Feisal Alkazi on ‘The Lower Depths’ and ‘Again’ to be staged on September 27 and 28 in Bengaluru

Feisal Alkazi and stills from the plays
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The play, The Lower Depths, written by the Russian playwright Maxim Gorky and Stephanie Jacob’s Again, will be staged in Bengaluru at Ranga Shankara this weekend. Both are directed by Feisal Alkazi.

“Gorky’s plays are timeless masterpieces delving into the themes of despair, hope and resilience,” says Feisal over a call from Delhi. “Again is a comedy exploring the intricacies of family life. The Lower Depths is set before the Russian Revolution and draws from Gorky’s first-hand experience of poverty and social injustice.”

An educationist, social activist and author, who has been at the helm of Indian theatre for over five decades with over 300 productions Feisal founded the Ruchika Theatre Group, in 1972 in Delhi.

Again, Feisal says, follows a once close-knit family of four who reunite after years of estrangement. “This time, they are determined to make things right, but as old wounds surface and unspoken truths come to light, tensions rise. The family’s history, built up over time like layers of sedimentary rock, is revealed through contradictory memories and unsaid words.”

With actors aged between 18 and 84, Feisal says, tried to retain the pre-Russian revolution world in The Lower Depths. “It has been an immersive process and the play is a rich production.”

The set for The Lower Depths, Feisal says, is a haveli in Old Delhi. “It is a building from the 1870s with huge stone walls covered in moss.” Again, Feisal says cannot be described as a happy play. “It does have a few lighter moments and was a more challenging play to work with. I literally had to smash my head over this one.”

The son of theatre director and teacher, Ebrahim Alkazi, Feisal says, his father has been a huge influence on him. “I did not go to a formal acting school. I learnt by acting in plays and working with my father, learning so much from his rehearsals that we called it the ‘Alkazi Gharana’! We see this in the classical arts where the child follows his parent’s footsteps or in films with the Kapoors.”

With seven directors in his family, all involved in theatre in one way or the other, Feisal says, “It has been beautiful to belong to a river such as this. I am passing it all on to my children. I never felt I was Ebrahim’s son while working in theatre. In fact, my father did not came for rehearsals. He would watch the rehearsals later and give his feedback, which was a nice way of nurturing our passion in theatre.”

As an educationist, Feisal says, “Some schools take theatre in education seriously. I visit Chennai often to direct plays for schools. The entire school gets involved. Participation is the first step. For one show, the audience started clapping non-stop and these are the moments that will stay on with the child.”

When working with children, Feisal says he makes sure every child gets a chance. “Theatre is fundamental to education. In my experience, working with children and youth, also helps them in role play.”

When asked, why is theatre bolder in talking about socio-political issues while cinema, which has a far more reach and budget tends to shy away from such topics, Feisal says, “Theatre is a primal and intimate personal experience. The relation between the audience and the actor on stage cannot be recreated anywhere else. In theatre, I ask, ‘This has happened to me, has it happened to you too?’ The whole point of theatre is to hold a mirror to the audience. In all my years in theatre, that is what we have kept in mind.”

The Lower Depths will be staged on September 27, at 7.30pm and Again on September 28, at 3.30pm and 7.30pm at Ranga Shankara. Tickets on BookMyShow and at venue.