“An art-form is incomplete if doesn’t address the issues of the society. Theater is a platform to stand up for yourself and humanity,” says Dr. L. Ramrajan, staff-in-charge of the Drama Club of PSG CAS. “It gives a sense of social responsibility and teaches the importance of social integrity to the students, who otherwise have less awareness of the real society,” he adds.

As part of a two-day acting workshop conducted by the club, the student-members of the drama club were seen fine-tuning their acting, expressions, and voice projection techniques under the guidance of Aravindhan, a writer, theater personality and a former student of acclaimed dramatist Badal Sarkar. When asked about the youngsters and theater, Aravindhan said, “The love for theater among these students is fascinating. But the problem with youngsters today is that they confine their social responsibility to the social media. They should step into the streets and perform. Artistes of today are intimidated by various factors unlike olden days, when the ruling class was scared of the artistes. But in spite of it all, theater will flourish in the hands of young intellectuals and literature enthusiasts.”

The students undergoing training were as excited as their trainer. Vinitha, a fresher, said, “This workshop is a place to learn and enjoy. Drama club helped me discover the actor in me.” Another fresher, Karthick said, “It’s always fun to act. I love doing it.” Hari, the head of actors in the club, said, “We’re concentrating more on the Third Theater (street plays), as we gear up for a national level cultural fest.”

The enthusiasm of the students and the dedication of the trainers in passing the art to the next generation send a strong message that theater is in safe hands.