Which is the last best play you saw? LOITERING, directed by Satchit Puranik. Another one I would like to mention is SANGEET BARI, written by Bhushan Korgaonkar and directed by Savitri Medhatul.
Your favourite 'adda' to see a play? Prithvi Theatre.
Your favourite playwright? Sapan Saran, Purva Naresh, Samuel Beckett, Girish Karnad and Makarand Deshpande, to name a few.
A play you would like to see filmed. Why? AAJ RANG HAI, directed by Gopal Tiwari and Purva Naresh.
A novel/short story you would like to see on stage? Why? The Room on the Roof written by Ruskin Bond. It feels like my story. Each time I read it, I get stuck in its images. I take forever to finish it. Also, because I don't want it to end. And the best part is that Ruskin Bond has not attempted to end it. Or so I feel.
The most hilarious play you have seen? HAMLET: THE CLOWN PRINCE, directed by Rajat Kapoor and PIYA BEHRUPIYA, directed by Atul Kumar.
A play, which is over-hyped? None when I think of what Satyadev Dubey ji said, ''Har play ki apni ek taqdeer hoti hai...''
A play character you would like to ''dialogue'' with? Oedipus Rex, from the Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles and with Prof. Palekar (Sir) from SIR SIR SARLA, directed by Makarand Deshpande.
A passage from an important play that you can recite? Not just the important, but I don't remember passages from any play that I have not done except maybe THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by playwright William Shakespeare, because it was part of our ICSE syllabus. I had loved it. Still do.
A play that changed your perception about the theatre? KAUMUDI, directed by Abhishek Majumdar. Also, Pirandello's play SIX CHARATCERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR makes me really think.
How do you regard the Mumbai theatre scene? Exciting, competitive, vibrant and enormous.
Have you read any interesting books/articles concerning the theatre? Why did you find them interesting? Some of the reviews are very interesting. Sanjana Kapoor said in an interview once that the city needs 7-8 Prithvi theatres and that's when things will really change for the better for theatre folk. I agree.
If you have ever been a part of a theatre production/s, can you recall an event that was insightful, significant or simply humorous? A significant story was when I met Satyadev Dubey at Prithvi Theatre. Incidentally, it was my birthday that day. I had no clue who he was. My friend, Gayle, who introduced me to him, had said, ''Just answer his questions and talk only when necessary.'' The veteran playwright asked me my sun sign, and was mildly delighted to know that I was a Sagittarian. He then asked me if I knew him. I replied that I didn't. He asked me to Google his name. I did that, and enrolled for attending one of his workshops.
Can you think of a foreign production that you found remarkable? Why? FRANKENSTEIN, directed by Danny Boyle.
A significant Indian production that you may have witnessed? KAUMUDI, directed by Abhishek Majumdar and HAMESHA SAMEDA, directed by Sudhanwa Deshpande, which was a joint production between Indian actors from Janam and Palestinian actors.
Sukant Goel
