Kaivalya Plays

Kaivalya Plays is a performing arts and production company based out of New Delhi. The group has come out with some incredibly impressive and innovative creative projects over the last seven years. We sat down with their Artistic Director, Varoon P. Anand and General Manager Gaurav Singh Nijjer to learn more about their journey so far.

A Journey in Theatre
Varoon P. Anand began his theatre career in 2006 at the Theatre Guild of Ancón in Panama, the country's oldest and longest-running English language community theatre. In 2010, he started his theatre work in India and in 2012, he founded Kaivalya Plays. From 2014 to 2024, Anand received nearly 20 commissions from various embassies, including Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, and the Instituto Cervantes, to adapt Hispanic works for Indian audiences. "In 2018, I was awarded the Refunction grant from the Goethe-Institut to create Unravel, an improvised piece about mental health performed at various festivals in India and the UK," Anand shared. In 2019, he became the first Indian to showcase work at the world's largest Classical Theatre Festival in Almagro, Spain, with his project "Marta la piadosa" by Tirso de Molina. Anand's artistic practice focuses on applying improv and interactive theatre games to mental health, language learning, arts management, and performer safety, as well as emerging areas like climate change and gender equity.

Gaurav Singh Nijjer is a 29-year-old theatremaker, creative technologist, and designer based in New Delhi, India. As a first-generation artist in his family, he previously worked in the marketing, data, and technology sectors, which heavily influence his performance pieces. "I produce theatre performances that are often interactive and multilingual, challenging the traditional audience-performer relationship," Nijjer explained. Nijjer is one half of the Indian theatre collective Kaivalya Plays and also works as a freelance artist and designer with theatre collectives across India. His artistic practice explores the interplay of technology and media in storytelling, focusing on personal histories, freedom of speech, digital cultures, and transcultural ideas.

Evolution of Kaivalya Plays
Founded in 2012 by a collective of artists, Kaivalya Plays initially focused on creating safe spaces, fostering inclusivity and transparency, and innovating new ways to create theatre in Delhi. Over the years, the team has undergone many changes. Since 2018, Varoon and Gaurav have led projects that have helped realize these values. "In 2024, Kaivalya Plays will complete 10 years of collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes New Delhi during which we have been commissioned for almost 20 productions from Spanish-speaking countries," Anand noted. Their work in transcultural performance remains one of their biggest strengths, now including more accessibility options like subtitles in English, Spanish, and Hindi for multicultural productions like 2019's Absurdo.

Kaivalya Plays has also been at the forefront of incorporating technology into Indian theatre. "Our latest productions have used live cameras, artificial intelligence tools, projection mapping, and OBS to create unique stage designs not seen anywhere else in the country," said Nijjer. This technological innovation has made their technical director highly sought after by other companies, allowing Kaivalya Plays to share knowledge and resources with other theatre professionals.

Their commitment to transparency, safety in the performing arts, and using creativity as a tool for social change was recognized with the Creativity Pioneers Award in 2023. Kaivalya Plays has evolved from a production company to a foundation conducting arts research in the performing arts, recently concluding studies funded by the India Foundation for the Arts and the Shreya Nagarajan Singh Arts Development Consultancy.

Evolution of Kaivalya Plays
Founded in 2012 by a collective of artists, Kaivalya Plays initially focused on creating safe spaces, fostering inclusivity and transparency, and innovating new ways to create theatre in Delhi. Over the years, the team has undergone many changes. Since 2018, Varoon and Gaurav have led projects that have helped realize these values. One significant milestone was the 10-year collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes New Delhi, during which Kaivalya Plays was commissioned for almost 20 productions from Spanish-speaking countries. Their work in transcultural performance remains one of their biggest strengths, now including more accessibility options like subtitles in English, Spanish, and Hindi for multicultural productions like 2019's Absurdo.

Kaivalya Plays has also been at the forefront of incorporating technology into Indian theatre. Their latest productions have used live cameras, artificial intelligence tools, projection mapping, and OBS to create unique stage designs. This technological innovation has made their technical director highly sought after by other companies, allowing Kaivalya Plays to share knowledge and resources with other theatre professionals.

Their commitment to transparency, safety in the performing arts, and using creativity as a tool for social change was recognized with the Creativity Pioneers Award in 2023. Kaivalya Plays has evolved from a production company to a foundation conducting arts research in the performing arts, recently concluding studies funded by the India Foundation for the Arts and the Shreya Nagarajan Singh Arts Development Consultancy.

Maintaining Theatre's Relevance in a Digital World
Incorporating digital tools into theatre and building interactive performances is crucial to maintaining and fostering interest in theatre in today's rapidly modernized digital landscape. With the world’s greatest cinema, paintings, music, and literature available at the touch of a button, the idea of leaving home to watch a play represents a larger commitment of time and effort. To attract audiences, performances must incorporate just enough digital tools to feel familiar, exciting, and arouse curiosity, while also appearing inviting and safe to allow the audience to immerse themselves in a unique live experience.

Kaivalya Plays achieves this by making live performances interactive, engaging with audiences, involving them in the show through video and photographs, and connecting with them directly by speaking with them during performances. Interactivity is key to differentiating the isolation of a digital experience from the ephemeral and live nature of theatrical performance.

Conceptualizing the Theatre Management Fellowship and Headspace Project
The Theatre Management Fellowship emerged from Varoon and Gaurav’s observation that the Indian theatre world lacked trained managers or administrators. Existing opportunities to learn management were closely guarded and inaccessible. The fellowship offers an opportunity to five people from across the country to learn the ins and outs of day-to-day operations, communications, content creation, project planning, grant writing, event and financial planning, and more.

The Headspace Project evolved from the interactive performances of Unravel. Audience interest in joining a workshop setting to play improv games and experience the therapeutic effects led to collaboration with drama therapists and the Oddbird Foundation. The program began in July 2019 and has since been attended by over 800 participants across India, Spain, Germany, Colombia, and other countries. During the pandemic, Kaivalya Plays offered mental health workshops via Zoom, which continued for over two years with 2000+ global participants. The Headspace program has since evolved into multiple projects applying improv to language learning and corporate training, culminating in research funded by the India Foundation for the Arts on safety in the performing arts.

Upcoming Projects and Initiatives
Kaivalya Plays has a packed calendar for 2024. They will present findings from their research study on safety in the performing arts and continue their artistic work. Highlights include a licensed production of Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman, directed by Raghav Seth, at the Stein Auditorium in Delhi on August 24th and 25th. They will also present an experimental adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial in collaboration with Goethe Institut - Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi on September 5th and 7th.


Words Aliya Anand
Date 11.07.2024