Drama Behind The Curtains

Technology has transformed live stage performances to enhance the impact each scene carries

- Anisha Gakhar

I remember walking out of the NCPA theatre in Mumbai, after watching Mughal-eAzam, a Broadway-style musical based on the 1960 Bollywood film, directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji. The musical was directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, and had the most stunning visuals and ethereal aesthetics, as much as I remember. From the glittery costumes, to the royal curtains and drapes, everything screamed exuberance. When you walk out from a live theatre performance, what is it the one thing that you take home with you? It’s probably the actors’ performance, but there are so many other technical aspects that make it truly an experience to remember. From sets and costumes to more subtle elements like lights and sounds, technology in theatre has evolved more than we can imagine, thus, making live shows more appealing and interactive to the audience. To enhance storytelling, live productions employ advanced technology to help the plays and shows come alive.

Theatre productions have the ability to enthral the audience and teleport them to a different era, to a whole new world. Apart from the immensely-talented actors, the stage and set design might contribute to the scene more than you could imagine. A stage production with an amazing set has the power to take a viewer completely outside of themselves and put them into the story unfolding before their eyes. The requirements and construction needs vary between productions, but there are some components to set design that are relatively universal: design and construction.

SETTING THE STAGE