In school I avidly took part in stage plays representing my House (no. 5 for extra curriculars). While the other students were attending classes I got special permission for rehearsals.
Eventually our school started taking part in inter school drama competitions outside the school premise. And of course I was there in the lead roles. Tragically, they were all male leads about which I have already written. 😢
The stage always posed many unthought of challenges however well rehearsed I was. Once in an inter House drama competition I was to enact the role of a blind sage. I had long monologues to be delivered with eyes closed. Additionally, I was to wear a wig, beard and wooden slip-ons which were tied to my feet with strings as I was not habitual of wearing them.
As it was a dance drama before my entry little girls were to perform a group dance with flowers. My teachers had told me to be careful not to step on the petals strewn all over which made the stage slippery.
While delivering the heavy weight emotional dialogues I got carried away. Mid dialogue I suddenly remembered to check the floor. All this time I had kept my eyes closed. I pretended to blink like a blind man and opened my eyes just a wee bit in between to see where all the petals were scattered. But as soon as I did so I realised I was looking straight into the eyes of one of the judges sitting close to the stage. I quickly shut my eyes back and continued as though I had not seen him. But I guess he had. Our play was adjudged the second best and not the first though all the participants and teachers had put in their hundred percent into it. 😭
In another instance, I was in the role of a king wearing an opulent headgear made of cardboard. As I moved my head a little while saying my lines I realised it was loosely tied and could fall off anytime. So all the while on stage I had to keep my head precariously tilted to one side so as to keep the headgear in its place. But my teachers and fellow participants said I looked very regal. 😂
As part of our upbringing, Bengali kids were supposed to know how to recite poems written by Tagore , sing Tagore songs and enact in Tagore’s plays and dance dramas. In the annual Durga Puja Festival we kids were called to participate in these dance dramas. I was very poor in dancing and always bungled my steps. 😂
Till the Board exams I was seriously involved with the stage but soon realised that it was hampering my studies. After the Xth Board I , therefore, consciously excluded myself from these extra curricular activities.
However, these on-stage experiences made me realise that on stage, as in life, no amount of memorization and rehearsals could substitute improvisation, which usually self taught, proved to be more handy and effective on all occasions. 😆
I’m not so good at stage performance. I smiled about the opening eyes while one of the judges looked straight into your eyes, too.🤭
Stage has a way of challenging the mastery of performers.
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You must have been talented
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Thank you very much Derrrick 🙏
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A talented Geeta Di and an honest judge,though he too must have smiled when you looked straight into his eyes.
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Thank you Nusrat.
उस उम्र में यह सब खेल लगता था और हो जाता था।
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नहीं गीता दी,सब से नहीं होता हे, मुझ से तो कभी न हुआ
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नुसरत अगर यह टैलेंट होता तो अब भी मैं कर सकती थी। स्कूल के बाद स्टेज से या पब्लिक को फेस करने में डर लगता था और मैं कुछ भी बोल नहीं पाती थी। और अब भी ऐसा ही है। So this is not talent but only a passing phase but the experience taught me a lot about acting and life as well.
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Then I am talented Geeta Di,I had Stage Phobia as a child,it continues upto this age.😂
Talent never dies,it is always inside you— बात सिर्फ यह हे कि कोई वो पुरानी धुन याद दिलाये
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You are talented in your own right 👍. Let’s see when that धुन comes to mind
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I’ve been on the radio, on podcasts, and in video productions, but I don’t think I’d ever feel comfortable enough to be on a stage, live, in front of an audience. I’m in awe of people like you who can do that. 🙂
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I have left the stage a long time back and now I cannot face the public. I go blank.
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I’m sure it’s still inside you…like riding a bicycle, you never really forget how to do it. You’re just out of practice. 🙂
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😁 😁 Thanks for the encouragement but I will not like to try it even for fun sake now. However, I’d like to do something back stage. Maybe direct a play.
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What wonderful memories Geeta ji! 😂❤️ And yes, life really is the best stage sometimes improvisation saves the day more than all the rehearsals in the world! 🎭🦋✨
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Rajeshwari, you have so well understood the rich learning of my very short lived experiences on stage.
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You’ve great memories of your days on stage. I did the speeches, tablos and dramas till class 5. Then I went to a all girls school where kids that were favorite of the teachers were picked
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I was in an all girl school. That is why I had to do all the male leads 😭
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Lol! 😂
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I’m sure you learned a great deal about stage presence and acting, Geeta. What a great opportunity.
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Thank you very much Mary 🙂
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Nice memories right? A time when parents didn’t have a cell phone to capture all! 🙂
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Exactly…but the moments remain in memory
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What a beautiful story 🙂 Oh yes Bengali families ensure that extracurricular activities are part of our routine 😀
My father and aunt were famous in the town for theatre and the annual Durga Puja during their youth was incomplete with their plays. and interestingly my father was always the villain 😀
In my school days, I had to act in a short play and I had to play the wife since ours was an all boys school. As much as I was not looking forward to it, I was a tad excited and when I told my father, he boomed saying no, his words “A villain’s son cannot play the heroine” 😀
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😊😊😊😊
Yes your father’s reaction is so very genuine and justified. Bengalis are known for their upbringing steeped in culture.
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I was in stage school for years. I loved it. I took part in lots of plays, dance shows, contests, etc. X
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It was fun , wasn’t it ? Those good old days of school…
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