Stage plays and live performances have been affected deeply in the last seven months, owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. Artistes, who depend on live performances, have faced a lot of trouble with their income being reduced to nothing due to the situation across the world.

The curtains have been down in Mumbai’s fourdecade-old Prithvi Theatre. Talking about it, Kunal Kapoor, trustee of Prithvi Theatre, tells Bombay Times, “The last six-seven months have been terrible; just as it has been in most parts of the world! This November it will be Prithvi Theatre’s 42nd birthday, and in 42 years, the theatre has never been dark, but that changed this year. No performance on the stage was an inconceivable thought, until the reality of this year.”

On a positive note, Kunal adds, “Our loyal and super staff are well and have kept the theatre and themselves in good shape through this nightmare and that’s a relief.”

In these unprecedented times, everyone is evolving and adapting to the new normal. With live attendance put on hold for now, the theatre has worked towards creating an online presence through workshops, training sessions and even performances. Kunal says, “The attempt is to create a professionally equipped and quality space from which workshops, masterclasses and discussions can be held while keeping with Prithvi Theatre’s core values and experience in place. A tough one, but this is a new world and we must all learn to deal with it.”