The Hindu Metroplus Theatre Festival, launched in 2005 in Chennai, India is one of India’s most well-known theater festivals. Mukund Padmanabhan, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu is known as "The Man Behind the Fest" came up with the idea and the fest was launched in 2005 with the help of the theatre group Evam, which have been our event managers ever since.
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Inception
Padmanabhan talked about how the MetroPlus Theatre Festival came to be, "The idea of the Fest was spawned over a cup of (possibly tepid) coffee I shared sometime in early 2005 in my office cabin with L.V. Navaneeth, then a General Manager with the advertising and marketing division of The Hindu. In fact, the credit for getting the Fest off the ground must go largely to him. (Navaneeth has since moved to another company.) He had the confidence and support of the management (critical for a project of this nature), was unafraid of taking risks, and had the ability to make quick decisions. I like to think we made a great team, one that understood our roles, mutual strengths and weaknesses."
Overview
Over the years, the Fest has showcased theater from various parts of India and the world. This year marks a watershed in the evolution of the festival, which travels this month to three other South Indian cities – Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Chennai Kochi and Bangalore. This fest brings unique plays by talented drama companies who will showcase original, unusual and experimental work for discerning audiences.
MetroPlus Playwright Award
The Fest has spawned the MetroPlus Playwright Award. A further synergy has been created by staging award-winning plays at the Fest. The award, instituted in 2008, carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the best new English theatre script.