Play
Alive is the story of Radha, a young social media influencer with a huge online following but a deep sense of personal disconnection. Immersed in the digital world, she thrives on virtual applause yet struggles with the absence of meaningful human connections.
One day, she meets Raghav online, and their casual conversation develops into a deep friendship. As their bond grows, Radha begins to feel a genuine connection with him. The play follows Radha’s journey, their relationship, and their search for personal identities in a digital world where the lines between the real and virtual blur.
Alive explores the impact of the digital age on human life, highlighting the shifting definitions of connection, relationships, and self-discovery in today’s digital world. Alive asks: in a world full of virtual connections, what does it mean to truly feel alive?
Director
Sanket Parkhe is a young passionate theatre enthusiast, associated with many theatre groups in Maharashtra. Currently working with Theatron Entertainment, Maharashtra Cultural Centre, FTII, Rainbow Umbrella, Tamboo theatre, Dur se brothers and many other. He has been working as a Writer, Director and Lighting Designer for a number of celebrated theatrical productions for last few years.
Currently working with eminent theatre practitioners such as Piyush Mishra, Aniruddha Khutwad, Shirang Godbole, Vibhawari Deshpande, Kiran Yadnyopavit, Girish Kulkarni, Yuki Ellias, Atul Pethe and Suraj Parasnis. He is working as a visiting faculty for Lalit Kala Kendra, SPPU.
His love for art and visual designing drives him to bring innovation and creativity into his productions. Besides, he has bagged 60+ state, national and international accolades as a director and as a light designer. He has won Ma. Ta. Sanmaan for best writing and best light design. The light catcher play directed by him won many awards including best production, best director at Good Theatre Festival by Red curtain international, Thespo, E lab solo festival and it was also selected for 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, National Students Drama Festival, UK.
The light catcher, Musical J4U, Shot on iPhone, Ghumantu, Gagan Damama Bajyo, The far post, Chandani Raatein, Whole body massage are some of his notable works.
Director’s Note
I belong to a generation that witnessed the arrival of mobile phones in our early years – before they became such an integral part of daily life. I also find myself surrounded by a younger generation that has grown up with smartphones from birth. At the same time, I’ve observed how my parents’ generation has responded to this same technology – with curiosity, hesitation, and sometimes wonder. These varied perspectives often make me reflect on how differently each generation relates to connection, presence, and the digital world.
The definitions of being “live,” creating content, and feeling connected are constantly evolving. The need to be seen and heard is growing each day. And the need for validation has become one of the biggest concerns of our time. Finding a sense of identity in all this noise has become a real struggle.
It really makes us wonder – what will the future look like, even just a few years from now?
While directing this play, I was excited to explore how technology could be used as an active part of stage design. We experimented with projections, live streaming, and the presence of screens – recreating how they’ve blended into our everyday lives. Alongside this, the ensemble played a vital role in grounding the human presence on stage – creating a balance between technology and the physical body. Their presence brought a refreshing and rhythmic quality to the performance, offering the warmth and energy only live performers can give.
Mental health is an important conversation today. Through this piece, I’ve tried to approach it in a way that feels honest and accessible – without overwhelming the audience, but still making space for reflection and recognition.
Writer
Sanket Parkhe
Sanket Parkhe is a young passionate theatre enthusiast, associated with many theatre groups in Maharashtra. Currently working with Theatron Entertainment, Maharashtra Cultural Centre, FTII, Rainbow Umbrella, Tamboo theatre, Dur se brothers and many other. He has been working as a Writer, Director and Lighting Designer for a number of celebrated theatrical productions for last few years.
Currently working with eminent theatre practitioners such as Piyush Mishra, Aniruddha Khutwad, Shirang Godbole, Vibhawari Deshpande, Kiran Yadnyopavit, Girish Kulkarni, Yuki Ellias, Atul Pethe and Suraj Parasnis. He is working as a visiting faculty for Lalit Kala Kendra, SPPU.
His love for art and visual designing drives him to bring innovation and creativity into his productions. Besides, he has bagged 60+ state, national and international accolades as a director and as a light designer. He has won Ma. Ta. Sanmaan for best writing and best light design. The light catcher play directed by him won many awards including best production, best director at Good Theatre Festival by Red curtain international, Thespo, E lab solo festival and it was also selected for 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, National Students Drama Festival, UK.
The light catcher, Musical J4U, Shot on iPhone, Ghumantu, Gagan Damama Bajyo, The far post, Chandani Raatein, Whole body massage are some of his notable works.
Rutvik Vyas
I am Rutvik Vyas and I am 27 years old. I am based out of Pune. I am a writer and director, and I like to tell stories about people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Since childhood, I actively participate in cultural activities at school and college by exploring of writing, directing, and at times, performing.
I started writing and directing plays for inter-collegiate competitions like Purushottam Karandak and Firodiya Karandak in Pune. These plays received prestigious awards for writing and direction. I have written two plays, “Pach Majali Hospital” and “Alive”, that were shortlisted for NCPA’s Darpan Writing Initiative. “Alive” has been selected and produced by NCPA. The play “Pach Majali Hospital” has been honoured with a prestigious award given by the Maharashtra Foundation USA. As a writer and director, I have awarded with the Balgandharv Puraskar given by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Recently, I have written and directed a play, “Kuthe-Aahe-Lakshmi.mp4,” which is currently on stage. Over the years, I have written about six to seven stage plays, along with poems, short stories, and articles. I aspire to create work that stands out – not because it aligns with trends, but because it carries a social relevance.
Group
The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is India’s premiere cultural destination. Since its inception in 1969, it has been a hub of creativity, a centre of excellence committed to preserving and promoting India’s vibrant artistic heritage in theatre, music, dance, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and innovative work by Indian and international artistes. Our goal is to reach the widest and most diverse audience possible, animating the flexible range of spaces at the NCPA with programming that offers a mix of live and screened events in a variety of languages ranging from classic plays to new writing, physical theatre, musicals, live and streamed broadcasts, spoken word, classic cinema and stand-up comedy created and performed by the very best local, national and international artistes.
The NCPA theatre division creates, presents, and hosts world-class theatre that entertains, challenges and inspires. We have produced many phenomenal Theatre Production like Aalbel, Club Desire, The Government Inspector, The Buckingham Secret, A Friend’s Story, Laughter Therapy, Mughal-e-Azam, Shikhandi, Can I Help You?, Gandhi –The Musical , Lucrece, Constellations, Sea wall, The Mirror Crack’d by Agatha Christie, A Small Family Business by Alan Ayckbourn, Lungs by Duncan Macmillan, Every good boy deserves a favour by Tom Stoppard and Kalgitura by Datta Patil