Fest spawns new hope for theatre

MYSORE: When the curtains were rung down on the six-day 'Bahuroopi' theatre festival on Sunday, the organisers completed the script for another Act of the play. And as lights faded out the characters from the proscenium, theatre enthusiasts were looking forward to another edition of the festival. After ace director Prasanna took over the reins of Rangayana as director, he had made an announcement that a national theatre festival will be an annual feature in Mysore.And he lived up to that promise by organising 'Akka' last year and 'Bahuroopi' now. If anything, Rangayana, by playing host to the national theatre festival, did prove a point that the nation's capital is not the only destination for organising such events. In this regard, Prasanna renovated two theatres on the Rangayana premises — 'Bhoomigeetha', which was renovated for 'Akka', and 'Vanaranga', the open-air stage decked out days before the Bahuroopi festival kick-off. A major achievement of this year's event is that it introduced Jenu Kurubas, a tribe of H.D. Kote, to the realm of theatre. Noted theatre personality M.S. Sathyu moulded tribes and the end result is 'Bidiru Mandala', a play which revolves around problems faced by the community. Based on playwright Bertolt Brecht's 'Caucasian Chalk Circle', it was modified to depict the problems of tribal communities facing the threat of displacement. Overwhelmed by the response, Rangayana has decided to stage 'Bidiru Mandala' at its weekend shows on February 22 and 23. Starting from 'Zaharali Hawa', a play which revolves around the Bhopal tragedy, many productions including 'Songs of Protest', 'Baliyadugal', 'Madhavi', 'Jangamadedege' and 'Par Hame Khelna Hai' drew audience in large numbers. In particular, the production of Sanskar Ranga Toli, a wing of reputed National School of Drama, 'Par Hame Khelna Hai' received rave reviews as the play is based on events that occurred in a Bombay school during the 1993 communal disturbances in the aftermath of the Babri masjid demolition. The play was moving in that it portrayed the reaction of students from different communities. The play drew to a close with children expressing opposition to communalism, fanaticism and the tragedy inherent in them. Apart from productions, folk performances and street plays were also a big draw. Interaction with leading writers, including Devanoora Mahadeva and Dr Siddalingaiah, witnessed many in the audience grilling writers on various issues bedevilling the present-day India. On the occasion, the Mysore Film and Culture screened many films such as 'Ram Ke Nam Se', a documentary tracing the erosion of secularism in the nation and the rising tide of religious fundamentalism.