We marvel at the stories theatre tells us, but how often do we think about the hard work that goes on backstage that is essential for a successful production?

Mad About Drama’s A Good Play, in association with t2, told the tale of the real heroes and their struggle to put together a play — think technician, art designer, prompter — at Gyan Manch on June 3. 

The plot revolves around a theatre group that’s getting ready to stage its new production, Apocalypse Withheld. 
Soumya Mukherji plays Bablu Bose aka BB or Big Boss, a light-man for a long time. He believes that the main hero in any play is the “blackout” since it ends everything in darkness. Kumar Sanu fanatic Seth Shankar, played by Soham Majumdar, is the “art director in this market” for 20 years. BB and Seth Shankar are good friends who often go on drunken rants about their lives, with a common passion for theatre. 

Seth’s question to BB about whether he is “shilpi” (artist) or a worker points a poignant finger to an industry where light artistes are not often given their due. Amidst all this, the man who steals the spotlight is Junior, played by Soumendra Bhattacharya, a prompter in the theatre group who dreams of becoming a big actor. The innocence with which he plays Junior shines through every scene. 

The director of Apocalypse Withheld is played by Aritra Sengupta, who is the director of A Good Play as well. And his monologue about his journey in the world of theatre when everything around him goes kaput deserves an applause.

Thrown into the mix is Sarada Prasad Sen — “the hero we don’t need but the hero we deserve” — a crook who wishes to produce a theatre play; Kumar Kumar, the narcissistic lead actor of Apocalypse Withheld; Miss, the lead actress; Shobjanta Sharma, a critic. Together, they bring on the laughs but also leave the audience with a lot of food for thought. 

Text: Sulogna Ghosh
Pictures: Rashbehari Das