Mozart Chocolates.....

I like watching theater. This is a hobby I acquired around 16 months back when I first came to Bangalore and started watching plays regularly at a well known City theater. In the past 16 months I have seen around 12-15 plays and now I can differentiate the two ends of the spectrum, a very good one from a very bad one. In between lies a complete panorama of theater on which I don't lay any claim of minutely appreciating.
Adding to the list of the middle spectrum I saw a play "Mozart Chocolates" recently which on certain aspects was on the one end and and in some aspects on the other end. There is also a small faux pas which happened while waiting for the play to start which I would like to mention for memory's sake.
I reached the theater a good half hour early and was seated at the first row from where I could even count the facial hair of the actors. This lady (in her sixties probably) politely asks me adjust a little ( scooch is the word for the urban junta) and sits just next to me. She had a heavy bengali accent and was talking to her acquaintances in bengali, one of whom was a Prahlad Kakkar Lookalike. I was muttering to the friend of mine with whom I had gone for the play wether it was a wise decision to watch this play while we could have done something more productive like talk and stuff. "Yaar, this looks like a very heavy play (in English) ". My friend replied something which before I could comprehend the lady asked me " What do you mean by a heavy play ?"
Slightly puzzled by the question I started thinking of a politically correct answer which should not offend her for she looked like a connosieur and was really looking forward to it , I supposed.
"Not Comical Ma'am"
"Well it has lighter moments"
"How would you know that Ma'am" ?
"Well I am the playwright"!
Some rattling followes.....
To show to her that I am not some first timer at a work of art ( I dont make any claims to otherwise) I start rambling on all the arsenal I had on Bengali movies and Literature.
" Well I follow a lot of Bengali movies and literature"
"Which is your favorite ?"
" The Apur Trilogy Ma'am and Charulatha are my favourites "
" I knew Satyajit Ray as a friend, a very charming person indeed. We Bengalis are very proud of him "
No knowing literature stuff anymore ......

The play was very good in bits with the "Lighter Moments" looking natural and humorous. There was a discussion around Post Modern and Post Colonial literature which I didnt really understand and the major part of the play was centered around the lead actress remembering her life's bygone years throgh the saris she bought at various times of her life.
The acting was generally good with a couple of misses here and there but considering the volume of monologues that's not something to take serious note of.
The play was a tad bit too long , I was shifting positions and could hear a lot of other people doing the same.
The lighting and music( minimal) were good and suited the setting of the play.
The one thing I didnt really understand was the audience. Most of the people were in their early twenties and there were some teenagers as well. I won't make any claims of knowing their following of theater but I somehow had this feeling that most of the people were there for the play ,any play for the matter , be it Mozart Chocolates or Alif Laila for that matter.
One teenager actually dozed off on his Mom/Aunt/very elder sister's shoulder during the early part of the play !!!!
I guess the play was for a select audience and I am sure they must have fully enjoyed it. As for me I did enjoy, if not the play my conversation with the playwright.

A more professional review can be read here