The Importance of Being Earnest-Evam Entertainment

Yesterday, 25th of December 2008 turned out to be an eventful day for me. I woke early and traveled across town to meet a team of people from Evam Entertainment that was working for the production of their play 'The Importance Of Being Earnest', an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic. I was excited but didn't know what was in store for me. When I got there, I was greeted warmly by a friendly bunch of people, all with their heads buried in some work. Everyone had their hands full, smiles on their faces, and there was friendly banter all around. 

For me, being on a team of organizers was not new so I felt right at home. What was new to me was the way these guys treated each other and the work that they were doing. What I was surprised about was the positivity and joy that they seemed to pass on to one another and in the process, leave everyone smiling.

As I spoke to all of them, all I was feeling was a sense of belonging, the passion and excitement that these people associated with their work. The actors, backstage team, In-venue team, and everyone who was involved was vital to the success of the premiere of the play. 

At the team huddle (a big circle of about 35 odd people, holding hands), the lead actor Karthik Kumar said 'All that matters is that EVERY one present in our audience leaves the venue feeling special, feeling light, happy and with a smile on his face. That's all that matters. Not the 3 months of work, not the mistakes on stage, not the 1 month of production work, not the actors. What matters is that we remember why we're doing this. And let me remind you, we're doing this to make people happy' 

Sounds simple doesn't it? But his words spoke to me. And later on when I watched the play, I understood exactly what he'd meant when he spoke those words. Those words translated into a beautiful performance, an excellent synergy with the stage and a strong connection with the audience. Somehow, at the end of a long tiring day, it all seemed to be worth it. I'd met some of the nicest people and just like Karthik said nothing else mattered because I knew I was there to do my best to make the audience there leave smiling and wanting to come back.

It was almost as if to say, if you know WHY you're doing what you do everyday and you genuinely believe in it, the outcome will take care of itself.