Third Half Theatre stages trio of short plays

The UAE-based Third Half Theatre is presenting three short plays tomorrow, Friday and Saturday at The Fridge in Alserkal Avenue.

The first is the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov's A Tragedian in Spite of Himself, which explores the inherent tragicomedy of everyday life. The second is the classic short story The Monkey's Paw, a chilling tale of fate and retribution, specially adapted for the stage. The last play of the evening is Garçon, an original work written and directed by the UAE-based Sanjeev Dixit, which looks at identity and relationships through innovative use of character, time and space.

There is a growing and passionate audience that "revels in the magic of theatre", says the organiser Rhea Dixit. "It has always been our intention to stage an evening of varied theatrical entertainment," she says. "It is an ideal platform to experiment with different genres and give the audience a bit of everything in one evening."

Garçon, which moves from a 19th-century Russian home to an early-1970s Indian house and finally to a contemporary cafe, explores the changing nature of relationships. "Each character is trapped in their own little web of perception and they project that on to the woman they believe they are in love with," says Sanjeev. "But does this woman even exist, or is she just a figment of their imagination? There is something innately honest about couples when they talk to each other, when they think no one else is listening."

The characters, he says, will be searching for the answers along with the audience.

The show starts at 7.30pm. For more details call 050 874 9752 or visit www.facebook.com/pages/Third-Half-Theatre

melshoush@thenational.ae