A dramatic affair unfolded at American Center on Thursday with the inter-school drama competition ‘Unscripted: Reimagining American Plays’. Organised by the public diplomacy team of the US Consulate, Kolkata, was an initiative to familiarise youth leaders with classic and contemporary American literature.
Ninety-six students from eight Kolkata schools took part in the selection round of the competition on July 20. The teams were asked to perform on adaptations of stories or plays by American authors. Five out of eight schools made it to the finals which took place on Thursday.
Two of the performances put up by the teams in the final round
Welcoming the audience for the final event, acting consul-general and public affairs officer, US Consulate General Kolkata Adrian Pratt said: “The medium of plays helps young people develop a strong sense of self and identity, build empathy and learning among peers and broaden the ways they make meaning of the world around them. It opens them up to experiencing different perspectives that we may not be aware of or have contemplated.”
“This medium allows them to step into someone else’s shoes and see life from their point of view. These students have done some rigorous rehearsing, as they bring out the essence of stories and elements of DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) or peace, prosperity, and planet through their performances today.”
The participants and the judges at the American Center
The students of La Martiniere for Girls, BDM International, Modern High School for Girls, Gokhale Memorial School for Girls and the BSS School enacted classics like She Kills Monsters, The Furnished Room, The Crucible, The Colour Purple and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
American Center deputy director Juan Clar, dancer Sudarshan Chakravorty, Somrita Ganguly, Fulbright alumni and filmmaker Ashoke Viswanathan judged the performances. At the end, Modern High School for Girls, the BSS School and BDM International, were chosen winners. They received trophies and certificates from Clar.
Archisha Dutta, a student from La Martiniere for Girls School, said she had been into acting for the past three to four years and these kinds of competitions help a lot. “You can see others’ performances and know your mistakes. In that way, one can improve his or her own performance,” she added.