India Premiere - Still Dancing 2024

Five years to the date, we are all set to bring Still Dancing to India.

After a round of hectic auditions in January, and rehearsals through March and April, the first show with an all new cast and crew premieres at the NCPA Experimental Theatre on 11^th April 2024. 

This leg of the first run sees two shows in Mumbai, the premiere at the XP followed by one at the Royal Opera House on the 13^th. After that we head to Ahmedabad for two shows at the Forum Club 07 in Ahmedabad on the 19^th and 20^th April.

 

Movement Mantra and Third Half Theatre present Still Dancing: A True Story of a Parkinson’s Hero.

 

Cast: Bhavna Pani, Vivek Raj Tandon, Mona Ambegaonkar, Nakul Bhalla, Amey Mehta, Bhumika Mane, Abhimanyu Gupta, Avenav Mukherjee

Dancers: Kumar Sharma, Anmol Sood, Rahul Sharma, Shammi Kumar, Eshika Choomer, Smriti Bhandari, Meghna Thakur, Bhavana Sharma

Line Producer: QTP

Dance Partner: Kathak Rockers

Supported by Adani Foundation

Tickets:  BookMyShow

Based on a true Story, Still Dancing portrays the journey of a family, quite like yours and mine, with the same hopes, dreams, triumphs, and struggles. Prepare to be swept away by the music, enthralled by the dance, and moved by a timeless story of our times.

Thirty Days in September

How does one recalibrate the past when it is devastating? How does one reframe one’s memories if they are debilitating? When darkness gets to a point of comfort, how does one turn to the light? When exactly does one finally say, “Enough!”

Third Half Theatre, in collaboration with EnAct, presents Mahesh Dattani’s powerful ‘Thirty Days in September’ at The Dubai Heights Academy, Al Barsha for one night only on Saturday the 13th of January 2024 at 7 pm.

This deeply moving play is a journey into the impermanence of memory, the suppression thereof, and the fantasies we propagate to render the truth palatable. 

Set against the backdrop of intricate human emotions and the lingering shadows of the past, this theatrical journey is one not to be missed.

Thirty Days in September
Date     : Saturday 13th January 2024
Time    : Sharp start at 7 p.m. (gates open 6:30)
Venue  : Dubai Heights Academy, Al Barsha, Dubai
Tickets : Platinumlist.net

This extensively researched play is an eye opener and a seminal work that provides a platform for important conversations about women's empowerment, self-discovery, and the collective strength of individuals who refuse to be defined by their past.

See you there!

Mumbai Auditions - Still Dancing

The magic of Still Dancing, our play on Parkinson’s, continues as we announce open auditions in Mumbai for the India leg of its journey.

Third Half Theatre is immensely proud to get back together with Movement Mantra to bring you this moving piece for its India premiere planned for the 11^th of April on World Parkinson’s Day in Mumbai.

The wonderful folk at QTP have put together the auditions planned from the 18^th to the 21^st of January 2024. If you would like to audition, or know anyone in India who would, please direct them to this link to register by the 14th of January.

Still Dancing is an entertaining and thought-provoking amalgamation of music, dance and theatre, celebrating the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit. 

It is an attempt to bring much needed attention, not only to People with Parkinson’s but also to the care givers and family members who experience the life altering impact of the condition.

See you at the auditions!

Haaye Akhtari 2023

One of our finest Malhaar collaborations, Haaye Akhtari in 2015 was a grand success. We are happy to bring it to you once again this October in Dubai.

A signature blend of Hindustani Classical Music, Dance, and the Theatre, the show will feature Begum Akhtar’s most famous ghazals, thumris, and dadras. We will have a unique fusion of Kathak and Bharatnatyam in some of the pieces as well as the theatrical representation of Begum Akhtar’s journey from a precocious young talent to the Queen of Ghazals.

Begum Akhtar’s story is a window into a period of great transition in the musical history of the Indian subcontinent, influenced as it was by the turbulent times in which it was set; spanning both the wars, the Indian freedom struggle and its aftermath. In such times of great upheaval, the insatiable quest of every artist for excellence is further mitigated by a constant struggle to preserve cultural and artistic integrity.

For Begum Akhtar’s own art, this was encapsulated in one word: Taaseer. It is a fascinating word and has several connotations. As explained to her by one of her early mentors, Ustad Ata Khan Saheb, the word implied ‘soulful singing’. The word can also be used to convey efficacy, or the manifestation of an expression, a sigh. It can be used to convey execution, performance, and even intended consequence. And finally, perhaps tellingly, it means the impression left on the mind.

Begum Akhtar’s life is a journey in search of this elusive Taaseer. To put this in context consider that she started performing as a singer in her pre-teens and went on to star on stage and screen. She became one of the most successful recording artists of the pre-independence era. And yet her most powerful, genre establishing accomplishments came post-independence, in the twilight of her career. I like to think that this was when she finally found Taaseer. And therefore in the context of this show, Taaseer is the pinnacle of artistic achievement; the soul of the artist.

In a world obsessed with the here and now, with immediate gratification, the show provides a sense of the lifelong strife it can be to truly achieve the pinnacle of artistic achievement.

Haaye Akhtari opens on Saturday the 28^th of October 2023 7:30 p.m. at the Emirates Theatre, Jumeirah. Tickets on Platinumlist. Please also see these articles on CurtainRaiser and in Khaleej Times.

See you there!

"It's All Been Done Before" | A collection of 8 short plays in 1 show

Third Half Theatre, in partnership with The Junction, presents an evening of some of Dubai’s most celebrated original shorts. Multiple award-winning plays rub shoulders with plays that have travelled to Delhi and to LA, in addition to performing in Dubai at The Junction, DUCTAC, The Madinat, The Emirates Litfest and the Sikka Art Fair.

After an open audition, many new faces joined Third Half regulars and veterans. And after a whirlwind rehearsal schedule, here we are, this weekend (Sept 1, 2, 3, 7 pm) at The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, bringing you what promises to be a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Get set for an evening of fun, laughter, poignance, and reflection. Reconnect with the magic of the theatre with some of Dubai's best talent with almost forty team members collaborating to bring you an unforgettable night out.

We’ve been covered on TimeOut as one of the things to do this weekend and also featured on CurtainRaiser. Do also check out this wonderful video prepared by the team. The words were inspired by this production and the sound and music too has been prepared from scratch by team members.

Show details:
'It’s All Been Done Before'
The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
September 1st, 2nd, 3rd 2023
Gates Open 7.00pm | Show starts 7.30pm 
120 mins duration, Tickets on Platinumlist.net

The drive, the enthusiasm, the spirit really, of the entire team was beyond anything one could have imagined. It may sound hyperbolic, but we have genuinely been overwhelmed by the camaraderie and bonhomie of the team at the—at times chaotic but mostly exhilarating—process of bringing this production to you.

We hope you laugh, cry, think, wonder, and after the curtain falls, carry home a little bit of the theatre in your hearts.

 

Audition call for our September Plays

Third Half Theatre announces OPEN AUDITIONS for its plays in English to be staged at The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue on 1st, 2nd, & 3rd September, 2023.

Audition Details

Working Title     : An Anthology of Plays
Writer/Director  : Sanjeev Dixit
Audition Dates   : Monday, 3rd July 2023, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
                           Tuesday, 4th July 2023, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Venue                : The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
Casting for        : Multiple characters for 8 short plays (18+) 

Auditions are open to all nationalities. Please come prepared with a short monologue. In addition to the speaking parts, there are also singing and dancing parts for one of the plays which is a short musical.

Kindly register here for the auditions.

Prior registration is not mandatory but will help us organize the auditions better. If you have any further questions, message us on facebook or drop us a line in the comments below.

About the Plays:

Flare up at 311 - Freddie tries to convince Sharon to sell their flat and move to a more affordable neighbourhood. 1M, 1F
Garçon - Three men happen to meet at a cafe, they all seem to be waiting for that special someone. 4M, 1F
I Am - Inspired by real events, I Am follows the journey of a girl growing up in a traditional society. 4M, 3F
It's All Been Done Before - A beleaguered writer struggles to finish his script while the characters keep interrupting. 4M, 3F
Janus - A monologue. 1M (Accent work required)
The Monkey's Paw - Stage adaptation of the short story by W.W.Jacobs. 4M, 1F
The Tragic Queen - A ten minute musical. 4M, 2F + Singers (Chorus), Dancers
Tréteau - 'Think inside the box'--an ode to the theatre. 4M, 3F

Rehearsals are scheduled to start from the second week of July for 2-3 sessions a week.

See you at the auditions, all the best!

Still Dancing 2023

Every six minutes, someone is diagnosed with Parkinson's in the US alone.

Just six minutes of your time could help spread awareness about the condition. And in that spirit, Movement Mantra and Third Half Theatre have come together once again to bring you our play, Still Dancing.

Based on the true story of a Parkinson's Hero, Still Dancing weaves together music, dance, and the theatre to create awareness about Parkinson's Disease (PD) and highlights the real-life issues and challenges faced by people with PD and their families. At the heart of it, the play is the story of a family. A family like yours and mine, with the same hopes and dreams. The play follows their lives, their joys and of course, their hardships.

It is an attempt to humanize PD and show the real-life issues and challenges faced by people with PD, their caregivers and their loved ones. It is an attempt to sensitize the general public, dissolve the stigma associated with the condition and create awareness on the possible interventions available for those afflicted. It is a portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.

Moments from the 2019 staging of Still Dancing

The play will be staged at The Emirates Theatre, Jumeirah on Friday the 26th of May and Saturday the 27th of May 2023 at 7:30 pm. Tickets on Platinumlist.

It is our wish that through this production, more people will become aware of the condition and take action to help the cause. We thank you for your support and hope that the play encourages you to go ahead and #Take6forPD.