A Theatrical Affair

Quite recently, I was on the top of a slide.

No, it wasn’t an adult’s slide at an overhyped amusement park. It was a children’s slide with very tiny steps and a narrow slope. And there I was, standing at the top thinking, ‘Why on earth did I decide to do this?’

Now, I’m not an impulsive person. I didn’t climb there to awaken some long-lost inner child in me. I did it deliberately with a calculated mindset. The reason is because, every now and then, I choose to insert myself in uncomfortable situations. Why? Because it feels cathartic.

Theatre, in all honesty, is cathartic too.

As a storyteller, I was excited for my very first theatre workshop at Bhoomi. I had tons of ideas, stories bubbling in my mind, conversations I’d been dying to have with thespians and whatnot. But I kept a lid on it. Deep down I knew that I’ll not become Andrew Garfield overnight even as a small part of me hoped to.

But very quickly, the idea of “theatre” began to stretch beyond what I knew. There were no dramatic scripts or bright spotlights waiting for us. In fact, we stepped away from the scenes of imagination and stepped into the real world where the calls of barbets filled our senses, and mimicking them guided our movements.

The rustle of leaves, the rocky path and the sunlight playing hide and seek amidst branches were no longer an aesthetic backdrop. Nature was the main show.

Yes, it felt absolutely odd at the beginning. Why wouldn’t I when I was asked to walk as though a field of burning coals lay at my feet? But those fleeting seconds of discomfort seeped through the layers of my mind, morphing into curiosity… imagination… laughter… fun… and finally, there it was… Catharsis slipping in, raw and humble.

Theatre in general showed me how beautiful it is to create.

Theatre at Bhoomi showed me how satisfying it is to respond, to observe and to connect.

To whoever’s reading this, next time a breeze passes through you, stop talking, stop thinking and listen to the tale it’s trying to tell you.

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Shared by Maheen Afshan, Teach for Nature Fellow, Chennai, Tamil Nadu