What we call family often decides what we call love” says Kshitij S, a 29-year-old playwright based in Versova, as he speaks about his upcoming performance on May 17, Farewell: An Entropy of Separation. The performance examines the trickle-down effect that patriarchy can have on family dynamics, as the writer embodies the psyche of a woman called Firdaus on stage, “All the women in my life — including my mother and my friends — their conflicts, dilemmas and repressed desires, all of them make up my character in Farewell: An Entropy of Separation,” adds the theatre person, whose roots go back to Indore, while explaining the process behind her characterisation.
What is more interesting however, is the manner in which the solo performance looks at patriarchy as a rot that can eat its way through generations. “Patriarchy, in a family, may take the form of a father, a husband or a son, the generations may be different but they embody the same oppression.” Kshitj explains.
His observations of the social order don’t stop here as he explores childhood exposure to sex in Bacchon Ki Kahani Sirf Badon Ke Liye. “In small cities, children are exposed to sex at a very young age but they are not able to express it openly. So, what happens when they have nowhere to express these feelings? How does their perception of sex impact their psyche and those around them? These are the questions this play attempts to answer,” he summarises. In this play, Kshitij was clear about stepping into a child’s shoes, “The naivety of the scenario can only be communicated through a child’s mind.”
The conversation takes a turn towards the demands of a solo performance. While both performances require Kshitij to disconnect from an adult male’s body, he does not resonate with the term ‘actor’. “I have no formal training in acting, and so the technicalities don’t bother me. I look at it very simply; an actor is like a coolie — he transports the passengers’ baggage with care. Similarly, an actor carries the writer’s baggage. He has to merely transport that baggage without causing it any harm,” he adds, explaining the ease with which he steps into his elaborate personas.
A writer first, Kshitij’s priority is storytelling. When asked about the inspiration for his stories, he states, “I am an artist, but also a human being; I draw from life.”
On May 17; 7 pm onwards
At Artisan Coterie, Chikuwadi, Malad West.
Log on to in.bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 400
Bacchon Ki Kahani Sirf Badon Ke Liye
On May 16; 9 pm onwards
At 3 Art House, Khar West.
Log on to 3arthouse.com
Cost Rs 350 onwards
