Tag: UTD Theatre

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Keeping My Creative Side Alive with Theatre

“Be who you are” – such a simple thing to say and yet so difficult to follow. My fourth article in this series is about just that. For those of you who are not familiar with me – I spent the last decade trying to make it in Bollywood. While I acted in a bunch of cool films and web videos (you can find them on my Projects page), I didn’t make the cut. So when I started my Master’s program in Business Analytics, I believed it was the end of the actor in me. I just took a chance in August 2018 by writing to the UTD Arts and Humanities department asking if there was any theatre activity I can be part of. And like an angel, Prof. Shelby-Allison Hibbs responded to my email saying I should audition for Julius Caesar. It’s been two years now and I have acted in four plays at UTD. That’s more than I had done in the last two years before I came to the United States.

The Rocky Horror Show – November 2019

My theatre mentor, Mr. Neeraj Kabi, always worked with people from various professions and maintained that EVERYONE should be involved in the theatre. It can teach you to come out of your shell, or it can teach you to connect with your inner self. It can help you communicate better, or it can show you the power of silence and listening. In the past two years, I have been able to relive everything that I love about the Arts. But besides that, it has honed some of the most valuable skills in my professional life. The way the cast and crew of Julius Caesar worked together for months was a lesson in teamwork. The writing and creation of A Mirror Right Through You was product innovation at its best. Rocky Horror‘s scale of production and unparalleled success taught me how an innovative marketing campaign can win the day. And Faust has been a lesson in adapting well to the most unprecedented changes and using your voice as a powerful instrument! Every play has been an epitome of brilliant concept-to-launch production of something most people across the globe want to buy.

A Mirror Right Through You – March 2019

Each one of these plays has been a unique experience in itself, teaching me something new. I have met, worked with, and learned from exceptional artists. I have made friends for life who have reinstated my faith in myself. I am much better now at trusting the process and staying calm in the eye of uncertainty and distress. My experience with UTD Theatre has reminded me that despite my failed Bollywood career, I will always continue to be an actor. A career in IT doesn’t have to mean that I stop acting. In fact, acting and theatre might very well be what keeps me focused and driven to achieve my goals in life. And this lesson is going to be key in my years looking forward.

Julius Caesar – November 2018

Acting has played a huge role in forming my personality and contributed massively in building my confidence. Every time I speak in public with passion, every time I empathize with customers to solve a problem, every time I work with a cross-functional team to generate revenue, I will remember that I owe it to theatre. It was and will always be a part of my life.

You can check out UTD Theatre’s latest play Faust here.

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This is the fourth post of my #10DaysToGraduate series where I share 10 key lessons from my Master’s degree in the form of a countdown to May 8, my graduation date.

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UTD Mercury Goes Behind The Scenes of The Rocky Horror Show

For the past two months, I have been part of an incredible experience. I was fortunate enough to get cast in my first musical – The Rocky Horror Show. Everything from the audition process to the rehearsal to the final performances was surreal. For all of us involved, this journey has made its mark as one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. Would you believe if I told you that we had 7 SOLD-OUT SHOWS?! There were long queues every night and many people had to return disappointed (sorry about that!). I wish to write about my whole experience in more detail soon but for now, I’ll leave you with a “Behind the Scenes” video that UTD Mercury created for us. It also features me in a small interview where I express how I am in awe of my fellow Transylvanians!

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Shakespeare Rescues Dying Actor in Dallas

When I decided to pursue my Masters in Business Analytics in the US, I bid goodbye to all of my Bollywood dreams. I feared it was the end of my creative side. However, I kept hoping that if I could find a theatre group wherever I went, I might just be able to keep the actor in me alive. So, one of the first things I did after coming to Dallas was that I wrote to the Arts and Humanities department at the University of Texas at Dallas. My joy knew no bounds when Prof. Shelby Hibbs wrote back to me and invited me to audition for their upcoming production of Julius Caesar.

Photograph: Wikimedia Commons

I started preparing for the audition with a lot of anxiety and nervousness. I spoke with my friend Deshik Vansadia, who is the most passionate Shakespeare artist I knew. He suggested that I work with Hortensio’s speech from the Taming of the Shrew. My personal favourite though was Romeo’s balcony monologue from Romeo and Juliet. I prepared for both and started waiting for the day of the audition with bated breath.

The day of the audition came sooner than I thought. While in the same university, the rehearsal hall which was in the basement was a bit tricky to find. Fortunately, I made it on time and saw some actors waiting outside a closed door. A couple of them were sitting on the carpeted floor reading through their lines, while others were chatting with the assistant stage manager who greeted me with a smile. Auditions were held in groups of four actors. I didn’t talk much except mentioning something about our voices to a beautiful girl who was awaiting her turn to audition too.

I was part of the last four actors to audition. From the moment I stepped inside the rehearsal hall to the moment I stepped out, I was taken back to the countless number of times I had been to auditions in India. This is when I met Shelby Hibbs, a person I shall forever be grateful to. Her pleasant persona and sweet smile made me feel at ease right away and I took a seat, awaiting my turn.

Two actors performed their pieces before me. I was feeling elated just to be part of the process again. When it was my turn, I walked up with little nervousness and a lot of excitement. I decided to go with Hortensio’s piece. Despite rehearsing the lines several times, I made some goof-ups. Shelby gave me some feedback and asked me to try again, which I did. I was able to achieve around 50% of what I had in mind. My impression of the audition was that it didn’t go well but honestly, I didn’t care about the result much at that point. I was just glad that even this far away from Mumbai, I was able to give an audition. In a way, it made me feel more alive.

The beautiful girl was the next to audition and just killed it with a monologue from Romeo and Juliet. We then said our goodbyes and goodlucks. I had a wonderful conversation with one of the actors who auditioned in my group, as we shared a bus ride. I got home satisfied with the evening, hoping to make it to the cast. A few days later, I got an email from Shelby with the list of cast members. My name was on it as the actor playing Trebonius.

We have now started rehearsals and the play opens on November 8, 2018. Thus, begins a new phase of Dilip, the actor.

Stay updated with activities of the play through the UTD Theare Facebook Page