Looking back

Six years ago, we staged our first show as Rangavalli. Surely, time flies very quickly. We, Ravi, Arun, Ramesh and myself, four students of the, now supposedly grossly mismanaged, Bharateeya Ranga Shikshana Kendra of Rangayana were not content just being students and wanted to carry on our theatre activities even after the course. We met during the one year weekend theatre training course, which we completed in the year 2004. After that, it took almost two years to realize that dream of forming a theatre troupe and staging shows independently.

It was on June 17^th, 2006, that we staged the first show of Annayana Maanava Shaastra by A K Ramanujam and Mayaamruga by Poornachandra Tejaswi, at Bhoomigeetha, Rangayana, both directed by Prashanth S Hiremath.

After that, in those six years, we have produced 6 plays and organized two book releases. But as a statistic it does not sound great. But we have managed that by not being full time theatre professionals. And we have enjoyed being part of those six productions, high points of that journey being the first show and the experience of working with C.Basavalingaiah. 

Right now, after six years of existence, among the first four who started it, one has left theatre permanently; another one is not currently able to devote his time to theatre due to personal reasons. But I sincerely believe that for any team to progress, it should have continuous influx of new members. And we were fortunate to be joined by many such members.

Ours is still an amateur group, at least technically. I do not know if we are still amateur in our performances. That is for the audience to decide. One of the serious problems faced by any amateur theatre team is the lack of funds. Initially, it was suggested that we approach sponsors for the funding. We did too, but without much success. We, the team members, ourselves had to pump in money for the productions. That is not the right way and will never be a permanent solution. But fortunately for us things began to change.

Now, in 2012, we are seeing money through collections, which I believe is the best way to sustain any theatre group. Also, it helped us form the trust which we had planned long back. Now, Rangavalli is a registered trust.

Coincidentally, our next performance is once again Annayana Maanava Shaastra and Maayamruga, again at Bhoomigeetha, almost exactly six years after our first show. Hopefully, this will be a new beginning and we will deal with the new problems in a much more matured way than we did in all these years. Thanks to all the past and present members, the technicians who worked with us, and the critics who wrote about us. And thanks to you, audience, for the encouragement all these years.