Performances & Installations

2016 celebrates 400 years of Shakespeare! He has survived every economy crash. His works have been translated into all major languages and outdone any advertising campaing in terms of memorability. There are growing numbers of copies and avataars of his famous works and character. He was and is what every MNC would like to be! He is a template for artists, thinkers and doers.This performance is an interactive stand up comedy to introduce participants to the world and characters of Shakespeare – stories of power, failure, the fools who speak the truth, women in a man’s world, and how he had the gift to show both in his comedies and his tragedies the sometimes unbearable truth of being human. Shakespeare was not just a psychologist presenting case studies- he was an artist and poet with his language, words and stunning imagery. He was also a comedian showing just how insanely idiotic the human race be and if we want to really move forward we have to grow up, start talking, look at problems in the face, and think beyond the throne and titles.

Outline

An interactive stand up comedy. The session will include performances from Shakespeare’s works, modern day interpretations of characters and scenarios, making connections to corporate life and side effects of ruthlessness and excessive competition. The play will be performed by Yuki Ellias with lights and sound operated by Vickram Kapadia.

Requirements

One lapel mike
Two stand mikes
Speakers
Amplifier
Basic lights

Speaker bio

Performer:
Yuki Ellias is a performer, director and theatre coach. She trained at the Jacques Lecoq International School of Theatre in Paris (2003-05) and is a trained pedagogue from the London International School of Performing Arts (2008).

As an actress she has performed at international festivals and venues in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Italy and India. She played the role of “Hermia” in the highly acclaimed production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Tim Supple and perfromed at venues including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in Stratford Apon Avon, Roundhouse London, Theatre Romano Verona and the Sydney Theatre Company. As a movement director, she has worked for UK’s leading opera company, Opera North in their production of “Mozart’s Magic Flute”(2007). Her debut feature film “Love You To Death” as co writer and actress won the Audience Choice Award at the Anchorage International Film Festival and the Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival in 2012.

Currently she is playing the lead role of “Portia” in The Merchant of Venice directed by Vikram Kapadia. She is a co-producer and actor in the commedia dell’arte play “It’s Not Waht You Tihnk” which has performed for the Hindu festival, India Habitat Festival & the NCPA Cheer Festival. She made her directorial debut in 2015 with a sci-fi absurd comedy called CHARGE written by Eric Kaiser and perfromed at the Ranga Shankara Theatre festival in Bangalore, The Bandra festival Mumbai, NCPA Cheer festival, Prithvi theatre, Blue Frog and Sitara Studio.

She is the founder of DUR SE BROTHERS- producers of Charge, Its Not Waht You Tihnk and The Weird & Wonderful. Every year, Dur Se Brothers conducts workshops and training sessions for actors, dancers, writers and theatre makers. These workshops include explorations into Neutral Mask, Physical Theatre, Writing through Movement, Devising for the Stage, Connecting Motion and Emotion, Comedy Labs, Chorus and ensemble creations, Creating Characters and Scene Study and Platform Theatre Making.

Yuki is also a convenor and instructor at Drama School Mumbai. She oversees the pedagogical development and curriculum of the school. She has previously also taught at the Whistling Woods Film School. As a corporate trainer Yuki specialises in using drama based tecniques for organisational and personal development. She works with Management By Arts developing and conducting boutique theatre and storytelling based modules for applied and experential management training. Executive Presence, Communication Skills, Feedback Skills, Team Dynamics, Inspired Leadership, the Hero’s Journey and Women Leadership are some of the many programs that she conducts.

Lights and Sound:
Vickram Kapadia is an actor, director, writer and film maker. His several stage performances include THE GOOD DOCTOR (1984), EVAM INDRAJIT (1986), AS YOU LOVE IT (1987), THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL (1993) and TUGHLAQ (1994). His directorial ventures include Pirandello’s SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR (1987), AR Gurney’s THE DINING ROOM (1989), Murray Schisgal’s THE TYPISTS (1990) and Makrand Deshpande’s MUSK MAIDEN (1999). Besides other plays, he has co-directed Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (1992) with Naseeruddin Shah.

Vikram is also one of the few contemporary playwrights writing original Indian English plays. His BLACK WITH EQUAL (2002), a two-act black comedy is one of his best known plays. The play has been recently published by the Sahitya Akademi. In September 2002 he was invited by the Royal Court Theatre, London for a residential workshop for playwrights at Vasind. Other plays he has directed and are currently running include THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (along with Aadhyam) and BOMBAY TALKIES. Both are produced by his highly successful theatre company, Masque Theatre.

In the area of light design too Vikram has had experience by lighting plays directed by Vijaya Mehta, Rahul Da Cunha, Naushil Mehta, Rehaan Engineer and others. In the summer of 2001 he toured the United States and Canada as a technical director for Vijaya Mehta’s production of PURUSH.

Vikram has film and television appearances to his credit and these include tele-serials like Star Plus’ ‘K Street Pali Hill’ (2004-2006). As a television writer he has written the screenplay and dialogues of a couple of episodes for the popular sitcom on Star One called ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai.’ After having spent a few years as an assistant to directors Rajiv Mehra (for feature films) and Rayo Noble (for ad. Films), he branched out in 1994. Since then he has various corporate and advertisement films to his credit. These include brands such as Citibank Mutual Funds, Kinetic Safari and Air India.

Vikram has also co-ordinated a film and television course at a multimedia institute called Workstation in 1997-98. He has even directed various prose and poetry readings and launches, including the Crossword Book Awards 2000, 2005 and 2006.

Links

• (trailer from present and past productions)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiljkQc3Ql4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMcGXs9Mu4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-gpphG4eJA