The month of July was originally called ‘Quintilis’ before a Roman Senate renamed it after the great Roman General, Julius Caesar, who was born around the same time. The Caesar that the world remembers is more often than not, handed down by history’s greatest dramatist William Shakespeare. Who can forget the unbearable betrayal underneath an “Et, tu brute?” or the earnest vengeful invoking behind “Friends, Romans, and Countrymen”. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar stays afresh in our memories centuries later as a reminder of how impactful is a theatrical influence.
To celebrate this magnanimity of this onstage art, #DSSCRecommends theatre performances that you shouldn’t miss this July.
Maulana Azad: July 8
Internationally acclaimed The Pierrots Troupe is bringing back one of their most successful production, Maulana Azad, to their home turf. Written by Dr. M. Sayeed Alam, the play pulls together excerpts from the remarkable life of Maulana. Roping in the political and humanitarian exploration, the stage is set up on the backdrop of Maulana (played by veteran theatre artist Tom Alter), dictating notes to his secretary Humayun Kabir for his book – India Wins Freedom. This play opens the gate to the revolutionary life of independent India’s first Education Minister via a solo act by Alter who is also referred as Maulana’s lookalike.
Book your tickets here and head to L.T.G Auditorium, Mandi House, Copernicus Marg, Connaught Place, Delhi, NCR 110001, India.
Anand Express: 8 & 9 July
Image: vervemagazine.in
A play under the Aadyam Theatre Initiative of the Birla Group, Anand Express is about youth, loss, and friendship. A craft of Rage Productions (Rajit Kapur, Shernaz Patel, and Rahul da Cunha) and directed by Nadir Khan, the plot goes through the journey of three teenagers who want to fulfill the wish of their deceased best friend Anand, whose death has pushed them all out in the real world. With a young, but well known cast of Vivaan Shah, Chaitnya Sharma, Siddharth Kumar, and Sukant Goel the play is ready to open with the question – How far would you go for your best friend?
Book your tickets here and head to Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Janpath, Mandi House, Delhi, NCR 110001, India.
Phenomenal Maya: A Tribute to Maya Angelou: 15 July
The caged birds are ready to sing this July. Akshara Theatre is bringing to you the phenomenal life of Maya Angelou, America’s pathbreaking black writer, poet, activist, and director who had the world under her spell. Angelou’s autobiographical works brought attention to the oppression and imbalance of the American dream. Through the theatre, Jalabala Vaidya, founder and director of Akshara Theatre, along with power packed performers Sunit Tandon and Nisa Shetty are ready to welcome you into the world of the woman who took pride in her skin colour & heritage, inspiring generations and more to come.
Book your tickets here and head to Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, NCR 110001, India.
30 Days in September: 23 July
The ‘Back to Roots’ movement in Indian theatre consciously moved away from English writing and plays. Amidst the chaos to find its own voice, Mahesh Dattani became the first English language playwright to win the Sahitya Akademi Award. Dattani is known for his portrayal of contemporary social issues and so is the Director of this play, Arvind Gaur (Head, Asmita Theatre). With a powerful cast including Amita Walia and Rahul Khanna, this play pulls the drapes on the silence and suffering that surrounds the havoc of child sexual abuse.
Book your tickets here and head to Muktadhara Auditorium in Banga Sanskriti Bhavan, 18-19 Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Gole Market, Delhi, NCR 110001, India.
With an ace line-up coming ahead, July is set to be a theatrical month!
Featured Image Courtesy: theatre.depaul.edu
