Memorable secrets of performance in theatre!

I stayed in the city beautiful – Chandigarh – for several years and being
in prime youth, had enjoyed various exposures at different levels – in
office, while working with the juniors and seniors and in theatre,
enjoying the company of stage artists.
Theatre is now a day outdated even though most of the
Bollywood actors have come from the stage but it is still alive in certain
cities like Chandigarh, Delhi and Shimla.
Both these places have different worlds to support each other. While you
are tired after working throughout the day and sometimes late in the
evening depending on the circumstances but it is very fun to participate
in the theatre and perform on the stage before the hall-packed audiences.
Theatre is a very different world to show your talent by performing in
different characters as per the demand of the scripts. But at the same
time, it is fun to be in a character, which you are not and show your
ability to perform so that none from the audience could judge that you
are not in the real character that you are performing at the stage.
Anyhow, theatre is different from working in movies where re-takes are
possible and now working in Bollywood if once you get a chance, is not
that difficult with so advanced technology of make-up and voice-over
facilities even after giving shots. But while delivering on stage, it is a
one-time show and you have to be well prepared before appearing on the
stage so far as the script is concerned, besides being ready for taking any
spontaneous decision, when the script is out of your mind.
I had never been to any schooling for theatre but one of my
colleague, Mr. Lakhi, who had directed a number of successful plays,
polished the hidden talent in me and I could perform more than 15 plays
in Hindi and Punjabi at Tagore Theatre, during my eleven years stay in
Chandigarh -1976 to 1986. Not only this, but even after four decades, I still
remember certain scripts of the play and speak sometime in the same
tone, which I successfully performed on the stage.

Among lot of memories, certain incidents are still alive which I had
enjoyed while associating with the theatre groups. The success of the
play depends on the live performance by the characters as to how nicely
the actors have been trained by the director besides the selection of the
script.
I remember when ever the script of the play is finalized the first thing the
director has to choose a cast and everyone is interested to play a major
role of hero, heroine or villain. I used to be different from all, to accept
a role, not acceptable to anyone.
Once, I accepted with a challenge to accept the role of a Postman – who
has entry on the stage for even less than two minutes –to establish the
character. I remember that I made my entry on the stage with moving of
my left shoulder with every word while delivering the letter to a lady in
the play. To my surprise, the character was established to the extent that
after the finish of the play, all known congratulated for my short role on
the stage with a specific movement of their shoulder again and again
which I performed at the stage.
Let me also share one more incident and secret of the play in those days
when the character has to remember the figures. In another play, one of
the lady characters forgets the figure of chapatis to say she is fed up
from cooking for all the eight members of the family during the year.
Then, someone from the audience uttered in high-tone voice, ‘zameen te
likhiya hoya padh le’ – it is written on the floor of the stage, read it.
Then, she spontaneously covered it saying, ‘Han Han, 23,360 chapatian
pka pka ke thak gayi han’ – Yes, Yes, I am tired by cooking 23,360
chapatis’.

Frankly speaking, perhaps, he knew the secret of the theatre that
whenever there is odd figure and difficult to remember, the same is
written with the chalk on the floor of the stage before the start of the
performance.