In August company

It's not bubblegum that you chew and spit out," says Indian actress Lilette Dubey (top left) as she explained the complexities behind her English language play August: Osage County. The Tony-award-winning production — brought to life with a clutch of talented actors including Dubey, Suchitra Pillai (top middle) and Sandhya Mridul (top right) — revolves around a fictional clan in Goa (the location was tweaked from the original) and its dysfunctional family members. "Bleak" and "black humour" are some of the words that crop up in the reviews worldwide.

"It's a highly enjoyable experience. But the beauty of this plays is that it triggers interesting thoughts, opens that little window and you feel a sense of familiarity with the landscape — it's not a politically-charged play but you relate to it instantaneously — it's an emotional drama," said Dubey. She plays the neurotic matriarch Violet, addled with alcohol addiction and insecurities among other things.

"Borderline psychotic-slash-neurotic" is how Mridul, who plays the family's eldest daughter Barbara, describes her on-stage mother.

"But the irony is I am neurotic too — a highly disturbed human being just like my mother. Here I am not in a good space either - her husband has dumped her for a younger woman and she has the baggage of her teenage daughter doing pot." This actress, who has taken on several supporting roles in Bollywood such as Saathiya and Page 3, feels this role sucked out all her emotions at once.

Adrenaline rush

"After each show, I was emotionally spent. On one hand I felt this adrenaline rush of doing such a complex role but on the other I just felt if I do this long enough I may not have any emotions left to have some real relationships in my life — just joking, but it requires some serious passion here."

But as far as commitment goes, Dubey feels that it's the one feeling that runs high among her eclectic star ensemble.

"In theatre, you don't last long if you don't have that kind of focus. You can't just switch off for five minutes. You got to be on the ball for all those two hours. And the money is not as good as in films. Let me put it this way: forget a Ferrari — even a Fiat is something that you may not be able to afford," said Dubey, who has also enjoyed her fair share of acclaimed roles in films, as an indulgent Punjabi wife in Monsoon Wedding and one half of a childless couple in Baghban.

Like many other theatre artists, Pillai, who plays one of Violet's younger daughters, is not in it for the money. Without any bravado, she admits that Bollywood has been quite brutal in its dealings.

"I am happy with the work that I have done in Bollywood. But I am not happy with the amount of work that has come to me. On one hand they call you a character actor, but they don't give you that main role. That's the frustration of somebody in my shoes because you know there is so much more to give, if only you were given an opportunity to do something more. Every one is a slave to a Kareena Kapoor or a Katrina Kaif or somebody like that," says Pillai without any hint of malice in her voice.

So was theatre a natural outlet?

"I won't ever give up theatre because it's the biggest job satisfaction I can get. Much more than films, being on stage makes me come alive," said Pillai, who is currently diversifying by cutting her own music album.

However, currently it's the discordant notes in August: Osage County that are keeping her sane.

"It is a play about a completely dysfunctional family — each member having their own set of problems. But this could be any family anywhere in India where people may not really talk about those problems necessarily. But I am sure as hell that such problems exists."

Don't miss it

Watch August:Osage County on Friday at First Group Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah. Time: 6pm and 9pm. Tickets cost Dh500, Dh350, Dh250 and Dh100. Call 055—4945439