Good vibrations
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Theatre director Sunil Mahtani lets the sun shine in
by GERARD DEE
"I've always enjoyed theatre," says 36-year-old Sunil Mahtani. "I've been fascinated by the live aspect of it, the idea that it's happening right in front of you, at that moment."
At this moment, Mahtani's life is split between his full-time job as assistant editor at the Sherbrooke Record and his own company, Sunshine Theatre Productions. He founded the Knowlton-based company in 1998, along with Donald Wilson and Kate Wisdom.
"It felt right for me to open my company with my partners," he says. "We have the same vision, the same philosophy." Their philosophy is simple: good vibrations.
"We're presenting plays that have an optimistic attitude towards life--plays that have a strong moral centre, a message and a meaning." And Mahtani says their last production, Guys & Dolls, which had a sold-out three-week run last November, is a case in point. "On the surface it's just a light, funny story about gamblers and their girlfriends. But deep down it was also about falling in love and discovering who you are."
Mahtani is discovering that he wants to take his ambitions further. "I would like to take myself to the next level and work in theatre full-time," says Mahtani. He's already scheduled to begin writing his own musical with local composer Donald Patriquin. And Sunshine Productions is gearing up for another big musical, most likely Meredith Wilson's Music Man. "It's a big, bright, fun show. It's perfect to do in a small town because it's about a small town. And it fits into Sunshine Theatre's philosophy because it's about trusting the people in your community."
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