I am sure most of us remember an evening of playlets performed under the Umbrella of Six…the six senses being the theme. It was Dramanon’s precursor to  S. K. I. T. S their competitive format that took off from short film festivals and got the whole of South India involved in 10 minute standoffs.

Personally, I just loved the format. And Dramanon needs to be officially thanked for having brought the concept to the Twin Cities.

The latest exploration of the format that started with a workshop production with students of the Loyola Academy went on to Four Play, on to Four Shades of Grey and finally A Four Letter Word.

At the end of this phase of performances that saw Dramanon on stage about 9 times in a month of high stress activity what can we do other than applaud?

The highlights of the series were simply that we got to see some young actors come into their own. Harika Vedula and Saurabh Sen Sharma to name just two. Ramakrishna Shenoy, as I have mentioned in a couple of my previous blogs has stepped into blossoming mode and matures with every outing.

The discovery of the season however has to be Ganesh Nallari who we first got to see as part of SKITS with Pallavi Verma. Ganesh in the latest play portrayed a gay lover who is comparing the love he gave his partner with the love he received in return.

At this point however I must point out that Ganesh is a natural talent but he is allowing his dance and his gender bias to overpower his instincts. It may not be far when we can see him in a normal role where his acting skills can be admired without unnecessary covers or shrouds.

The other nice phenomenon was to see quite a few regulars donning directorial caps. That departure from the usual Directorial Limitation of 1 was a welcome one. And again, RK Shenoy…hats off.

On a different note I am confused about Rahul Ghosh. He is really very good but methinks a tad too proper. Whether that facet of him is holding him back is what we’ll have to see in the near future. Otherwise he is a delight. To watch, and to listen to.

Also deserving a mention are the female discoveries that Dramanon has facilitated. I know Sona Reddy is a revelation. Aditi is I am sure, getting there soon. Renu Singh is almost there but not quite. And there is a girl whose name I am not too sure of. Damn, whatever happened to the small flyers that used to be distributed at theatre performances…the plot, the cast, the crew in detail…

…anyway, Dramanon’s quest for intimate theatre space has led to the discovery of a few venues…and their experimentation with form has seen them move from the limitations of conventional theatre to the open endings of interactive ‘who’s line is it anyway’ kind of platforms. Knowing the immense musical talent that many Dramanon members have, I am also seeing a musical down the line.

Oh it’s a good time we are all having. Dramanon and the many other theatre streams that have started flowing in Hyderabad. May the good times flow on…cheers!!!