Anton Chekov play “The Proposal” staged in Doon
Anton Chekov play “The Proposal” staged in Doon
Dehradun, January 13
“The Proposal”, a play based on a story by Anton Chekhov was staged at the auditorium of the Doon Library and Research Centre, in collaboration with the School of Theatre and Film on Monday evening. The Hindi-language comedy play directed by Kailash Kandwal was of 35 minutes duration was well received by the audience. The cast included Kailash Kandwal, Abhishek Dobhal, Aarti Shahi, Pratap Singh, and Nishant Rahi. The stage design was by Pratap Singh, and the costume design was by Aarti Shah.
The School of Theatre and Film is an institution of students and teachers that promotes theatre and film which have been started this year with an effort to revive theatre in Dehradun. The primary goal of the school is to bring audiences back to the theatres and increase their interest in it. As part of this campaign, they are taking their performances to every corner of the city. In this campaign, the institution will gather information about theatre performance and rehearsal venues and is trying to connect with new emerging artists in the field of theatre.
The play’s director, Kailash Kandwal, said that one of their objectives is to provide a platform for all the institutions in Dehradun, with the cooperation of senior theatre artists, so that the city can once again experience the vibrant theatre atmosphere it once had. “Circumstances have changed considerably compared to the past; now theatre also needs to move towards professionalism, and this is only possible through everyone’s combined efforts,” he said.
The play, wwas based on a single day’s events in which a neighbour wants to propose marriage to a girl from his neighbourhood, but every time they end up arguing about something or the other – sometimes about land, sometimes about praising a dog – and the matter remains unresolved. The girl’s father, worried about his daughter’s advancing age, also wants her to marry the boy from the neighbourhood. However, the girl’s temper repeatedly spoils things. Finally, the proposal is accepted, and both agree to the marriage. Overall, this theatrical production is a purely an entertaining romantic comedy.
“The theatre artists believe that the increasing influence of digital media is causing theatre to lag behind. Already struggling financially, the theatre is now facing even greater challenges. In such times, taking on the responsibility of directing is also a challenge. It’s no longer enough to simply have actors deliver lines or utilize the stage effectively; it’s wise to adapt the play’s story to suit the audience’s preferences and time constraints, while also preserving the essence of theatre. Keeping all these factors in mind, a series of short plays are being planned featuring a smaller cast and minimal sets to convey the message effectively,” said Kailash Kandwal.
During performance, many theatre enthusiasts, artists, young students, and other prominent personalities from the city were present, including puppeteer Ramlal, Himanshu Ahuja, Jai Raj, Devendra Kandpal, Vinod Saklani, Vijay Pahwa, Dr. Lalita Prasad from Doon Library and Research Center, Sunder Singh Bisht, Rakesh Kumar, and others.
