Producer's Note: A sneak peak into the Production cycle...

When I was involved in my first Naatak play for backstage help, I never knew I would need to worry about details like - what's the dimension of that platform, will the lights work in that section, do we need a monitor backstage for sounds, etc. etc. - one day. As Producer (Production Manager), I'm expected to know not only what the sets will look like, but also other aspects of production - props, costumes, makeup, lights, sounds, publicity, ticketing, and the whole shebang.

When the Director shared her "vision" with me, the next step was to see how that could be achieved on stage in a practical, yet cost effective manner.

This play being different from earlier Naatak plays in its style - 4 short stories versus 1 entire play - comes with a list of challenges attached to it. Each play belongs to a different genre and of course has a different theme. Naatak being non-profit, our budgets are always limited and we cannot always go all out and buy the most expensive items for the play. Hence, we try and borrow/rent as much as we can or else make it ourselves.

Here's a sneak peak into the various production aspects that need to be taken care of.

Sets -- Designing the sets for this production is becoming one of the most challenging tasks. With each play having a different theme, the setup is different. To ensure fluidity through the plays allowing very little time for changes in between, a great deal of thought is being put to how set pieces can be moved in and out seamlessly in the least amount time, what minimal structure can get the message across and at the same time look good. We have already have multiple brainstorming sessions with multiple revisions before we can come to a final layout.

Props -- Any item that an actor uses on stage is a prop. If the scene demands a phone conversation, there needs to be a phone on stage. For this, the team sat together to read the scripts to identify props needed. With this list in place, team has been busy scouring stores and homes of friends for items that can be used.

Costumes -- What makes an actor look good and stand out is definitely his performance. But you've got to give a good amount of credit to his costume. A brilliant actor would not be able to do justice enough without a good costume. For this as well, the scripts were read to understand the theme and era the plays are set in, a detailed description of each character and his look. Once this was done, the team got busy to start procuring costumes that would fit the role.

Makeup -- A young 30 year old man can look like an old ailing 65 year old! That's the magic of makeup. What's a play without makeup?

Lights -- With sets, props, and costumes adding to the overall look of a play, lights give it the final icing on the cake. Every play and each and every scene has a different light setting - light cues are one of the most crucial elements of a play.

Sounds -- Adding sound effects is like adding that cherry to your cake. It adds a great deal of impact. In the past I've seen some Directors not use any sounds for the entire play, while some used it through out. With a play as this, the sounds are going to ideally enhance the theme of each story, keeping the audience engaged till the very end.

Publicity/Marketing/Ticketing --If getting the stage in order for a play is absolutely important, getting the word out and those tickets sold is far more important. After all the hard work put in, the joy of seeing a full audience is totally exhilarating. Postcards have been printed which are being distributed at various events, stores, restaurants, on cars, community centers; E-flyers are sent out to various forums, websites, association mailing lists; advertising options are being investigated to spread the word.

This was just a preview at the various aspects involved in the production. It has been less than a month since we started work on the production and the progress has been great! This being my debut venture as a Producer, I hope to learn a lot from the others as well as make this project as fun as possible for everyone. :)

Hoping this has intrigued you into seeing what the final product would be like. So, hurry and get those tickets before the early bird discounts end.

From the Director's desk: An ode to the crew

While I get to know my cast better, let me present an ode to my crew. When I embarked on this journey I knew that without a good production crew everything fades away: good scripts, talented actors and intuitive direction. Needless to say I was worried sick about this aspect. Well, fact is, I shouldn't have.

I have been gifted with the best crew there ever can be. They just fell into my lap. I wonder if they are going to make me pay later because it just seemed too easy to have this wonderful, talented, smart people working for my production.

Some of them, I have had the opportunity of working with in Naatak's past productions and some of them I have heard of from before andthe rest it was my first time meeting them. I haven't met them all to write as of now, that will be updated later. But for those whom I do know, I would like to say a couple of lines about each of them personally, to let you know why each one of them will take the Ray production up another notch.

Juhi (Producer): When Sumit, Shubhhra and I started talking about a Ray production, initially nothing was clear - not even the director - except for one thing. We all knew we wanted Juhi to be the producer. The unanimous decision happened because this is one women who will slave it through and deliver. She has been involved in most if not all of Naatak's production in the past four years. It was time she got her dues with the title of Producer. I had have the pleasure of working with her in past Naatak productions. She is ever willing, forever cheerful and does not know how to say "NO". As producer she is learning :)

Shubhra (Publicity Manager): If you have a deadline and you are working for her and you haven't finished it yet, pack your bags, book a flight and leave the city, or move to hell or Erebus. But there is still no guarantee that she wont track you down and ask for an update. This is a powerhouse of energy and talent. Though I am disappointed that she is not acting in my production, she more than makes up for it in other ways. Aggressive in her ways and apologetic by heart.

Gopi (Stage Manager): I have worked with Gopi in my first production with Naatak, Jaanch Partaal. And then I used to run into him at various clubs after a couple of drinks (hic!). While I tried to recollect in that drunken haze, what would come to mind first is "that nice guy". That is the reason I think his gmail alias should be changed from "thatguyinsf" to "thatniceguyinsf". If only I had a younger unmarried sister as my gift to him. Gopi belongs backstage as much as SRK belongs on screen. No director/producer should have the courage to contemplate a production without Gopi in the team. That would be sheer foolishness.

Siva (Sets Manager): I don't know him much but he warmed up my heart through his Arnold Schwarzenegger-ish performance of "Chori-Chori". He continues to do so by posting status messages like "It's Belvedere time". Now which director wouldn't warm up to that? Eh? I liken him to someone who is very intuitive, a good team-player and girls, I hear he is very good with the errr...ummm...black and decker tools :)

Manjusha (Props Manager): When I met this woman, she reeked of smartness. In Tamil we would call this "choddi". Where is that unmarried brother of mine? She hits every production point on the head. Keen, enthusiastic and brilliant in production aspects, she is the up and coming star of Naatak's production team. I understand her as a person who is very objective, not given to frills and fancies and who will get the work done, ahead of time, with high quality.

Lakshmi (Designer): A must before any production goes on stage. She is the person who starts the revenues. Her designs are impeccable, intuitive and apt for every Naatak production. She works with every director, all their quirks and delivers their vision without them having communicated it to her. If she were God, I would ask her to redesign me. A dear friend and also in the cast this time showcasing her acting prowess.

Snigdha (Costumes Designers): Though I don't know her much, she looks great, dresses well and apparently comes up with great costumes. What more do you need in a costume designer? I am pretty sure she had read my scripts twice over before any of the cast did. She reads the scripts, gets the context, works with the director and then executes it. Very methodical. I likes!

More updates on other crew members will appear in part 2.

Cast - you will be suitably rewarded with an ode too. I am not sure if it will as nice but it definitely be much funnier :)

Ray: Uber-Cuca

Welcome to the RayRediscovered huddle of the Director, Producer and crew. I would like to call it the Session "Zero"...since this is the first we all have met to read and discuss the plays.

Following the play reading and brainstorming session, we have an idea of the sets and props required. But as always ideas are amenable to change based on various factors like cost, feasibility, mobility etc. In short, without going too much into the details, we have different sets for the different plays being staged.

Meet the fun crew:

Director            : Kamala Subramaniam
Producer/
Production Manager  : Juhi Mohan
Publicity Manager   : Shubhra Prakash
Ticketing Logistics : Ashok Malani
Costumes Designer   : Snigdha Jain
Stage Manager       : Gopi Rangan
Sets                : Siva Kollipara
Props               : Manjusha Gangadharan
Sounds              : Shekhar Hemnani
Lights              : Srikar Srinath

I've probably missed others..

Well, those are just the titles. We contribute across domains and encourage suggestions/feedback as well.

How are we doing thus far? Well, we had our storage run.. we had our design run.. now we plan to layout our sets design in paper and figure out how to do the sets with minimal scene transition times. Shoot us an email if you are interested in building sets or procuring props.

Screws: 3$, Wood: 7$, Paint: 14$,
 Gratification from a production: priceless
For some hobbies in life there is money..
 For others there is Naatak

Lights! Action! Camera! Rolling!