Category: Theatre

End of the Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Learning Outcome 4 and 5

Today is the first day that I don’t have any rehearsal anymore. One part of me still don’t believe that last week with all of its craziness, nervous waiting, tired and little bit sick periods is over. It was my first and last production week in this school. I still remember when it all started, in Grade 11, with researching and just trying to understand the people’s lives we aimed to embrace on stage. I remember when it started to feel overwhelming, the academic pressure clashed with the 3 hours rehearsals, which are sometimes occupied even our Saturdays. It was crazy, exhausting, but I didn’t think about it for a second to quit. Because it was such an incredible process that I knew that I shouldn’t/couldn’t miss. And at the hard times, we always had the others next to us. The little family that we have become during the rehearsals. We supported each other both in real life and on stage and it was an essential element in our play. Our collaboration needed incredible focus on each other, helping out if someone missed something, fit our movements and pace to the others, and never judge if something is not going according to the plan or someone’s idea is not working. We needed to provide open, safe space as the most amazing thing in theatre, the creative process only can be accomplished when everybody is contributing and feel confident to share their ideas.

I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to participate in it, and will never forget my little life in Mumbai.

During the rehearsals, I learned many things. Not just about the life in the slums of Annawadi, which would be interesting and complex in itself, but to work together and try to be always creative even after the longest days. As it’s such an ensemble piece, there is no ‘break’, you always have to be conscious about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. There’s no backstage, no momentary relaxation. But I believe that this intensity is what makes it so lifelike, a reminder about the complexity and deepness, and hardships of real life for these people.  Personally, it was always challenging for me to concentrate and be active for such a long time, often I wanted to turn off my mind. But in this piece, I can’t do this. We are all in this together, thinking cooperatively, building on each others’ ideas, assisting one other at small victories. I’m not very used to the ‘theatre world’ even though, I have participated in previous performances last year. But I’m able to see how special is our ‘little project’, how many people are working so hard for it, including the ensemble, building crew, sound team, teachers and many others, and I can’t wait to see the effect on the audience, when they recognize the piece’s specialness.

In addition, through the research about the life in the slums of Annawadi, I learned about poverty, and what it means to live in it, even if it’s in a controlled environment like this. I understand more about the hardships, the corruption, or about the non-existent healthcare. Through the production, our team is able to spread this awareness and initiate new thoughts, showing new perspectives, which we are not exposed to in our safe, privileged everyday world.