A local and a foreign troupe will stage two plays at the two venues of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy today on the opening day of the 10-day Dhaka International Theatre Festival.
Patronised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the first festival of its kind in the country has been organised by the Bangladesh Centre of International Theatre Institute with the logistic support of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The 1st Dhaka International Theatre Festival begins today with participation of 24 local and foreign troupes at three venues of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Manipuri Theatre from Moulvibazar will stage their popular production Kohe Birangana at the National Theatre Hall, after the inaugural ceremony.
The monodrama Kohe Birangona is adapted from Micheal Madhushudan Dutt's 'Birangana Kavya' which was written in 1861 and is based on the episodes of epic 'Mahabharata'. The play is adapted and directed by Shuvashis Sinha.
In Sinha's lyrical drama Kohe Birangona, the young playwright has used four cantos out of 11 cantos of the original Dutt's text. Even the syntax of 'Birangana Kavya' has been successfully maintained in the narratives of Kohe Birangona.
Sinha unfolds the unique message 'love is divine' and the sacrifice the women do through recitation of letters which are written by four legends of the 'Mahabharata' to their beloved ones.
Jyoti Sinha is the solo performer in all the four legends—Shakuntala, Draupadi, Dusshala and Jana.
At the Experimental Theatre Hall, Buds Theatre Company from Singapore will stage Shades, which aspires to educate, empower and enthral the audience. Shades, a simple love story with controversial undertones based on cultural and religious identity, naturalistically produced and adapted slightly in the realm of the local context of Singapore.
The play shows a contrast between religious dogmas and the adverse impact of globalisation on the individuals in Singapore, which is one of the fastest growing economy and the most globalised country.
The play further analyses the nature of religious tolerance and the role of the religious leaders set against the backdrop of the reality when the youths are bombarded with images on the Internet, the television, at the Cinema – dictating how they should lead their lives.
Shades, is fundamentally a love story filled with controversy regarding individual rights and how the choices have impact and influence on each character's perceptions. The degrees of tolerance each person has towards their religion and life style and how that then determines what decisions they make and the impact this has on those around them.
Source: New Age
