It isn’t everyday that one manages to not only interact, but connect, share and build spaces of comfort with people who they have never met before in their life. All in the span of a day or two. Yet at Misf!t, I found all of us doing that in some way or the other right from the very first day when we didn’t even know each other’s names. All we had in common was a shared love for theatre and surprisingly that was more than enough to start with. What was more surprising was that we managed to learn so much more about each other and appreciate so much more in the absence of a formal introduction session. To me personally, this is nothing short of magical.

What I love about the classes in the workshop is how every little concept or idea is broken down into simple fragments and explained and demonstrated till each one of us understands it. And then it is implemented. It is remarkable how ideas and concepts that are often intuitive at times and forgotten otherwise are weaved together into a method that ensures consistency and universality. Each activity, each lesson is so multi dimensional that at times I find myself marveling at the variety of concepts an exercise taught us in the span of a few minutes.

Misfit is one of the few places where time flies by without my ever realising it. And I’ve learnt and un-learnt so much in these five weeks that isn’t limited to theatre and acting alone. It’s a place that drives me to push my boundaries in every way possible. In the big list of learnings that I’m taking back at the end of these five weeks, spontaneity definitely tops the list. Learning to let go of invisible walls that we all build around us. Learning that a lot of times the best way to learn to swim is to jump right in. Learning to let go of fears of feeling foolish. Learning that it is so much easier to get through things together if you trust a person. And most definitely learning that it is important to have fun while doing whatever we do.

I used to be the kid who ran and hid in the last room of the house behind a curtain whenever we had guests over. Getting to where I am now from there hasn’t been easy. It still takes me a much longer time than most to open up to people and build a sense of belonging. And no matter how hard I will myself to or how badly I want to, this process has always taken it’s own time. For me, the most heartening realisation was that despite this fact, I never felt that the Misf!t family gave up on me or wrote me off as just another shy person. I never felt left behind or lost. And even when I was reserved and quiet I could sense the extra effort others put in to put me at ease. As a person who has been written off a lot of times due to bad first impressions this was something that has really really touched me.

I’ve learnt a lot more about myself over these six weeks along with a lot more about theatre. The art of observation I realise is not just superficial. It is also about insight. In my attempts to observe people for the purpose of developing a character I found myself observing the fact that each one of them has a story. A life lived with honest emotions and feelings. And it is equally important to learn from them and their stories and appreciate them. Maybe this insight brings me a little closer to deciphering what Baba meant by “to become a good actor, you first have to become a good person”.