Volunteers: Gulshirin, Andrew, Malin, Stephanie, Cecelia and Helga
Project Overview
MOBILE CRECHES CENTERS – POWAI, CHANDIVALI AND WADALA
Since we decided it wasn’t possible to simply say what it was what we saw, heard and experienced, we are sending a list of our strongest impressions instead.
It seemed to me that at one point in our rehearsal process, we got very bogged down with what we thought a show needed to be – luckily for us, that notion and idea was humbly blasted out of the water, when we realized that the work is not about us looking good and doing a “show” but rather making a connection and creating some laughter/hope with and for these children and adults.
To that end:
- Starting our first show with 25 crying babies
- A hundred finger prints on my accordion
- Being asked how much I was selling my pots and pans props for
- How many children can hang on one arm?
- Successful conversion of a reluctant adult to a willing clown
- Knowing something went right with our first show when we were asked to come back again the same day – 4 hours later for an audience triple the size!
- Walking down the lane with 150 children and 80 adults, all following with curiosity, laughter and handshakes – lots, lots of handshakes
- Handshakes, handshakes, handshakes
- Everyone wants to be touched and seen – insane photo takers!!
- Proud and tentative introductions in English
- Juggler kid whose abilities quickly exceeded our own
- “Take a bow” done after the show was over
- Lots of smiles
- Curious and willing girls who come up to be a part of the show
- Malin posing for a supposed “Times of India” picture, taken on a cell phone…
- Construction sites – no addresses and a million directions on how to get there
- Entering the area – landmarks for the sites are large new buildings or a shiny out of place IMAX theater surrounded by slums.
- The world’s alleged “largest” IMAX theater is in the same city as Asia’s largest slum!
- Sharing the bill with: Local school kids doing a puppet show and a dance/theater piece about education
- Meeting an adoring public – exhausted and drenched in sweat!
