The Divine Drama
An Interactive Play where the Role is written just for You
By Kavitha Ramachandran
I have a role in a tough play. The
Playwright is very well known, although
there are some people who don’t really
read His work. The dialogue is wonderful,
but people are always trying to
change it. It’s difficult, but I just have
to keep trying new things until I can
really get into character. The Playwright
is also the Director. He really lets us
discover our own characters and there
is a great amount of improvisation. But
believe me, He’s always there to bring
us back when we get off track.
He doesn’t discriminate in His casting:
everyone has a part. Sometimes I
wonder if I am right for the role I have
been given, but He assures me, “No,
you are perfect for this role...it was made
for you. Everyone is just perfect for the
role I have given them.” He knows what
is right because He has planned and
prepared the script over and over again,
knowing exactly who goes where and
who should do what.
This play is timeless. Whoever you
are and wherever you may be, you can’t
help but feel connected to it. The Director
is excellent and you just want to
please Him. And if you are not ready,
He’ll hold the part for you. As He sees
it, whatever you do until you accept the
big role is preparation. He always tells
us to be natural, and not to worry about
the end result. He says, “The play will
be great. The play is already great. The
fun is in the process.” He tells us often,
“Just play your roles, play your parts and
I’ll put it together. The final result will
be something beyond what you can
imagine.”
Sometimes I get caught up in the
role and I forget that I’m just playing a
part, but He’s always there to redirect
me. It’s quite intricate, for this Playwright/
Director is amazing and He’ll
write about seemingly unhappy situations
and will then lead us to interpret
the dialogue in a happy context. Sometimes
the scenes seem scary and no one
but He can convince you that they
aren’t. He says, “Alright, go through this
scene. Remember it’s not real and that
I am here.” And you trust Him. You
then jump in with both feet and though
nervous, you do it because somewhere
beneath all that fear you know He’s
there, and what seemed so scary, really
isn’t. The Director is such an inspiration
that His words tend to linger in your
heart after they have been spoken. And
so even when the play seems to not be
a happy one, the experience of working
with Him makes up for it and you just
keep pushing through.
There are days when you say,
“Enough. I’m ready to perform.” And
He laughs and gently says, “Not yet.”
We go into this play with big egos thinking
we are special to be chosen by Him
and that our roles are so important. But
then He shows us other people’s roles
and we can’t help but realize that every
part is important. His directions seem
so simple sometimes that we try to spice
things up ourselves, only to feel dissatisfied
with the effort. Then He lovingly
repeats the directions and lets us try
again. He never judges us. He never tells
us that the play won’t work if we don’t
do it a certain way. He simply points us
in the right direction. He is so sure that
the play will be a hit that you can’t help
but believe Him.
Sometimes we question Him and
say, “This is a really long play.” And He
replies that the play is His life and so for
Him, there’s no time like the present. He
tells us to keep playing our parts. He
does admit that all of the roles only last
for so long, but that there are always new
actors.