SHORTS IN THE DARK

 I saw a programme of short plays in English, ranging from 15 minutes to 20 minutes each, at a Show titled `Shorts in the dark` organized by Coimbatore Arts and Theatre Society, this Sunday. This society, founded by K.V.Siddhartha, has been promoting the amateur stage in Coimbatore. All the plays directed by different directors were good, but only a few actors stood out for living their roles. Among the five plays I saw, while I liked the play `In search of truth` featuring the husband and wife team of Shakthi and Gaury Chakravarthy, I felt, like many others in the audience, that  `The Waltz`, the last play to be  the best play among the five I saw, with a contemporary theme scripted by Mr.Vithal Rajan, an octogenarian writer and activist who lives in Coonoor and directed by Rohini Sivalingam a professional story teller and writer.

 My younger daughter, a performing artist and a well-known professional storyteller in the family, acted as the old lady and Pradeep Yuvaraj, a business storyteller, as the old man. It was a demanding role for both, and I must say that both did not act but lived their respective roles. The intense emotion shown by Sowmya in the last scene brought tears to the eyes of many in the packed audience. My elder daughter, Kavitha, the visual artist in the family,  had come from Chennai specially to see her younger sister excel in the role she played.

The programme was held in the ITC Welcome Hotel on Race Course Road, which was the Venue Partner. There was a packed audience consisting of friends and relatives of the performing artists, who had paid Rs.1,500 each to witness not only some good plays but also indulge in the sumptuous snacks provided during breaks and a delicious lunch, provided by the hotel, after the show. Food for the mind and the stomach indeed! It was a time well spent on a Sunday morning.