Review: THE EXCHANGE STUDENT at Prithvi Theatre

A new play touching upon a sensitive theme and addressing societal changes is being showcased on stage in Mumbai to enthrall the theatre lovers. Trishla Patel's tPOT production will be showcasing

'The exchange student,' is a story about a young Italian child visiting Mumbai as part of an exchange program.

The play is about a 12-year-old Italian visiting Mumbai. The child stays with a host family for a week and attends the school. Things get lost in translation, as he becomes part of the experience while attending school and making new friends. But getting lost in the city is a ball game for a foreign child. The story in a sensitive manner presents many eye openers, which in our daily lives go unnoticed. It also masterfully exposes the theme of racism and delves upon the fact that how often one does not even realize the enormity of biases that exist, unless seen though the eyes of an outsider.

Talking about the play and the wonderful encompassing of children's behavior, Patel says, "While the maIn Focus of this play is racism, we also touch upon the harsh reality of child labor in the dark underbelly of Mumbai. Class, color, and age become invisible for children once the barrier of awkwardness is broken. That is the beauty of childhood. This play allows them to understand that racism, even in its gentlest form, can be hurtful."

?The story criss crosses the lives of two young boys Krish and Cris. When the Indian boy Krish, meets Cris who is an exchange student and would spend time with his family in India, Krish realizes that Cris is different from what he expected him to be. The young boy in an alien land faces new challenges and through his experiences one gets to imagine the reality of the world we live in.

WRITTEN & DIRECTED by Trishla Patel

ARTISTS - Trishla Patel, Shashank Vishnu Dutt, Priyanka Kaul, Dipna Patel, Anuj Rampal, Shruti Shrivastava, Aashitosh Solanki

Show Details - 25th May & 26th May - 12 noon & 4 PM at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai

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