META Perspectives: The Director – Agnes of God

Kaizaad Kotwal, Director of Agnes of God speaks about theatre and META.

1. What is your backstage routine before a performance?
A. We normally take the morning to set up the lights, set and sound and give the actors time to rest in the morning. Once the technical aspects are ready we bring the actors in to get familiar with the stage because we constantly perform in different spaces and they have to get used to each space to make sure the play flows smoothly and also for safety reasons.

2. What does META mean to you?
A. META is the most prestigious theatre honor in our country. It is something we have aspired to ever since META started and having entered many times and failed, we are thrilled to finally be recognized and that too in 7 categories. In many ways the META Awards are even more relevant than the American Tony Awards because the Tony’s only celebrate what makes it to Broadway and that is usually no more than 20 shows a year, whereas the META Awards’ shows are from all over India and this year 322 shows competed to make it to the top. META is also remarkable in that the shows that are nominated get to be seen outside the places where they originated from and the festival is a great idea.

3. What are you looking forward at META this year?
A. We are looking forward to seeing the response of Delhi audiences to our play as this will be AGNES OF GOD’s first show outside Mumbai. We are also looking forward to seeing as many of the amazing other 9 productions as possible. Most of all we are looking forward to celebrating excellence in theatre with our co-nominees, some of whom we have known for very long and others we are eager to get to know.

4. What is the message you have for the upcoming actors and directors in theatre?
A. Doing theatre in India is really tough given our awful infrastructure and the expense of doing theatre in proportion to what audiences are willing to pay (for non-big-star shows). The very poor support from the government and the corporates makes this even harder. But if theatre is your passion you will find a way to make it happen in India and you will find the support you need, especially from the audiences who are thirsty for great theatre. There is no other art form quite as collaborative as theatre which is also live and in the moment. That excitement is what keeps us going and what audiences love as well. Theatre is essential to the future and progress of this country and we encourage all theatre practitioners to take this mission seriously and to remain true to their calling and art.

Watch the META plays from 6th-10th March! Click here to book tickets.