The missing pieces of your tiny little egos, (TM-POLTE)... Subhash Gupta

Fringe theatre is a form of theatre that is experimental in its style and narrative. One of the highlights of fringe theatre is that it’s pretty frugal in nature – in terms of technicalities, production value etc. In its earlier days, fringe plays were held in small scale theatres and little rooms above pubs. Often, these kind of plays are also full of edgy and unconventional stories, led by one person and wrapped in a single act.

One such experience one had was on this Saturday evening, 29th June, 2018, when Nritya Foundation at Road No. 2, Banjara Hills was full of drama / art lovers waiting for shows to begin at its three venues, an actor was sitting in a corner learning his lines with butterflies in his stomach. Often he would greet friends / acquaintances  with short conversation and get immerse in the script to look into his lines for what he had to perform few minutes later before a live audiences.  He was shaky and nervous.  

The actor Niteesh Pandey was to perform solo, a forty minute play,  THE MISSING PIECES OF YOUR TINY LITTLE EGOS Written and Directed by Amaan Ahmed for The Unknown Pen.

It is a play about the frustration of an actor who cannot memorise his lines due to mental blockage and he releases his frustration on his director liberally using profanities  while he is alone in the rehearsal room. With no props, with just a stool in the middle with a bottle of scotch on it, he moves around and in anger and frustration repeating director’s instructions and his reactions / comments to the situation / conversation he has faced with the director.

Once Niteesh occupied the stage, the early frustration and nervousness before the show was nowhere to be seen, as if he is alone and talking to himself. There was a little cute baby whose mother was in audience, started non-stop running across the acting area, but Niteesh was least distracted and carried on with excellent performance on a dimly lit floor. His postures and voice modulation were perfect. Both Amaan and Niteesh deserve an applause for bringing out this delightful experience to us. Wish there would have been larger audience to witness the show.

The play seem to be somewhat experience of Amaan while handing / rehearsing with his actors and how they would have reacted in private about his handling them. Amaan, but this happens more or less to every director while the plays are rehearsed or after the performance is over, I believe. Thank you for refreshing.

Something about the reviewer: #Subhash Gupta is a veteran Stage, TV and Radio Artist. He started his drama journey in 1967 in Delhi and has performed in many films, serials and over 500 theater performances. He had been honored by Delhi Natya Sangh on World Theatre Day for his contribution to meaningful theatre. He has directed several plays in Delhi & Hyderabad and has worked with many a legendary actors.