On March 11, 1972, Delhi was given a beautiful gift. The Akshara Theatre has since played host to a variety of stand-up comedians, and hopeful college theatre groups, and innumerable classic plays, including The Ramayana, written by Gopal Sharman—the only Indian play to have appeared on Broadway {where the New York Times called it ‘India’s gift to Broadway’}. Since then it has been performed more than 2,000 times as a tour de force solo performance all over the world.
Now, they're facing a serious problem.
The theatre, where you've watched, laughed at, cried with and enjoyed plays, music and dance and of course, the famous home-made Akshara tomato soup over the years, will shut down if its electricity bill isn't paid.
The bill is for INR 3,00,000, and needs to be paid by March 15, 2016. Sundry add-ons like extra metres make the bill another INR 1,00,000!
They've started a BitGiving campaign where you can donate to save the theatre from losing its electricity. Since it is a registered, non-profit theatre society, donations to the theatre will attract exemption from Income Tax under Section 80G.
In their own words: Akshara is too precious for Delhi to lose. It has been designed to last for hundreds of years, to be an oasis of Indian thinking and culture, to be one of the eminent intellectual hubs of the country’s life.
Find out more about the campaign and donate money to keep the Akshara Theatre running here.
Featured image courtesy: Akshara Theatre