Today there are numerous career options within contemporary theatre — whether you want to act, direct, start your own acting school, teach in drama institutes or even as preparatory to entry into television and/or cinema

Cynics who predicted that theatre’s time had passed, have been proved wrong. Following the advent of cinema and popular acceptance of television, numerous obituaries were written of theatre and the stage. But the demand for on-stage live performances, as also for actors, playwrights, directors and producers, hasn’t abated. Two decades ago, theatre as a full-time vocation was not possible. Today there are numerous career options within contemporary theatre — whether you want to act, direct, start your own acting school or teach in drama institutes, and even as preparatory to entry into television and/or cinema. The stage being an excellent medium for artistic expression, humour and talent, most progressive schools have also integrated drama and theatre into their curriculums.

“Theatre is alive and kicking and here to stay! Almost all colleges stage inter-collegiate theatre festivals where theatre groups from across the country participate in a big way. Prospects of full-time careers in theatre have certainly improved with so many wonderful groups emerging from myriad theatre festivals countrywide,” says actor, director, and producer Raell Padamsee, one of the brightest stars of the English theatre and founder of Ace Productions and Ace Academy, which trains children in the theatrical arts.

The premier institutes which offer formal training in theatre and related disciplines are the National School of Drama, New Delhi and the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. Moreover, several universities in the country offer acting and dramatic arts study programmes. Among them: Bangalore University; Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata; M.S. University, Baroda; the Academy of Theatre Arts of Mumbai University (which offers a two-year full-time postgraduate course in acting, direction, stagecraft etc) and Natya Academy, Lucknow. Institutes offering short-term acting courses have also mushroomed countrywide.

For aspiring television and cinema artists, theatre training is useful. ‘‘Film and television producers routinely recruit trained stage actors for television serials, cinema etc. This ensures a wider audience for stage productions and a number of theatre actors now run workshops and other programmes for aspiring actors. Some of them also run programmes for corporates. All this has enabled theatre and drama companies and the medium itself to survive and prosper. While acting is the most preferred career option in theatre, my personal passion is direction. I find it more holistic and creative,” says Padamsee, a veteran of theatre for over 20 years.

The thespian’s art apart, there are other career opportunities in theatre, says Padamsee. “There’s a huge influx of talent coming into Bombay, especially from smaller towns and abroad as well. Everyday I get at least three resumés of people wanting to showcase their talent as directors, script writers, production executives and stage-hands. However, Indian theatre still lacks a pool of high quality technicians and designers,” she laments.

With theatre icons Alyque and Pearl for parents, Padamsee was exposed to different genres of the stage from childhood, often travelling with her parents in India and abroad and watching theatre in action. Therefore the idea of starting a theatre production company, Ace Productions and ACE (Academy for Creative Expression) for children ‘‘came naturally’’ to Padamsee who made her acting debut at 15, directed her first play at 16, and founded Ace Productions at 19. Conterminously, she acquired a B.Com degree from Mumbai University which according to her has had no connection with, or relevance to her career. ‘‘My best qualification was growing up in the vibrant heart of it… our house was designed like a theatre and I believe my parents started the English theatre movement in this country,” she recalls.

According to Padamsee, there are 40 active theatre groups in Mumbai alone and this number is growing rapidly. Little surprise then, that Ace Productions is faring well with 12 productions currently traversing the country and three new ones in the pipeline. The firm’s workshops and Ace Academy are also becoming popular. “We now have an affiliation with Le Rosey, a prestigious Swiss school in Gstaad and their faculty often come down to teach at our academy,” she says.

For individuals committed to this calling, earnings have improved dramatically in recent times. Well established companies and producers, especially in Gujarati and Marathi theatre pay their lead actors Rs.25,000-75,000 per month for ten-15 performances. English theatre professionals are paid slightly less but have ample opportunities for augmenting their incomes by teaching, conducting workshops, doing voice-overs and acting/directing television commercials.

For youth contemplating the stage as an an offbeat career choice, here’s Padamsee’s professional advice. “Theatre is a creatively satisfying vocation but requires enormous amount of hard work, focus and discipline, besides interaction with a large number of creative and often temperamental people. But if all goes well, there’s no greater high than public applause and the standing ovation.”

Encore!

Indra Gidwani (Mumbai)