It was the summer of 2009 when I was first introduced to Kirtana’s farm. The holidays were nearly over with just a week to spare. My mom had signed me up for this three-day camp, without even asking me. To be truthful, I wasn’t really enthusiastic at all. I thought it was just a waste of my last few days of the holidays. The thought of getting up early the next morning and sitting in a 1 ½ bus ride to a place that I hadn’t even heard about bored me to death. But eventually nothing turned out the way I expected it to be. The bus ride surprisingly didn't feel long and Aditya and I built up a rapport with another by Ansaar. He was in 8^th grade then, two years older than us, and studied in Vidya Niketan School (same class as one of my cousins). Once we reached, we were lead to our dorms. Ansaar, Aditya and I were in one. We were then left alone with our Kalaripayattu teacher, Mothi. Throughout the class he was stern and harsh (which showed me the respect he had towards the martial art), but otherwise he was a complete clown. That’s how every morning began, with 2 serious hours of Kalaripayattu, followed by Shakespeare. This was where most of my knowledge about Shakespeare came from. The first session we did a brain dump on everything we knew about the playwright. We proceeded by knowing bit about the plays he wrote, his family and where he lived, England at that time and so on. After we got our basics right we worked on the play Julius Cesar by acting out the main, popular, vital scenes of the play. There were also music sessions for whoever was interested with Konarak Uncle. We would spend every evening playing a game our multiple numbers of games of soccer along with Mothi and Vinit, and every night before dinner we had to perform anything that we had learned throughout the day or anything that you were willing to share, be it Kalaripayattu, be it a scene from Julius Cesar, be it a song that you liked. We’d then eat dinner and sleep at whatever time we pleased. The next morning we would get up early and go for a walk/hike. I enjoyed this trip to such an extent that I came back the next year. The memories of these trips will always be cherished.

A Theatre Lab student in Life of Pi!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!

Om Kamath, a Theatre Lab student from the Saturday morning batch has been cast in Ang Lee's Life of Pi. For those of you who have read the book, he's the bully in school who calls Piscine Pissing!

For all you Saturday morning kids - your good wishes to Om this last Saturday paid off!

Congratulations Om, we're thrilled for you! All the best during the shoot and come back and tell us good stories.

Haiku

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry.It consists of 17 moras (Moras are not syllables,so 17 moras is not 17 syllables). Haikus have three phrases, the first phrase has five moras, the second has seven moras and the last phrase has five moras. Japanese Haikus are printed in a straight line and are generally about nature.

HISTORY OF HAIKU
Hokku is the starting verse of a Japanese linked poem or Renga. A Renga has verses of 14 and 17 syllables. If the Hokku in a Renga has 14 syllables then the third, fifth, seventh, ninth verses will have 14 syllables, this pattern continues. This works when the Hokku has 17 syllables too. By the seventeenth century, the time of the famous poets Matsuo Basho and Ueshma Onitsura, Hokkus started appearing as independent poems. Variations included Haibun (prose and Hokku) and Haiga (painting and Hokku) The name was changed from Hokku to Haiku by the poet Masaoka Shiki in the late nineteenth century.

VISIT TO ST. MARKS CATHEDRAL
Theatre lab (thursday group) visited St. Marks cathedral. After the visit they made Haikus about their feelings and observations in the church.

ABOUT THE CHURCH
St. Marks cathedral is one of Bangalore's oldest churches. It is on M G road and is over 200 years old. It was founded in 1808 and consecrated by the bishop of Calcutta in 1816. St. Marks cathedral is named after St Mark, one of the twelve deciples of Christ. The interior of the church is modelled like that of St. Pauls cathedral, London. It is known for its external bells, woodwork, carvings, domes and stained glass. The church was rebuilt in 1927 and has a seating capacity of 700 people.

THEATRE LAB'S HAIKUS

Trisha's Haikus:

White as falling snow
arches against the sky
colour blinds the light

White faithful friend
a daisy in summer
drops from the ceiling


Anshul's Haiku:

Yellow as lemon rice
peaceful, magnificent
happiness


Careena's Haiku:

White as pearls
brown as chocolate
arching over my head


Manik's Haiku:

Open doors to all
place of peace
a monument of time


Sagar's Haiku:

Landmark next to the park
inside,whiteness
peace


Tarun's Haiku:

A holy place
of peace and quiet
yellow and red streamers

Theatre Lab experiences!!

One saturday evening we took a cab to theatre lab. My Friend who went to theatre lab had recommended it to me. It was the first time i had come to this class. I was amused by the creativity and talents the other children had. At that point of time I didn't know much about acting...... As everyone was doing an improvisation Kirtana told me to join.

It was fun as well as interesting working with all the other aspiring actors....
Till date i've always cherished coming to these classes and i have learnt much from it.
Becoming an actor has inspired me to be punctual to theatre lab. After joining theatre lab i have been a part of plays directed by Kirtana and us. A few of them are Pampa sutra, the rangashankara mela and cubbon park stories which was held in Sona towers.