Experiences 2 - Christian Thurm, stage designer about looking at roofs and material for the RS production of "Robinson& Crusoe"

Context: As part of the partnership, Ranga Shankara is producing the play " Robinson & Crusoe" , which in the Schnawwl production had traveled to Bangalore in 2006 and won the hearts of the Bangalore audiences. The play is set on a swimming roof in the ocean, on which two soldiers from enemy armys meet. They do not speak each others language, but learn to communicate with each other and in the end become friends. In the Schnawwl production one soldiers was played by Gracias Devaraj, a Bangalorian who has been living in Germany for many years. He will now direct the RS production of the play for children 10 years plus with two actors from Bangalore. The stage designer Christian Thurm, who is the technical head of Schnawwl, has come to India for two weeks to look at different kind of Indian roofs, construction techniques and material available. 
Here are his experiences:


"Stage design in India seems to be not quite the same as in Germany. There are many cultural differences and I'm always afraid of making bad mistakes.But there is one thing that makes me calm: The people here in the theatre have the same aim as me. And they are so warm, kind and friendly, that there is no need for fear.

And so I went around and found the steel I need in the city.

and for alternative also some aluminium profile. I've seen wood that works for my construction and what is most important, I've seen a lot of different typical Indian roofs and their construction underneath, in a museum in Chennai, so that i can choose what is needed. 

I was accompagnied by Raghu, a 21 Year old student who knew a lot about Indian architecture.

Now I just wait for the main decision of Graci (the Director) about which direction he wants the stage design to take: Abstract or naturalistic - that will determine the final design."

 
Christian Thurm