Riyaz Space OF Actor
An actor acts. He acts ‘in’ something... some project... some assignment. No assignment means no work, and no work means no acting. A jobless musician can take his instrument and plays it for some hours a day...which we Indians call ‘Riyaaz’. Polishing and practicing one’s skills. This is exactly what most of the actors don’t do. They do not even feel the need for doing it, and that is why, ‘Actors’ on the whole are treated as a dumb, unintelligent, lazy and somewhat ignored species.
But what does an actor do as his Riyaaz? And even if one finds an answer to this question, the immediate and more intimidating question that arises is... Where does he do his Riyaaz? Even trained actors, who come from institutes like N.S.D, find themselves at a loss to understand and apply whatever has been instilled into their system by their training. The only reason being lack of practice. The only practice they get is of doing rounds of various offices with photos in hand, and hopes in heart, which many a times end up in the dust bin. So much for the years of formal training in theatre and dramatic arts!
 The concept of ‘workshops’ is associated mainly with experimental theatre or with people who don’t have work! There are a few simple questions one would like to ask in this regard :
• If you explore a new technique or a skill while working on a certain project how do you practice it to reach perfection?
• How does an Actor eliminate his drawbacks which are pointed out to him after a show, or a rehearsal or for that matter an audition?
• How does an actor increase his efficiency so that producer’s monitory loss, director’s blood pressure, writer’s frustration and technical team’s boredom is avoided?
• If one cannot perform something like seven acts of Abhigyaan Shakuntalam, can he not explore the classic on a smaller level, with better understanding in a workshop?