Rise of the multi-tasking ensemble
The multiple casting style democratises theatre by taking responsibilities from the writer-director to the actor and his talents
Not too long ago, the general rule of plays was that one actor would play the same part for the entire length of the performance. While that rule still applies, there are less and less productions that have it.
Originally, the doubling (or tripling) up of parts was due to logistical reasons. Fewer actors mean less people to pay and less people to coordinate rehearsals with. Therefore it has always been quite popular with theatre companies that don’t have a regular repertory. However, the current reason for multi-talented ensembles is changing. Theatre groups seem to embrace the “multiple casting” style as a choice rather than a necessity. They began to find dramatic reasoning for it, and even using it to enhance their work.
In Mumbai today, more and more performance groups are collectives of multi-skilled individuals. Therefore they all are on “equal” footing with regards to the amount of activity (stage time) required of them. For example, in my So Many Socks, while there were three main protagonists, the entire cast of nine was involved in every single scene; either playing different parts or providing a physical or aural background to the events unfolding.
I found this a very useful tool in my next piece, A Peasant of El Salvador where three actors tell the story of one main protagonist. In the original text, one actor is supposed to play the Peasant, and the rest of the cast meant to essay the multiple roles. But the moment we decided to free ourselves from the one is to one casting, the possibilities in the play opened up immensely. The three actors take turns playing the protagonist, as well as the other parts. It allowed our Peasant to be a manifestation of different characteristics and truly become the everyman of the story.
Some of the most exciting work in Mumbai today is created by collectives such as these. Piya Behrupiya doesn’t allow the actors to exit. Rather they form part of a musical chorus at the rear of the stage, commenting and reacting to the events in front of them. 7/7/7 uses same multiple actors playing one part technique mentioned earlier to tell the story of rape victim Reyhana Jabbari. This makes us believe that it is the rape of multiple women, rather than just the story of one person. Ila, first introduces us to the story of conduits travelling in a crowded train compartment and who then enact the folk tale about gender fluidity. Keep Calm and Dance, which is an explosion of energy, makes the dozen actors on stage feel like a cast of hundreds because each one is making quick changes and emerging as a different character. Each clearly defined, and yet similar.
Same with shows like Umrao, Aaj Rang Hai, I Don’t Like It As You Like It, and many others. In almost all these plays there are actors who, if they aren’t on stage spouting lines, they are in the background dancing, singing or even playing a musical instrument. Audiences I think, find an added layer of interest in the piece, tracking how one actor can play one thing, then transforms into something else. It is now almost an expectation of the quintessential “live” experience.
An almost invaluable by product of this is that the skill of the entire ensemble is used to develop the requisite grammar for a production. If it weren’t these specific people creating the show, then it might not have turned out this way. It almost democratises the theatre making responsibility away from the “writerdirector” clique, towards the actors and their talents. Similarly the earlier conventional classifications of “actor”, “dancer”, “singer” and “musician” no longer hold, and everyone is now a theatre maker, using their primary skill and their ancillary skill to help tell the story in the best way possible.
It’s an exciting time in theatre: as an actor, as a creator, but most as a member of the audience.