One show in so many years

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I attended a musical perfomance by Sivamani. A friend was kind enough to invite me and give passes for my family too. Any good event,be it a musical or theatre or dance related , is almost out of the reach of the common man. In Mumbai, these events happen at NCPA or Tata and the tickets prices are almost unaffordable. How many of us in India have internet on our phones which we actually use for booking tickets for a show? I mean a housewife or an average educated businessman is not booking on the net. In Mumbai and I live in the centre of it, the travel to Prithvi theatre in Juhu or NCPA at Nariman point, is highly cumbersome. How do I commute half way across town or suburbs at peak hours as most shows are post seven pm? Where do I get someone who will come with me to watch a classical dance perfomance? Who will take care of my children? If the husband does baby sitting, then which friend male or female do I coerce to come along? Does any friend get coerced at all these days?

During my hostel days, we could always force a friend to come for a walk or come on a double date as we did  not want to be alone with the hunk. But now all people I know have families to handle or children to raise or husbands who want their wives home when they walk into the house.  No one wants to go out just with friends anymore unless its a kitty party or a birthday treat or a joint shopping trip. No one comes for Chai and chat in Mumbai. I am truly blessed that I have a few friends who do come over and some houses where I am welcome. All are getting busy. Art is unreachable. Any exposure to culture or art form has to come in the way of free passes. When I was studying at Sophias, many weekend evenings were spent in looking at the well heeled Mumbai society coming to watch English plays in their fancy cars and fancier clothes. We watched the rehearsals and could go to see plays if the manager was agreeable. But now I feel all this going to a theatre very far fetched in terms of convenience, time, workabilty, company and money. I still think its only the very rich who can afford these luxuries. The rest have to be happy watching films in single theatres. Multiplexes are charging a bomb in the name of experience. Am I to walk on Marine drive to experience these things? The people who attend these art soirees have also remained the same for the last so many years. There is a theatre near our house which runs plays which are not by famous theatre companies.
So basically art and culture are out for me and people like me.

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