Short + Sweet South India, a 10-minute theater festival, returns after two years with enthusiastic participation from fresh faces and youth groups
Short + Sweet South India, a 10-minute theater festival, returns after two years with enthusiastic participation from fresh faces and youth groups
Every year, from 2011 onwards, the Chennai theater fraternity will gather for a friendly competition of short plays of 10 minutes. This is where people met and collaborated to network. It’s also where many aspiring actors, directors, and screenwriters first dipped their toes into the medium, producing works that are both excellent and disappointing.
The competition took a step back during the pandemic in the last two years and now after a hiatus, Short + Sweet South India 2022 is back. The 10-Minute Theater Festival is a franchise of Short + Sweet Theater in Australia, which is said to be one of the largest short format theater festivals in the world.
The premise is simple, says Utsav director Meera Krishnan. “You may have done theater in school or college, and now your professional commitments no longer allow; Or you are an actor in a theater company, but you want to try directing; The festival accommodates them all. ,
Entries are categorized into wildcards and top 30: the former for first time directors, and the latter for professional theater groups or those who have already shorted+sweet. An open call is placed for the script which will go through a three-member jury, and the director can choose from the scripts selected. In the meantime, independent theater companies register with their own scripts.
‘Brave People’ of Theater Nisha | photo credit: special arrangement
“In one evening, the audience will get to see 10 different plays. I wouldn’t say all 10 would be very good but at least four would be very good, four would be good and two could be bad. That is the beauty of the format,” says Meera. For first-time or nascent groups, sharing the green room and stage space with experienced performers is a learning experience.
Organized by the Prakriti Foundation and organized at the Alliance Française in Madras, the festival, which is usually held in July, has seen over 50 registrations this time, putting them on a waiting list for some directors. This was not expected, says festival director Meera Krishnan, noting that they were back after a break.
Lineup for this weekend (Nov 9, 10, 11, 12, 13):
Week 2: Top 30
1. Freddy Koikran- darkest moment – English
phase 2 – Saniyaani – tamil
3. Suhas Vaidya – total internal reflection – English
4. Thirviya Shankar – sethum jeichidchu misai – tamil
5. Jagdish Khanna – Hungry Hanuman – English+Tamil
6. Prashant Oliver – A strange conversation in the shadow of Mount Moria – English
7. Jayachandran – eruvaro – tamil
8. Gyanesh Raj – Home work – English
9. Vikas Rao – Confession – English
10. Anandakrishnan – in amber – Tamil+English
Week 2: Wildcards
1. Vaishali – banu – tamil
2. Dhamu – ghost fun – tamil
3. Vijay Krishna – i cheated – English/Telugu
4. Ravichandran Joint Venture – Kalki – English+Tamil
5. Srivastava – true to you – English
6. Vamsikrishna – silent allies – English
7. Dhanasekaran – hope a tortoise springs – tamil
8. Threka Shan – now we ten – English
9. Gorgeous – in persia – English
“During this time many teams from the city had also come out. I was apprehensive. But it is this new set of youth theater groups that have filled the wildcard (for first time directors/artists) spot. I am very happy that this time we have got so many new faces,” she adds. Having said that, Short + Sweet Regular and theater stalwarts like Nisha, Freddy Koikaran and Sushant Alexander will be seen again. “It’s an interesting mix,” Mira says.
Another notable aspect is that both English and regional language (mostly Tamil) theaters come together on a single stage, which is often not the case in the city. For first-time directors or actors, the fact that technical support is taken care of, including props, lights, backstage, is a huge advantage.
“The festival develops new audiences as well. An artist would bring his friends who might have never seen theater before,” says Meera. Curation depends on finding the right mix of genres within a 10-play cohort that takes place over a day, from which viewers get to vote for their favourites. Meera concluded, “It is an open platform, and anyone can apply, which is the most important aspect of this festival.”
Short + Sweet South India is on till 27 November at the Eduard Michelin Auditorium, Alliance Française of Madras. Tickets for the event are ₹200 per show and tickets can be purchased at the venue or booked online through www.bookmyshow.com.