, a Theatre actor and director spots videotape titled ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ in a video library. She picks the tape as the name sounds interesting and it brings about a curiosity as to what the movie is all about. After watching the movie she thinks about contacting the writer of the movie, to stage the script in Bangalore as a play, something very few do, thinking it may never work! But after all, instances like these prove the world is indeed becoming a global village, a smaller place to live in. Well… that’s Puja Goyal for you, the Director of Bang Bang You’re Dead and Founder of DreamScope which is staging the play ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead for the first time in the country.

Puja is bringing nine youngsters together in the play ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’, a play that not only tries to understand the emotional wrath, psychological conflicts in young minds, which is heightened due to the growing competition in today’s world, but also enables the young spectator watching the play realize that it’s not wrong to be different.

Quite a remarkable achievement for a young director, to take an initiative to stage an International play like ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ in Bangalore that is written by Hollywood writer, Mr. William Mastrosimone. He has donned various roles as the Play Author and Screen Writer for the film ‘The Beast’, he is also written the script for the film ‘With Honours’ & ‘Extremities’. With ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ he has donned the role of a Screen Writer and a Play Author.
Bang Bang You’re Dead is a play, written soon after the American tragedy where a student shot his fellow students in school some years ago. Considering the rising violent tendencies in young adolescents all across the world including India, the play revolves around the current trends, trying to explore some of the questions that arise in a young mind. The play also tries to explore the fact that it helps to take control of our lives and not be influenced.

Apart from being an open invitation for all the students, the entire crew of ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ welcomes even their parents to watch the play on December 19, 2003 at the Town hall, J.C Road at 6.30 p.m. For Free Passes, call 98452 96694 or email- dreamscopetheatre@gmail.com

Cast: Asfaq Tapia, Nabeel, Shrikant (as Josh), Tabassum Jamil,Shrilekha Jain, Ganga, Sheena, Manish Goyal and Deepthi Adappa

Directed by Puja Goyal
Written by William Mastrosimone

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