“Theatre is not just about becoming an actor. It broadens your vision, builds your confidence and makes you a better person,” Taruna Misra, 48, a noted theatre artist tells her trainees at a theatre workshop in Gaiety theatre.

Her students, aged between 7 and 16 years, display in their behaviour what she has taught them for over a month ~ to work in a team, write dialogues, improvise and deliver extempore.

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Some children, who were earlier introverts, are visibly outspoken now. They have become sensitised on social issues as they worked on different themes and some of them have become motivators for others to shed complexes. The two-month long workshop at Gaiety theatre was organised by Language, Art and Culture department during the winter holidays.

For most of the students it has been a lifetime’s experience. “I find a sea change in myself. It has changed my opinion towards girls. I will now join school with a different perception on gender,” said Ayush Rattan, an 8th standard student. New theatre artists performed in the open air theatre near The Ridge in public view, in a play on the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ theme, of which ratan was the narrator.

Misra made the students work on themes such as environment, crime and other social issues. Her team discussed famous writers such as Prem Chand, Rabindranath Tagore, RK Narayan and William Shakespeare.
Misra told The Statesman that when students come to her theatre workshop, they want to be Bollywood actors.

“Theatre should not be linked to career alone. It adds value to your personality.Communication skills and confidence improves and above all, it is an empowerment of self,”she said.
Misra is a prominent social activist in Shimla and voluntarily takes up several activities through the year.