Ten plays have been shortlisted for the 12th edition of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Festival which will be staged from March 4-9. The Meta Festival is a joint promotion by Mahindra Group and Teamwork Arts and has become a definitive calendar event for theatre enthusiasts and professionals across the country.
This year the festival received over 300 entries which were then viewed by a selection committee comprising eminent theatre practitionersArundhati Raja, Deepa Punjani, Deepan Sivaraman, Danish Husain and Debesh Chatterjee.
Jay Shah, Head, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “Over 300 entries received consistently over the past few years shows the interest and faith theatre groups have placed on this effort by the Mahindra Group. We are excited to see and celebrate the final nominations.”
The 10 nominated plays feature Bengali, Malayalam, Rajasthani and Kannada along with Hindi and English language scripts. The plays come from regions as diverse as Kota, Patna, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore and Kolkata. Like every year, META 2017 brings some engaging and pressing issues to the forefront including minority voices, prevalent socio-cultural divides, troubles of fast-paced modern times, contemporary contexts of Indian mythology, and complex stories of human emotions and conscience.
Commenting on the selection results, Sanjoy K Roy, MD, Teamwork Arts & Festival Producer said, “It is great to see the diversity and vibrancy that is reflective of contemporary theatre in India. From comedy to musicals, religious and socio-cultural issues to contemporary reinterpretations of India’s rich mythological texts, these productions bring alive the complexities that are representative of the subcontinent.”
Theatre enthusiasts can view the nominated productions staged live for the jury during the META Festival in Delhi at Kamani Auditorium, Little Theatre Group (LTG) and Sri Ram Centre from March 4th to March 9th. The Red Carpet Awards Night for META is scheduled to be held in Delhi on 10th March.
The 14 awards will be given for the Best Play, Best Director, Lifetime Achievement award, Best Stage Design, Best Light Design, Best Innovative Sound Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male), Best Actor in a Lead Role (Female), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female), Best Original Script, Best Ensemble, Best Choreographer.
