How to Prepare Effectively for a Career in IndianTheatre
By: Pranjal Singh
Tags: Drama, India, Acting, Theatre, Careers

Have you ever looked at a stage performance and wondered how they do it? Well, it takes a lot of training for sure. You must have heard several stories of artists sleeping on the streets and struggling to make ends meet. There is no reason to get intimidated by such stories.

Every artist has their own journey and with the right guidance and proper training, anyone can make a decent living in this field. Of course, planning is also an essential part of it. You have to be up to date with all the recent developments as well as the history of this field. Here are some basic guidelines which will help you to establish a flourishing career in theatre -

Creating the Right Mindset

As late Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the greatest actors of Hollywood, says, “Study, find all the good teachers and study with them, get involved in acting to act, not to be famous or for the money. Do plays. It’s not worth it if you are just in it for the money. You have to love it.” You have to find your path through persistent study. Here is a checklist to help you through it -

Read as many plays as you can.

Analyze them regularly and share them with your peers for review.

Collect information about various institutions providing training for this discipline.

Engage with experienced theatre artists.

Try to access various resources to help you with information.

Practise yoga regularly.

Finding Your Vocation

A lot of people associate theatre only with acting. Yes, acting is an essential part of it. But theatre as a discipline consists of more than just acting. Teaching is also a viable branch. There is lights, sound, production design and costume design.

You have to find out your calling by asking yourself these questions -

Why am I in it?

How can I grow myself in this field?

What are the different branches of this discipline?

I would advise starting with all of these aspects and then deciding which one works the best for you.

Join a Theatre Group

There are lots of theatre groups around who provide training in theatre at a nominal cost. You could join them to work on plays before you apply for institutes. Most of these institutes require you to have a strong background in theatre. These groups help you to build your profile and boost your chances of getting into those institutes.

Image Source: dramatech.in

Many of the famous artists like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Irrfan, Pankaj Tripathi, Swanand Kirkire, Piyush Mishra started with theatre and gradually branched out to film and songwriting. You could be one of them too.

Prepare for the Institutes

There are a lot of institutes in the country that provide training in theatre. National School of Drama located in New Delhi is one such institute. Drama School, Mumbai and Film and Television Institute of India are others.

Image Source: nsd.gov.in

You should choose the relevant institute which suits your needs along with the faculty and facilities provided. The more diligent you are in your selection, the better your chances are to achieve success.

Financial Aid and Support

As you may be aware that managing your finances as a budding artist is very important. If the need arises, you should be able to support yourself financially and not fall into bankruptcy. State and the central government provides a range of financial aids and sponsorships for economically challenged artists.

Once you have established yourself, you can also look for job postings in those institutes.

You should be optimistic about your goals and simultaneously keep your eyes open for such opportunities. Maintaining a constant flow of cash may prove difficult at times. But if you are careful with your expenses and efficiently manage your work and training, you can do wonders.

Recently there has been a surge in online live performances. So you have to make yourself comfortable with zoom auditions and performances part from physical training.

Following the above-mentioned steps would provide you with the basic building blocks you need to find a footing in this field. But these are not rules set in stone. A lot of young artists make the mistake of getting fixated on irrelevant techniques to approach this field. Through constant hard work and awareness, you can easily have a lasting career in theatre.

Sometimes path may seem rocky. You may face a lot of hurdles. But as Andy says in the highly acclaimed movie The Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of the things, and no good thing ever dies.”