The Green Room , written by Aditya Sudarshan, winner of The Hindu MetroPlus Playwright Award, 2011, will appeal to every kind of audience for its layered script. The play will be presented by Tanariri Theatres, directed by Vijay S., as part of Jagriti Theatre’s Curtain Raisers . “It is primarily about the Indian English-speaking urban community,” explains Vijay.
The Green Room has an actress, Anamika as its central character. “At the basic level, it can be viewed as a romantic drama, about a girl who is already in a relationship, which is materialistically fulfilling, but she still feels something is missing. And then another young man comes into her life. At the first layer, the fact that she is an actor doesn’t have to matter.”
The play, on a deeper level, brings to light conflicts every artist and human being has to confront, sometime in their lives and careers.
Vijay adds: “Another layer is that it is about an actor, who is torn between doing popular plays versus meaningful ones. It is also about artists, and their dilemma of playing to the gallery versus staying true to their art. And if you look at it even more closely, it is not just about an actor. It relates to any human being who has to decide between taking the path of success and the path of integrity. The play, more importantly, gives hope that not all is lost for people who want to do good work.”
We have heard the adage, all the world’s a stage, often enough. But what about the green room? Explaining the significance of the title, The Green Room Vijay says: “The green room is where you prepare for the performance, a preparation, which I would say, typically occurs in the mind.
“The three primary characters, Anamika, her boyfriend Malik, and the other guy who comes in as Firoz can be seen as different characters. At another level, they are metaphors. Malik represents one path, Firoz the other.”
