As part of their final-year production, the third-year students of the Theatre Arts department at the University of Hyderabad presented a unique collective performance titled ‘Fraction’.
Conceived by 19 students in collaboration with artists and academics, the production was devised by Abheesh Sasidharan. He was also the dramaturg. The performance emerged from a week-long workshop where the students, guided by Abheesh, explored creative ways to translate personal and collective experiences into performance.
What set ‘Fraction’ apart was its personal touch. Using the university as both their stage and subject, they reflected on their interactions with the campus environment, drawing on elements like space, sound, graffiti, construction sites, and more. Through this innovative approach, they presented a multifaceted portrayal of campus life, capturing the essence of its social, cultural, and emotional landscape.
The performance was spread across multiple spaces within the G.B. Hall, encouraging the audience to move around and experience the show from different perspectives. Themes from the campus: its employees, the food culture, rap music, photography, sports, and even the canteen atmosphere were represented through a mix of body movements, soundscapes, and multimedia elements.
The actors embodied a wide range of movements and characters, incorporating elements of casual student life as well as more symbolic representations like animalistic gestures and mechanical movements.
The scenography skillfully transformed the performance space to evoke settings from dense forests to intimate hostel rooms. Lighting, ranging from fairy lights to street lamps, was meticulously managed to fit the mood. The sounds, both live and ambient, resonated perfectly in the vast hall, while video visuals responded creatively to the actors’ movements. Technology and costume were also seamlessly integrated into the performance to enhance the experience.
Through their performance, the students raised critical questions about the role and significance of a campus, touching on the fragmented and layered experiences of university life. The performance was a bold and creative reflection on the micro-politics of student life, told through a mix of art forms and personal narratives.
The performers and makers included Anjana Shajahan, Biswajit Kalita, Geetesh Ujjainwal, Janki Tuddu, Mansi Bansal, Md Ahsan Habib, Niharika Choulda, Nitish Kumar, Pooja Yadav, Raniya Zulaikha, Sachin Rawal, Sai Krishna Chithari, Shivam Kumar, Shreyas Gupta, Shreyosree Sarker, Swapnil Singh, Vighnesh Jayakrishnan, Vikash, Vishal
Response from performers and makers:
Ahsan Habib : I realised a strange combination of old and new methods. I would have missed the whole performance that can be built on personal experience at work if not linked to this kind of participatory activity.
Pooja Yadav : As a performer, I felt privileged to provide the experience of campus life. This process helped me learn how to physicalize my thoughts.
Mansi Bansal : This time while doing lights, I understood how it can enhance a visual, how it can change a scene with certain effect. It wasn’t easy and all fun for me tbh but seeing what it can do on stage is fun.
Biswajit Kalita : I could see my concept growing from a fraction to pitching in a sharing performative level to audience.
