A regular visit to watch a play begins with the viewer buying tickets and heading to the auditorium to watch performances on stage. But what if we told you that a group of youngsters is turning this practice 180 degrees around? That instead of calling audiences to watch them in a dedicated space, they are stepping off the stage and taking their plays to the audience.
What happens when theatre travels?
In a cultural landscape where theatre is often concentrated in metropolitan centres, Tiny Tales Theatre Company has spent years asking a simple question: What happens when theatre travels instead of waiting for audiences to come to it? There’s no standard answer to the question though. “There’s no one-size-fits-all possibility here,” says Pratiksha Khasnis, one of the founders, adding, “What we do get are a variety of experiences, exposure and an opportunity to take plays to people who have no or limited means of entertainment.”
Members of Tiny Tales Theatre Company
In the quest, the group has travelled to many smaller cities and rural areas in the state to stage plays, sometimes at primary schools, sometimes under a tree, and sometimes at playgrounds. “There was this one time when we performed one of our plays called Tujhi Aukat Kaye? in a dried-up swimming pool,” shares Nikita Thube, co-director of the play, adding that a dedicated space isn’t really a priority for them. “Our plays aren’t cause-oriented. We are not an NGO. All we want to do is perform, entertain and engage more audiences in theatre. There have been places that we performed at where people had never watched a play. There have been times when we performed a children’s play in the morning and a play for the entire village in the evening. To be able to expose people to this centuries-old form is one of the things that drives us to do what we do,” adds Kalpesh Samel, co-founder.
We perform for the love of the theatre and to build a community of theatre lovers that are not just based in metros. Travelling with our plays helps us do both together
Pratiksha Khasnis, co-founder of the theatre group
How it all started
Back when Pratiksha and Kalpesh were students at Lalit Kala Kendra, SPPU, they did a fellowship which took them to a tribal settlement. “We did this fellowship and had Atul and Geetanjali Kulkarni to guide us. At the tribal settlement, we worked with kids and that’s when we realised that here, there was no stage. You just had your performances to rely on. As actor, it was a challenge for us because all our education and experience was on the stage,” says Pratiksha. From there, the idea of taking theatre to different places took form and in 2018, they formed Tiny Tales Theatre Company. Over the years, they have travelled across more than 15 districts in Maharashtra and performed over 130 shows.
It all started from SPPU’s Lalit Kala Kendra for the group
Adapting to circumstances is key
As a travelling theatre group, their belief is that theatre should not be restricted by geography, language, or economic barriers. Whether performing in cultural centres, schools, community spaces, festivals or traditional auditoriums, they have consistently adapted their productions to reach diverse audiences.“Travelling theatre requires artistes to become performers, producers, technicians, logisticians and community builders all at once. Overnight journeys, carrying sets and costumes across states, performing in unfamiliar venues, and adapting to constantly changing conditions become part of the creative process,” says Amir Shaikh, a technician with the group. For them though, these challenges are not obstacles but opportunities. “Every new location brings a different audience, a different response and a different conversation,” adds Prathamesh Mane, another technician.
A performance they did at the Under the Sal Tree theatre fest in Assam
The group is a prime example of community building and engagement. While Tuji Aukat Kaye? took its final bow with a performance in Kolhapur earlier this month, the group is currently staging Kadekot Kadelot along with a few more childrens’ plays. The group is in the final stages of its new play, Laut Ke Buddhu Ghar Na Aaye, based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, which they aim to start touring with in the next few weeks. What makes all this possible? “Memories of every audience, every venue and every road,” shares Pratiksha.
Travelling theatre requires artistes to become performers, producers, technicians, logisticians and community builders all at once. Performing in unfamiliar venues, and adapting to constantly changing conditions become part of the creative process
Amir Shaikh, a technician with the group
What about finance?
Any theatre production requires finance, irrespective of whether it’s a big or small amount. How does Tiny Tales manage this aspect, you may ask. They do it with a skeletal team, enthusiastic performers and basic contribution from their viewers. “Our core team has about 5-6 people while performers vary for every play. It’s not like a commercial play structure. The people associated with us do this purely for the love of art and theatre. We request people at the places we perform at to contribute whatever small amount that they can through which our basic expenses are taken care of,” shares Pratik Jadhav, a member of the group’s art space, Earthian. When they staged one of their plays at a school, they requested the students to bring Rs3-5 each. Most of them brought more than Rs10. “So, the extra amount that we had, we donated it to the school to use for the benefit of the students,” adds Pratiksha.
A performance by the group
