Water

The Marathi one-act play “Paani” was first performed July 29, 2007, at Sudarshan Rangmanch in Pune, India.

Original production:

Producer: Samanvay

Director: Sameer Vidwans

Lights: Sujay Bhadkamkar

Sets: Kiran Yadnyapavit

Sound: Hrishikesh Dater

Stage Manager: Pravin Kandve

Presented by: Maharashtra Cultural Centre, Pune

Cast:

Panini: Shashank Shende

Mukul: Kiran Yadnyapavit

(The curtain rises on a bench, stage left. To its left stands the old stone pillar of a bridge. Stage right, a large temple bell, stones strewn about and a raised platform. It is 11 p.m. Panini sits reading from a file. Offstage, in a tea stall, loud music blares from the radio. Panini grows increasingly irritated. Finally, visibly annoyed, he gets up to have it turned off.)

PANINI: Oi! Stop that racket.

(He lights a bidi and returns to his place. The rumble of a large vehicle crossing the bridge. Silence. Mukul walks onstage, talking on his cellphone.)

MUKUL (laughing loudly): Arre, these fundamentalists are going to teach communism now!
Tell them to take a call and let us know. We’ll take it from there.

(Hangs up. Addresses Panini.)

Sorry, yaar. Dead tired today. Four lectures back-to-back.
Panya, you can’t even park a car here anymore! Had to…