On the 21st and 22nd of July 2023, Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) organised its theatre festival – ‘Yuva Manch’, which has been a platform for promoting theatre among students since 2005, in keeping with Study Hall’s philosophy that drama is a powerful tool of social transformation and a strong medium of self-expression. A month long theatre workshop was organised by eminent stage artists to hone the acting, diction and stage presentation of students. The graceful host of the evening, the school principal, Mrs Meenakshi Bahadur who has been associated with the Yuva Manch journey since its inception conducted the proceedings and said that drama instills discipline and hones multiple skills in the artists. She said that the theme of the plays is in sync with the ethos of the SHEF and the issues are still relevant in today’s society.
The founder President and CEO of Study Hall Educational Foundation, Dr Urvashi Sahni spoke on the occasion and highlighted the role of schools as the torch bearers of societal change.
The program highlighted three major plays performed by the units of SHEF and a few alumni. It opened in a captivating fashion with a Hindi play, Thakur ka Kuan, an adaptation of Munshi Premchand’s story of the same name, by Mr. Bhartendu Kashyap, directed by Mr. Vinay Kumar Mishra.
It was followed by a series of two English stories under the theatrical performance “Cheers to Chekhov” as a tribute by Yuva Manch, to the renowned Russian playwright and master of modern short story, Anton Chekhov.
The first play performed by the students of Study Hall along with Prerna school and some members of the alumni was ‘The Lament’, which follows the overwhelming grief of Iona Potapov, a Russian sleigh-driver, and his futile attempts to share with unaffected strangers, his despair at the loss of his son.
‘The Chameleon’, was a comical parody where chaos ensued with Policeman Ochyumelov’s ever-changing attitude towards a dog that kept the crowd guessing. It captured the absurdity of his flip-flopping behavior, making for a witty commentary on the hypocritical nature of individuals in society who prioritize authority and status over principles of truth and justice.
The final presentation was a joint venture of all the units of SHEF, an adaptation by Shrimati Usha Ganguly, of Rabindranath Tagore’s story ‘Chandalika, a poignant tale exploring caste, compassion, and self-liberation in 20th-century India, a compelling story of societal barriers shattered.
At the core of all these plays, societal issues were brought to light, which made for an evocative theatrical performance by the children. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by the vice principal Mrs Meenakshi Shah.
