Play - OUROBOROS

ABOUT THE PLAY

The play is a small venture initiated by the theatre company Five Senses Theatre Mumbai. It explores the dreams and ambitions of individuals who have departed from their native places to find opportunities in populous metropolitan concrete jungles. Different phases of their struggles and the nuances of ups and downs are explored physically. The exploration attempts to go deeper beneath the surface of their individual stories trying to understand the rationality and intuitive impulses of their arrival in a new space to find a place. How their native baggage influence in their search of success and growth and also at times of adversity. The body question about the shades of ambition relationships defeats achievements and a never ending process. Many a times in the populous metropolitan concrete jungles the familiar become strange and the strange familiar.

SYNOPSIS

The play starts with the arrival of two individuals with their baggage in a new space seeking to find a place to fulfill their hopes and dreams. In the populous concrete metropolitan jungles everything is not as black as black and white as white. The individuals encounters a different realities where the familiar becomes strange and strange the familiar. They have been situated under such circumstances that everything is falling apart things are out of control and they are hoping against hope. Their dreams have been dashed into pieces. In spite of the crash the pulse of their spirits still lingers and yearns to rise again. This time the reality has become clearer the vision of the blur lines are clearer and the populous concrete jungles is ready to accept you. But for how long and what have you achieved?

NOTES OF CREATIVE INITIATOR( DIRECTOR’S NOTE )

The plays tries to understand the hardship struggles and nuances of people who comes to a different place to find their hopes and dreams through a physical process. The body becomes the site of their embodiment and their journey from their native baggage to a non native populous metropolitan concrete jungles. In this process we try to explore different layers of physical texts verbal texts and sound texts and the impact from the synthesize of these different layers of texts to create physical visual imagery. The production is an undergoing process and we are depending through the idea of devising and collaboration as an methodology for the process of the production. It is more of a participatory democracy through devising where the performer’s body is the medium of creation and the mediator between the known and the unknown. I hope this production always remain a process.

ABOUT FIVE SENSES THEATRE

Five senses are founded by Hardik Shah and is a non-profit organization. Five Senses is an ensemble of professional actors directors writers and makers from diverse background with a purpose of evolving and staging new performances through a collaborative process. As professional we constantly push our boundaries of practice. Productions of Five Senses Theatre have participated in many national and international theatre festivals. Our aim is to elevate interactive and socially relevant theatre. Five Senses Theatre believe in the financial sustainability of theatre making and promote a genuine and heartfelt performance. Five senses theatre group has previously performed at the prestigious NAPA festival (Karachi) and Kala Ghoda festival (Mumbai) Festa De Diu (Diu) Hive Community Theatre Festival (Mumbai) Jairangam Theatre Festival (Jaipur) purabranga Theare Festival(Assam) Nepal International theatr e Festival (Nepal) and others etc.

About the Director

Thoudam Victor specializes in acting from National School of Drama New Delhi in the year 2009-2012. He was awarded one year fellowship program by the National School of Drama and worked under the guidance of Heisnam Kanhailal and Ema Sabitri. He is also a junior research fellow awarded by Minister of Culture Government of India. He is a Charles Wallace India Trust Scholar 2014-15 and pursued ‘Advance Theatre Practice’ in London International School of performing Arts (now Arthaus Berlin). His plays have travelled to many national and international theatre festivals. He has been awarded the Serendipity Arts Grant for Theatre and Art Practice Program by Indian Foundation of Arts. He is also a recipient of the best actor and best choreography award in the 18th edition of META Theatre festival 2023 India for his performance in the production ‘The Departed Dawn’. He visited as a faculty in NSD Tripura (TIE wing) NSD Sikkim Manipur University of Culture National School of Drama New Delhi and Central University of Hyderabad. He completed his Master in Devised Theatre and Performance from Rose Bruford College London.

About Designers

Ashok Kumar

Ashok Kumar a graduate of National school of Drama (2013) has been active in the field of acting direction design theatre education and content development from last 12 years. He has been collaborating and participating in numerous Domestic and international Theatre and Film projects. He founded "Actographers" in 2019. It is a hub of theatre philosophy where stories resonate with an amalgamation of diverse perspectives & ideologies affecting the socio-political structure of individuals families towns cities states countries and the world.

Ajay Khatri

Ajay Khatri is the founder of the theatre company - Dir`Actors Studio hailing from Mumbai and Delhi. He is a Post Graduate in Dramatic Arts from National School of Drama New Delhi. He has conducted numerous theater workshops and is a creative source of energy to young theatre aspirants of independent theatre groups schools colleges universities and NGOs. Ajay has contributed as a theatre facilitator and director for productions in professional theatre groups. His play Privacy showcased in International theatre festival of Kerala (ITFOK 2019) Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM 2019). He works as an Independent Director and Associate Director in films documentaries corporate films and TVCs in the Bollywood film industry.

About Actors

Hardik Shah

Hardik Shah is an Actor Director Theatre-maker and founder of Five Senses Theatre Group. He graduated from National School of Drama (NSD) and diploma from Shree Ram Centre for Performing Arts (SRC). His works include films as an actor like "Whiskey is Risky"(Gujarati) "Venalodungathey" (Malayalam) TVC's short films TV Serials just name a few and as a Theatre Director He designed and directed nemorous plays like "Kiss of the Spider Woman" "Parineeta" "The pillowman" "The Airport" "Rustom-o-Sohrab" "Phool & Fools" "The Monkey's Paw" Dear Departed" and many more. Completed film called “Bharat Maro Desh Chhe” as creative director and working as a screenwriter CO & Creative producer of Hindi film “White Collar” which is under post-production.

Jeena Baishya

Jina Baishya is a trained actress has over 20 years of theatre experience and dancer(Classical TraditionalFolk)from the state of Assam based in Mumbai. She has performed across various states in India and abroad.During her childhood she has worked with some of the wellestablished theatre groups of India. She joined the National School of Drama in New Delhi in 2014 and successfully completed her Diploma in Dramatic Arts with acting Specialization in 2017.Also worked in International and Regional Movies . She works on a long-term fellowship project titled "Studying of two training approaches: Kudiyattyam and Adishakti aspects of training process wherein working with Guru Gopal Venu in Natanakairali Kerela and various other theatre scholars and practitioners.She had also a vivid experience of Mobile Theatre in Assam. OUR CORDINATES Hardik Shah – 89761 80425 [email protected] www.fivesensestheatre.com

Host or Publisher Five Senses Theatre