CUTआक्ष (Cutaaksh)
Director
Director's Note
I was initially intrigued and thrilled by the structural conceit of Ed Monk’s Cut. Scripts that feature a “play within a play” are fairly common, but a structure that features a play within a play within a play, almost endlessly, offered a unique dramaturgy—requiring the staging of both continuous rupture and seamless continuity.
Using Monk's metatheatrical framework as a jumping-off point, my ensemble and I devised an original, localized response. I wanted to utilize this structural concept of theatrical collapse to articulate deeper questions of self, freedom, and identity that we grapple with in our daily lives: are we really free? Through this devising process, we created an original bilingual text that is comically playful in its critique of our local collegiate theatre practices, even as it lightly touches upon more fundamental philosophical questions.
My Approach
As the director of CUTआक्ष, I approached the presentation with a blend of metatheatrical comedy and absurdist theatre. My goal is to immerse the audience in a world where reality blurs with fiction, and serious questions are tinged with comic energy. In this piece, characters find themselves trapped in an absurdist space, unsure of even their own identities. They stumble through their lines, grapple with malfunctioning sound cues, and morph between actors and the characters they portray, creating a chaotic space of confusion and humor. Through this lens, I aim to entertain while also prompting introspection. I want the audience to question the nature of truth and reality—are we merely players following a script, or is there something beyond the confines of this theatrical world?
Synopsis
In the middle of a chaotic rehearsal, a university theatre ensemble finds themselves trapped in a collapsing reality. What begins as a standard run-through fractures into a spiraling metatheatrical loop, where the boundaries between actor, character, and creator completely dissolve.
Structurally inspired by the conceit of Ed Monk’s Cut, CUTआक्ष is an original devised piece that pushes its ensemble into an absurdist, liminal space. Stripped of their script and desperately searching for an authority figure to restore order, the performers are forced to confront an existential dilemma. As the hierarchy of the theatre breaks down into comedy and chaos, the piece explores questions of autonomy and truth, asking: is there any reality outside the confines of the stage, or are we all merely playing assigned roles?
Performance & Visual Material
Production Stills
Performance Excerpts
Documentation in development
Full Performance
Please note:
English subtitles are currently unavailable and are in progress. When available, enable captions in the video settings. Subtitles provide a basic narrative guide; some nuances of the performance may not be fully captured.
This recording captures the staged action; the full experience extended across the auditorium through spatial and live elements.
A few brief segments may be missing due to technical limitations during recording, including minor audio inconsistencies.
The production allows for variation across performances; certain lines, sequences, and the concluding character were adapted in response to different auditorium conditions and staging contexts.
Awards & Recognition
The production was staged across 21 performances over a span of two years, presented across multiple theatre festivals and platforms.
Recognition includes:
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Best Director
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Best Script
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Best Ensemble
Media & Features
Production imagery featured in Hindustan Times
Presented at the Indian Habitat Collegiate Theatre Festival 2023 (2-day run)