A scene from Ayn Rand?s courtroom drama, Night of January 16th, staged at Tata Auditorium, XLRI. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Jan. 30: Broadway experience came today to the steel city with Ayn Rand?s Night of January 16th.

Staged by The Dramatics and Cultural Association of XLRI (Dracula), at the Tata Auditorium XLRI, this was the B-school?s maiden venture after a lapse of six years to revive the tradition of annual English plays in the steel city.

The play took the audience into a world of drama and mystery. Set in 19th century America, the plot was about a trial to establish the cause of death of famous Swiss financier Bjorn Faulkner who died under mysterious circumstances.

The play, which first ran in Hollywood under the name Woman on Trial, was staged on Broadway under the title, Night of January 16 th.

The students were involved in all aspects from stage designing to selecting the costumes for the artistes.

The language may have been Indianised, but the management students did their best to bring out the essence of the play, adding a few touches of their own.

?A courtroom was an obvious choice for this show as the sombre ambience would bring out the seriousness of the plot, which is essential in a murder mystery,? said a senior member of the students? organising committee.

The play saw students as well as faculty members enact as members of the jury.

The audience response to the play was mixed. Some felt that the acting started off as somewhat ?amateurish?, but conceded that things improved as the play went on.

The lighting and music were said to be appropriate and intensified at the right places.

Today?s venture was completely a student production, which took a month to produce and stage.

The play was well received by audience, who had come in large numbers to see an English play being staged in the steel city after a long time. The B-school also plans to make the stage plays an annual tradition in the coming years.