P.C.RAMAKRISHNA OF THE MADRAS PLAYERS A “RETROSPECTIVE” ON 50 YEARS IN THEATRE P.C. RAMAKRISHNA completes 50 years in theatre as actor, director and administrator with The Madras Players, the oldest English theatre company in India, in existence for 64 years. He has acted in over 150 plays and has been a game changer in English theatre in South India. In early 1980s he foresaw the power Indian writing could exercise on audiences. The Director “WATER” - 2012 It is in this context that Ramakrishna took on the mantle of Director in 2012 with his first Production for The Madras Players of Komal Swaminathan’s “Water”. The original play in Tamil, “Thanneer Thanneer”. “CHUDAMANI” - 2016 Fascinated by Chudamani’s stories, Ramakrishna decided to present Chudamani’s work to the public in English. For Ramakrishna, it was a tribute he could pay to women of integrity, strength and vision. “Chudamani”, not surprisingly, has been the longest running play of The Madras Players, now into its third year of performance. “TRINITY” - 2018 it was an opportunity to amalgamate live music and English theatre for presenting a unique play to audiences. He approached the celebrated vidwan Vijay Siva to essay the role of Muthuswami Dikshitar, the greatly sought after Vidushi, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, to play Shyama Sastri’s wife Lalitha, and the well known musicologist and teacher, Dr. S. Sunder, to portray Thyagaraja. Casting other popular, upcoming singers to play the disciples of Dikshitar, the play took shape with live music. Directing wonderful musicians to enact theatrical roles was a challenge accepted by Ramakrishna, and the overwhelming standing ovations the play “Trinity” received at the premiere and other shows is ample testimony to its reach, novelty and uniqueness. THE P.C RAMAKRISHNA “RETROSPECTIVE” The Madras Players believe that it will be a feather in their cap, and, for Ramakrishna the icing on the cake of a career spanning half a century To celebrate PC Ramakrishna’s service of 50 years to theatre, The Madras Players are bringing together a “retrospective” of three very successful plays directed by him at Museum Theatre, where he started his journey in 1969. September 27, 2019 “WATER” September 28, 2019 “CHUDAMANI” September 29, 2019 “TRINITY”