The seed of Erode Nadaga Kottagai was sown during a memorial meeting of Tamil theater stalwart, late N Muthuswamy, founder of the popular Chennai-based theater group. Kuthu-P-Pattarai. Erode-based theater actor V. Sathish Kumar spent two years with Kuthu-P-Pattarai, which has trained hundreds of actors over five decades. He started Erode Nadaga Kottagai in 2019 on the first death anniversary of Muthuswamy.

“Today, there are ten people in our theater group, most of whom are school and college students,” says N Pranesh, a member. The team, which has staged over 200 shows in Palakkad and Thrissur in Kerala and in places like Chennai, Coimbatore and Puducherry besides national theater festivals, is set to present a play titled Thambi this weekend.

Written by Tamil writer, essayist, translator and critic Gautham Siddharthan in the 1980s, it will trace the spread of technology and mechanization in society. “Despite being written 40 years ago, it is still relevant today as artificial intelligence is taking over many sectors,” says Pranesh, who is pursuing his master’s in sociology in Coimbatore.

Erode Nadaga Kottagai Team | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The 50-minute long play is suitable for all ages, including children. It will question our education system and talk about how human survival often faces crisis when placed in a completely new environment. Five actors from the theater group will present the story, the youngest among them is Hemanathan, a 12-year-old schoolboy.

Erode Nadaga Kottagai has always embraced student actors. “The youngest member of our team is six years old,” says Pranesh. The group meets every evening after school and college hours for rehearsals at their place near the railway station in Erode. Members also include full-time theater actors and students pursuing postgraduate studies in drama.

A scene from the play ‘Thambi’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

His plays have also been prepared for students. “Our directors are keen to choose socially relevant subjects to educate young minds,” explains the 23-year-old. She has worked on topics such as child marriage, teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment of women and recently staged a play to create awareness on the importance of voting. “We have also presented a play on the importance of the POSH Act,” says Pranesh. While realism is their style, Pranesh says the group has also explored physical theater in which movement and the body are the main elements. They also use folk art as a medium, incorporating instruments like gana music and parai in their storytelling.

Pranesh explains that the shows take place every weekend evening at his venue, and the actors are trained in voice modulation, singing, folk dance and silambam, regularly involving themselves in sports and practicing in the theatre. Its aim is not only to hone the actor but also to recognize their inner self.

Thambi Being staged on 26th April, 6 pm, No. 400/410, EMM Main Street, Chennimalai Road, Erode. Entry is free and open to all. Call 9894819032 for details.