A Play With a Strong Message: Rony Robson’s Trial at the Boardmore Theatre

For the first time in the history of the Elizabeth Boardmore One Act Play Festival, an International Student has taken on the task of directing a play.
Rony Robson is a first-year Bachelor of Engineering Technology student from India who has been involved with the world of theatre for four years. After arriving at CBU, Rony found comfort in the Boardmore Theatre, and has been involved there for the past six months.

“What I enjoy most about theatre is the freedom to express oneself,” says Rony. “A friend of mine once told me that actions speak 1000 words. He was the one who introduced me to theatre.”

The annual Elizabeth Boardmore One Act Play Festival provides writers, directors and actors an opportunity to showcase their talents for members of the CBU community as well as the public. The weekend-long festival, happening March 7-10, offers audiences the chance to enjoy quality productions from a number of different theatrical styles.

Rony’s play, Trial, written by Abhinaya Amrita, will be performed at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. A thrilling drama with unexpected twists and turns, Trial is sure to send chills up your spine.

“Trial is a play with a strong message,” says Rony. “Living in the 21st century, we have to start thinking more deeply about societal norms and their influence on our understanding. Gender, sex and personality are all themes that are commonly misinterpreted, and through this play we would like to shine a light on those concepts.”

Trial was influenced by an award-winning play that Rony acted in while in India, which focused on the topic of homosexuality. “Unfortunately homosexuality is still considered a taboo there,” says Rony. “So we pushed the boundaries with our play and accepted the criticism that came along with it.”

Rony hopes that Trial will result in similarly passionate audience engagement, though hopefully in a more positive way. He would like to dedicate the performance to Rahul Joshi, one of the cast members of the original play, who tragically lost his life at a young age.

The current cast consists of seven actors from three different countries, bringing together a group of performers with vast skill sets and styles. “It has been a great experience working with this cast,” says Rony. “We’ve worked really hard to put forth a great show and I hope everyone will enjoy it.”
Rony is proud to be the first International Student to direct a play for the One Act Festival, and says in the future he would like to see more international students get involved. 

For more information about the Elizabeth Boardmore One Act Play Festival and to purchase your tickets, check out the full schedule here.