When the table becomes a stage

In Jyoti Dogra's new play, the central characters are all named Pavitra Kumar and the table is the seat of every rendezvous

- Prachi Sibal

In actor-director Jyoti Dogra's latest play, Mezok, six actors and a shape-shifting table take you on a transformative journey.

Dogra's penchant for using objects in her productions dates back to 2014 when she worked with a table and chair for a short performance in Japan. "I started working with it, climbing on it. When you stand on a table, you are a different—a changed—person," she says. In her previous award-winning production, Black Hole (2019), she used a sheet in a big way. But it all began with a wooden stool that broke mid-rehearsal. "If that hadn't happened, Black Hole would have been a different play."

Dogra is best known for her solo work like Notes on Chai, Black Hole, and recently,