There was applause and curtains opening in the background. But instead of walking on stage, the cast of Chambhar Chaukashiche Natak (The Play Of Nosey Parker) played their roles from home, waiting for cues to go on screen.
The children's play was presented on video-conferencing platform Zoom yesterday by Maharashtra Mandal Singapore (MMS), a non-profit organisation that hosts arts performances regularly to showcase the culture of Maharashtra state in the west of India.
The play's 10 actors aged between seven and 19 first met during auditions in late January, but had attended just five rehearsals before the circuit breaker measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 kicked in.
Undeterred, the team of more than 24 - including musicians, crew and costume designers - began brainstorming ways the show could go on, online.
The "young and tech-savvy" cast adapted quickly to Zoom, though challenges persisted, says director Swapna Mirashi, 43.
Showing movement, for example, is heavily limited by the "small window" of a webcam, a problem exacerbated by the action-oriented script.
The comedic tale by Indian playwright Vijay Tendulkar tells of a kingdom plunged into crisis when its young prince's feet start burning from the sun's heat. Agitated by his son's incessant crying, the king commands his prime minister to put the fire out through a series of bizarre ways, including stitching a giant umbrella and shooting at the sun.
To bring these scenes to life, lyricist Jui Chitale used stage directions to write a rap, for which 17-year-old actor Rushabh Parasnis created a beat he performed live.
"We are making the most of what we have, such as close-up views of facial expressions and the use of audio," says Ms Swapna. "Like in the battle scene, the kids shake their laptops to simulate the sound of cannonballs firing."
Actors and parents also assembled parts of their costumes according to instructions from costume designer Aparna Temurnikar, although she couriered the more elaborate headgear to them.
For example, 19-year-old Utkarsh Thakur, who plays the army general, made his armour out of mounting board, while the mother of the 15-year-old playing the prime minister stitched his costume together.
The script was also modified to remove physical interactions like handshakes, and multiples of certain props were made so they could be "passed" among characters.
Actors switched their cameras on and off the way one would enter and exit the stage.
"Everything - from the angle of the actors' cameras to their home lighting - makes a difference," says producer Nalini Thite, 45.
The last children's play by MMS was held in 2018 together with an adults' play at the Global Indian International School's campus in Punggol.
MMS vice-president Ashish Pujari, 46, says: "It may not be possible to recreate the stage entirely, but we hope to bring out the essence of theatre not just through acting, but also with music, dance and costumes."
