Ranga Shankara, the well-known theatre facility in Bangalore, is where most of my play-watching happens. Presenting for you 5 simple tips to get the best out of your Ranga Shankara visits.

1. Be on time. A 7.30pm show will start exactly at 7.30pm. The doors shut when the show starts, and no matter who you are or what your compelling reasons for being late are, you will not be permitted entry after the doors close. No exemptions, no refunds for late comers. Don’t risk it, be on time.

   I speak from experience of commuting across half the city for an hour, and then missing a show by being two minutes late.

2. Queue quickly. Ranga Shankara has free seating. Whoever enters first gets to take the better seats, which means in a house-full show the late entrants don’t have much choice. Keep your ears open for the first bell to queue (that’s usually 7.10pm for the 7.30pm show), and join the line early.

   Another bell goes off at around 7.20pm. That’s when the front entry doors close and the back doors open. In a house-full show, even if you reach a few minutes after entry starts, you might have to sit far off the stage. For popular shows and on weekends, try to reach before 7.10pm.

3. Choose the best seats. Ranga Shankara has a thrust stage i.e. one that juts out and the audience sits on three sides around it. The auditorium accommodates approximately 300 people.

   The best seats are in the centre, close to the stage. My preference is the 3rd row. Some choose to take the first or second rows – I don’t as I enjoy the play better with a slightly wider view. (Beware, if you sit bang in front of the actors in a comic performance, you are often a butt of their jokes. It isn’t for the thin-skinned!)

   Tip for the gang that makes early entry, and runs up to grab seats in the very last row: In a hall for performing arts, the grading of seats is just the opposite of that in a movie hall. For watching plays, make a beeline for the rows in front – the last rows are the worst!

4. Dine at the cafe. The Ranga Shankara cafe serves yummy food – don’t leave without eating.  Their serving times slow down on crowded days, but you can avoid the wait if you place your order before the show. The food will be ready for you when the show ends.

5. Book tickets in advance. There was a time when one could land up at Ranga Shankara at 7pm, with not a doubt about getting tickets for the evening show. Today, high-profile plays like The Blue Mug get sold out weeks before the show date. If you reach the theatre facility without tickets hoping to watch the current show, chances are you will be disappointed.

   Now that online booking options are available (more on the ways to book in a follow-up post), reserving your tickets in advance has become quite convenient. Make the most of that facility.

Do you have your own tips to add? Write a comment below.

To know more about Ranga Shankara, visit their official website.

DramaDose has a new design now, thanks to the amazingly talented Gisele Jaquenod.

I wanted something “dramatic” to go with the theme of the blog, at the same time very readable, and this is exactly as I’d wished.

I hope you like it!

Check out Gisele’s other blog designs as well, she’s marvellous.

NDTV Hindu news covered the Chennai staging of Evam’s Urban Turban. You have to hand it to Evam for being media-savvy. Which other theatre event gets talked about on TV?

Watch the video: NDTV coverage of Urban Turban

The Hindu Metro Plus (Chennai) likes the play:

‘Urban Turban: Tall Tales from the top of our heads’, directed by Sunil Vishnu K., is a big step forward for Evam as a theatre group. In this production, based on relentless honesty, candid revelations and brave soul-baring by each actor, the team makes its strongest connect yet with the audience.

Read more…

A musical play based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid was staged by the students of Bethany High School at Jyothi Niwas College, Bangalore this weekend. My friend wanted to attend as she loves the songs  from the Disney animation, and I went along, with little expectations.

Since leaving school, this was my first experience of watching a performance by school children. At the venue, waiting outside were excited children and their equally excited parents; we seemed to be the only two solo adults who had lost our way into a parallel universe.

Read more…

The Hindu MetroPlus (Chennai) previews Urban Turban’s upcoming show to be held at Alliance Française, Chennai on 5th/6th Dec 09:

Karthik Kumar has failed the CAT, is in denial, and thinks he is Hercule Poirot; T.M. Karthik Srinivasan thinks he can act, thinks he can sing, thinks he can’t dance and thinks about what to do after quitting his job; Rabhinder Kannan is in his first job…

The outline of the show is pretty different from the one I saw at Kyra, Bangalore. The Hindu’s article confirms this: "No two shows are the same, they promise"!

Read the full piece here.

Read more…

Evam’s latest titled ‘Urban Turban’ or The Show, is a departure from their usual plays. ‘Tall tales from the top of our heads’, says the tagline – which about sums it up. These are stories narrated in stand-up comedy style, which keep you engaged and entertained for a good hour.

The debut show at Kyra, Bangalore began with a  goofy short act by director Sunil Vishnu, after which Karthik Kumar took over with his ‘toilet woes’. He had a lot to say, tongue-firmly-in-cheek, about the horrific impact of modern public loo design on the fabric of society. Shannon McDonnell followed next, sharing experiences about settling into urban India from a westerner’s point of view. Another short act by Sunil, then back again to Karthik in the finale with the wackiest stories ranging from endangered species to ovens and baking [this mind you has nothing to do with cooking. To know more, you have to watch the show!]

Read more…