The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) and Festival 2021 announced the 16th edition of META, which will be held virtually this year in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As an award platform, META recognises the challenges that the industry has faced and the festival this year will be curated rather than competitive, and will showcase award-winning plays and live conversations.
Every weekend, for five weeks, starting March 26, there will be conversations with the masterminds behind each of these plays as well as screenings of these award-winning plays. The plays and the conversations will be hosted on META’s official Facebook Page and YouTube channel. The final weekend of the festival will have workshops and masterclasses curated by Teamwork Arts in partnership with artGYAN.
Promoted by the Mahindra Group as part of its cultural outreach programme and produced by Teamwork Arts, a pioneering arts and entertainment company, META annually rewards and recognises the best theatrical productions and performances of the year.
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‘Nona: An interplay between innovation and stagecraft’ — in an age of minimalism, dictated in part by availability of resources and part by narrative and directorial style, director Jino Joseph and light designers Sajas Rahman and Abid PT explore the centrality of design and aesthetics, stagecraft and lighting in creating breathtaking works like Nona on April 9, 7pm. About the play: The socio-political satirical play, directed by acclaimed Malayalam theatre personality Jino Joseph, is set in rural India and examines pseudo-nationalism and casteism through the story of Govindan, his family and neighbours. To be screened on April 10, 7pm
‘Elephant in the Room: Weaving a contemporary yarn onto ancient myth’ — director-performer Yuki Ellias and Sanjoy K. Roy in conversation explore the challenges in bringing a new narrative to age-old scripts and the importance of storytelling, performance and costume on April 23, 7pm.
About the play: Inspired by mythology, Elephant in the Room pays homage to Lord Ganapati in this quirky and poignant reinterpretation of his story. The protagonist is a young boy interestingly named Master Tusk, who has been given a new head — an elephant’s! Confused and bewildered, he finds himself lost in the forest where danger lurks at every turn. To be screened on April 24, 7pm
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‘Lassanwala: What lies inside the actor’s bag of tricks?’ — director Hemant Pandey, scriptwriter Vidit Tripathi and actor Alok Kumar explore the challenges that are put on actors by the director and scriptwriter in a production. They explore the techniques and tricks that actors use to sustain their performances and the different styles of acting that are called upon to keep audiences riveted, on April 16, 7pm.
About the play: Set in a present-day rural heartland, Lassanwala is the tale of Kallu Bahman, a 60-year-old Brahmin garlic seller whose family has been growing garlic for three generations in their small patch of land. The play traces the tragic-comic events that occur in his life that shake his firm belief in the caste system, which has defined a major part of his existence. To be screened on April 17, 7pm
Sanjoy K. Roy, managing director, Teamwork Arts, said: “The Meta Festival is back with a walk down memory lane, bringing to you some of the best award-winning plays over the past few years! In this new series, we delve into the minds of the directors, playwrights, costume and set designers and the actors who bring the play to life.”
Jay Shah, vice-president, head, cultural outreach, Mahindra Group, said: “Over the past 15 years we have been holding the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in the national capital. This year, however, we’ve had to think outside the box due to the pandemic. Instead of the usual competitive awards, we are celebrating five outstanding plays that have won accolades at the META platform over the years.”
