It’s Not Waht You Tihnk

July 04, 2014 04:10 pm | Updated November 13, 2021 10:33 am IST

A classical music performance that goes off-key. A burglary that goes bad and an unexpected marriage proposal. Sassy servants and dependent employers. Competitive journalists and unreliable witnesses — all in one evening of fast‐paced, physical humour that will knock audiences off their seats with laughter. It’s Not Waht You Tihnk is a frenzied performance of hilarious Commedia Dell'Arte sketches with characters and stories drawn from the classic Italian form and everyday Indian society. Three actors bring 17 different characters to life in one show, with intricate masks that are works of art in themselves and are hand‐made by famous mask-makers from the U.S. and Indonesia.

Group: Cartel Director: Deepal Doshi Playwright: Devised by the ensemble Language: English and Hindi Time: 70 minutes (no interval) Rating: Ages 15 and above

Commedia dell’Arte is an Italian form of masked theatre that began in the 14th century. It spread through Europe for the next 400 years, leaving a lasting influence on Shakespeare, Moliere, opera, vaudeville, contemporary musical theatre, and even today’s television sit‐coms. Commedia Dell’Arte translates as ‘comedy of craft’ — craft referring to the fact that for the first time the performances were by professional actors who had perfected a specific role. Its legacies include the first professional theatre companies and the first European actresses allowed on the stage. The style is characterised by the use of masks, improvisation, physical comedy, and grotesque humour. The characters are classical archetypes — young lovers, greedy old men, know‐all professors, and sneaky servants — all immediately recognisable and prevalent anytime, anywhere.

The group:

Cartel is a syndicate of producers formed to present It’s Not Waht You Tihnk!! It consists of Yuki Ellias’ production company Dur Se Brothers, Deepal and Kathryn Doshi’s The Madball Co, and Niloufer Sagar’s Silverfish Events.

>Find out about Citizen Reviews

Director Says:

“Young lovers, greedy old men, know-all professors, sneaky servants, and boasting coward heroes… all the classic Italian characters that create the scenarios of the Commedia Dell'Arte are endemic in Indian society too. Every time I've performed a Commedia Dell'Arte show or scenario in India, audiences talk of an uncle, a lover, a lady, a servant, a friend they recognise from real life. Fast-paced, physical, and improvised story-telling is something that engages audiences from all strata and I am hoping to popularise Commedia Dell'Arte among Indian audiences.”

Cast & crew:

Deepal Doshi, Kathryn Doshi, Yuki Ellias

Lights Designed and Operated by: Vikram Kapadia

Production : Priyanka Babbar

Executive Producer : Niloufer Sagar

>See the full MPTF 2014 schedule here

>Tickets for all shows can be purchased online here

Log on to >www.thehindu.com/theatrefest

Twitter:>@TheHinduTheatre

Facebook:>MetroPlus Theatre Fest 2014

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.