The Far Post

Yuki Ellias is an actor, director and business coach. As an actress, she has performed in the US, Canada, Australia, Italy and India. She played Hermia in the highly acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Tim Supple at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon and the Roundhouse London. She was the Movement Director for UK’s leading opera company Opera North on their production of Mozart’s Magic Flute. Her theatre company Dur Se Brothers has produced four shows including the multi-award winning play Elephant in the Room which has toured internationally including a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017.

As a corporate coach she uses theatre art techniques for high impact communication initiatives for global business leaders and teams across several industries. She gave a TedTalk with her father on the Fine Art of Losing Money – about investing in creative projects and the value of it. Yuki trained at the Jacques Lecoq School for theatre in Paris and is a certified pedagogue from the London International school of Performing Arts.

Priyanshu Gupta is a post graduate in acting and theatre making from Drama School Mumbai. He is trained in psycho-physical and realistic form of theatre, contemporary dance form, and is a certified yoga instructor. He has done an online workshop from National School of Drama and explored mime and clowning. In addition to being trained as an actor, he also delves into writing and direction. He has made a play with his ensemble during his post grad at DSM “Aam da boota” and played multiple characters in the play Love and Information, a DSM production. He has worked with Treasure Art Association, Natyakiran Manch, Being Association and performed in plays Roohien, Des, Gagan Damama Bajyo, Infected and many more, performing at Prithvi Theatre, Rang Shankara across cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru. 

Currently, he is working with Swapnatara performance collective, Yuki Ellias, Small Tales Academy and Move with Joy, which involve Bharatanatyam, elements of mask work, contemporary dance, puppetry and movement flow.

With over 18 years in the fashion industry, Sumaiya Merchant is a clothing brand consultant, stylist, and designer, creating custom clothing, including theatre/dance/bridal wear and costumes. Her label “Sumaiya Merchant” crafts unique signature wear for men and women, which is an eclectic infusion of traditional and contemporary cultural fashion and her own unique style. With her atelier operating in India, Mumbai, she exhibits her seasonal inventions in Paris and Tunis.

Mati is a versatile artist deeply immersed in the world of theatre. Her talents span a wide spectrum, encompassing theatre making, acting, teaching, and the art of prop design. She has been honored with IPTA’s Balraj Shahani Award for Outstanding Performance in 2015 and 2016 consecutively. 

Mati cultivated her love for the stage at the  Drama School Mumbai. After graduating, she embarked on a transformative internship at a theatre in Pondicherry, which shaped her artistic path in unexpected and enriching ways. During her time in Pondicherry, Mati had the opportunity to tour with the troupe to various countries, including France, Belgium, and Tunisia, broadening her horizons and deepening her appreciation for global theatre traditions.

Mati’s unique talent lies in her innate interest for prop design. She consistently showcases her creative flair by embracing the role of a designer, constantly exploring new possibilities to enhance the visual and narrative aspects of productions. 

As Mati continues her artistic journey, she remains an avid explorer of various theatrical roles and creative avenues. She aspires to captivate and inspire her audience and fellow artists alike.

Arnob Bal is a producer and multi-disciplinary artist based in Mumbai and Toronto. He has produced music for multiple artists in India and Canada.

Phalguni Vittal Rao is an actor, writer, and theatre-maker. She is a librarian with Bhasha Centre at The Drama Library (www.thedramalibrary.com) and the communications coordinator at Drama School Mumbai, where she is the editor of the newsletter and manages the Unrehearsed Futures project.  

Phalguni has been performing and writing about theatre for the last eight years. An alumna of DSM, she also holds a PG Diploma in Journalism and a BA in Theatre Studies, Communication and Media, and English from Christ University, Bangalore. In 2022, she wrote and co-directed her first audio-based show ‘Inching Closer’. 

Apart from theatre, Phalguni is an avid reader, amateur pianist and basketball player and aspires to create an empathetic, loving world through her writing and performances.

With over 18 years of experience, Priyanka is an accomplished storyteller and theatre based facilitator. She has trained at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA, Berlin) in 2017 and is a Certified Drama Facilitator & IB Educator.

She is the Founder of the Small Tales Academy, and specialises in designing need-based learning experiences to fulfill organisational objectives. She has conducted over 500 storytelling, theater performances and workshop sessions across the world for various schools & organisations, some of them being The American School of Bombay, Aditya Birla World Academy, Bangalore International School, Raymond Realty and Stamford American School (Singapore).

Sanket Parkhe is a young passionate theatre enthusiast, associated with many theatre groups in Maharashtra. He is currently working with Theatron Entertainment, Maharashtra Cultural Centre, FTII, Rainbow Umbrella and many others. He has been working as a writer, director and lighting designer for a number of celebrated theatrical productions for the last few years. He is working as a visiting faculty for Lalit Kala Kendra, SPPU.

His love for art and visual designing drives him to bring innovation and creativity into his productions. Besides, he has bagged 60+ state, national and international accolades as a director and as a light designer. The Light Catcher, Musical J4U, Shot on iPhone, Ghumantu, Warta Warta Wadhe, and Whole Body Massage are some of his notable works.