A complete short play in a single act, performed in Marathi by a team and judged as one production on script handling, acting, direction and stagecraft within a tight time limit.
Ekankika is a one-act play: a self-contained story with a beginning, a build and an ending, played through without an interval and usually in one setting. The word is the Marathi term for the form, so on the template the dialogue is in Marathi.
On the eTalenter template that carries it, the item is a Team entry for male and female performers together, listed in the amateur (hausi) group. It sits beside the full-length Natya, the musical Sangeet Natya and the Sanskrit Natya, but it is a separate entry because a one-act play must make its point in a short, disciplined span rather than over an evening.
A round is a staged performance. The troupe sets up, plays the piece and clears the stage. A strong entry has a script with one clear idea, a cast of a size the story needs and no larger, scenes that move without padding, and a design that can be put up and taken down quickly.
In the real state contest the one-act play is run as its own Marathi stream alongside the amateur, musical, Hindi, Sanskrit, children and professional streams. Organisers like the form because many groups can be seen in a day and because writing and directing to a short length is a skill in itself.
Where Ekankika (One-Act Play) comes from
Ekankika is the Marathi name for the one-act play, a compact stage form with a single setting and a single dramatic movement that grew alongside full-length Marathi theatre.
Where Ekankika (One-Act Play) is run
On the eTalenter templates this exact title appears once, on a Maharashtra state drama competition template, as an On Stage team item in the amateur group with Marathi as the language. It belongs to a theatre-group contest rather than a school or campus festival. A school or college event wanting a short play would more often run the generic One Act Play item under its own rules.
- Maharashtra, India
Key facts
- Team item, male and female performers together
- Amateur (hausi) group, Marathi language, on the template
- Judged as one production: script, acting, direction and stagecraft
- The template’s 10-minute time field is the app default, not a published limit; set the true limit in your own event
- Scored as a rating out of 10 per judge on the template; the real contest publishes no numeric marking scheme
- In the real contest it is a separate Marathi stream, distinct from the full-length amateur drama stream
On eTalenter, Ekankika (One-Act Play) is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Ekankika (One-Act Play) is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Ekankika (One-Act Play)
What a Ekankika (One-Act Play) panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- A single clear idea: a plot that sets up, builds and resolves inside the time, rather than a long play squeezed down
- Acting and ensemble: characters that stay distinct and believable, with the cast listening to each other and no one carrying the scene alone
- Direction and pace: crisp entrances and exits, no dead stage time, and an ending that lands rather than trails off
- Marathi diction and delivery: clear, audible speech and natural rhythm, with dialect used only where the character needs it
- Economy of design: a set, light and costume plan that suits the story and can be placed and cleared within the changeover time
- Time discipline: finishing inside the organiser’s limit without hurrying the closing scene
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Ekankika (One-Act Play) under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Ekankika (One-Act Play)
How entrants and their teachers usually get Ekankika (One-Act Play) right on the day:
- Choose or write a script whose whole story can be told in one setting and one movement; if it needs scene changes, cut it
- Keep the cast to the number the story needs, so every actor has a real part and the stage never looks crowded
- Read the script aloud as a group until everyone can say what each scene is for, then block it
- Rehearse the ending most; a one-act play is remembered for its last two minutes
- Do at least two timed full run-throughs against the competition limit and trim lines rather than speeding up
- Plan props and set as a few strong pieces that one or two people can carry on and off
- After a preliminary round, ask for the panel’s remarks and tighten the weakest scene before the final
Ready-made event templates that include Ekankika (One-Act Play)
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra State Drama Competition (Rajya Natya Spardha, India) | On Stage | Rating out of 10 | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ekankika (One-Act Play) judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Ekankika the same as One Act Play?
They describe the same form, but they are separate items. Ekankika here is the Marathi-language entry on a Maharashtra drama template, while One Act Play is the generic item used on other templates, each under its own rules.
Is Ekankika the same as Natya (Drama)?
No. Natya on the same template is the full amateur drama entry, while Ekankika is the short single-act form. The template lists them as separate items.
How long can the play run?
The template shows a 10-minute time field, but that is the app default and not a published limit. Set the real length from your own competition notice.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
As a team. The whole production receives the rating, although a published result may also name craft awards such as best direction or best actor.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Ekankika (One-Act Play) in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Ekankika (One-Act Play), and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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