Natya Dhara 2021, set to roll on 12th March

Theatre is considered to be a minority art but it plays a major role in developing an individual and the society without any doubt. Because of this lockdown and social distancing, students are getting used to all the modern learning platforms or mediums, but sill they are filling a void of the classrooms and traditional learning processes. Bengal Repertory never wanted to bound their theatre practice only in the proscenium space but are connecting to the most possible rural area in search of new audience. Rik Amrit, who is the artistic director of the group, has already dedicated his first published play 'Ashwatthama: the war machine' to those audience in future, and in search of those audiences, they are travelling to the various places of West Bengal for the last three seasons to manifest their path breaking idea of Destination Theatre. Now they are ready with 'Natya Dhara 2021, the 4th National Destination Theatre Festival, with six major theatrical and dance performances. The details of the productions are as follows-follows- List of the performances Shivoham Choreographed by @ritusrichaudhuri Group: Nrityakshar Foundation 12/03/2021 6PM onwards Daakghar Directed by Partha Gupta Group: Birbhum Blossom Theatre 12/03/2021 6:30PM onwards Samvatsar Katha Directed by Piyal Bhattacharya Group: Chidakash Kalalay 12/03/2021 8PM onwards Rasakali Directed by Ujjal Mukhopadhyay Group: Birbhum Sanskriti Bahini 13/03/2021 6:30PM onwards Karwa Sach Directed by Dayal Krishna Nath Group: Abhinav Theatre 13/03/2021 7:30PM onwards Vanu Sundarir Pala Directed by Sayik Siddiqe from Bangladesh Group: Chakdaha Natyajan 13/03/2021 8:15PM onwards Raavana in Ten Minds Choreographed by Harshal Vyas Group: Samanvay Dance Company 14/03/2021 6:30PM onwards Nakshi Kanthar Math Directed by Rajib Bardhan Group: Jadavpur Manthan 14/03/2021 7:30PM onwards Rik Amrit has specifically mentioned, "the practice of theatre in West Bengal has always been divided into too major streams as per their origin, one is Theatre in Kolkata and the other is Theatre in rest of the Bengal. Somehow the theatre practices in Kolkata almost fall in same genre, but for rest of the Bengal was never same. Bengal is very much reach and diversified with its own Indigenous culture. So being a theatre group of the city, we always intended to cultivate the roots to enrich ourselves as artists. They have a lot to give, and we want to nurture ourselves in their laps. We are not against the Kolkata Theatre Culture but we believe that the pseudo discrimination of elitism between these two streams of theatre practices should be wiped off. We are blessed with the financial support by MoC, GoI; so there will be no ticketing system. But we are very strict to maintain the covid guidelines published by the Ministry of Health." Natya Dhara is a theatre festival showcasing Young Directors’ drama productions based on Indian as well as world classics. The event will be held in an interesting venue of Bengal. The said venue is a art campus inside a village area of Daranda, Birbhum district. It will be a 3-days event with the aforesaid experimental outdoor performances from 12th to 14th March 2021. There will be allied academic and entertainment events like seminar, folk dance & music as well. Mr. Ratan Thiyam, the legendary theatre practitioner will be inaugurating the festival this year.

10 reasons to date a Theatre Artist

They feel everything more passionately

Theatre artists, whether they are on-stage or off-stage, have a tendency to experience emotions more deeply and passionately. Theatre artists are more in touch with their emotional sides than normal people so, you can be rest assured that they will make you feel loved like never before.

They give you the opportunity to get in touch with your emotions

While dating a Theatre artist, you are bound to experience feelings and emotions within you which you never knew existed. Being skilled performers, sharing their own feelings and bringing them out in you is something they are experienced in.

They are spontaneous in their decisions

Theatre artists are habituated to making quick decisions whenever they are on-stage. Their habit of improvisation reflects in their personal life off-stage as well. They will always keep the romance alive through their effortless spontaneity by surprising you at the most unexpected of times.

They can charm anyone with their flamboyant personas

Theatre artists have flamboyant and charming personas, and they have the capability to impress virtually anyone. They have a keen understanding of their audience and can mold themselves into any form of character depending on the situation. This is a true boon if you are thinking of taking one to visit your parents!

They look and clean up after themselves

Theatre artists are in the habit of traveling for their shows because of which they are also habituated to look and clean up after themselves. This habit also translates into their personal lives, and when living with a theatre artist, you will never find yourself cleaning after them.

They are great story-tellers

Theatre artists, be it script-writers or actors, are great at the art of story-telling. This attribute also translates into their private lives, and you will never find yourself bored when in their company. They have a way with their words and ideas and can paint the most vivid pictures for you.

They have the most creative ideas

The creativity which they display on-stage often also transpires into their everyday lives. So, whatever be the occasion, you can be rest assured that they will never cease to amaze you with their gifts.

You get to meet new people now and then

Theatre artists are constantly meeting and working with different people on different projects. If you are dating a theatre artist, then even you have the opportunity to meet new people and to the understand the industry from a deeper level.

You have an opportunity to travel with them

Theatre artists often have to perform in shows across the country or even the world. If you are dating a theatre artist, even you have an opportunity to satisfy your wanderlust and travel with them.

You get invited to a lot of Theatre events

When you are dating a theatre artist, you are bound to get invited to a lot of theatre events, be it the staging of a play or an award ceremony. You have the opportunity to see all the brilliant, new plays that are being performed, while also understand the core intricacies of this wonderful art form.

International Theatre Festival of Kerala 20-28 February Thrissur, Kerala

General

With a focus on street performance, this year’s festival stretches the stage beyond the proscenium. Multiple venues spring up in unlikely places, ranging from town hall to swimming pool, to host spectacles from around the world.

Audiences can choose from shows by 16 international theatre companies and 8 Indian ones besides 7 in Malayalam.

Concept

The curators of this year’s edition have chosen works that expand the reach of the performances as well as reimagine public spaces, stimulating a reassessment of our quotidian perception of city and society.

They will inspire you, as curator Anuradha Kapoor says, to “reimagine the street; cars, buses squares, crossroads ... all thrown up in the air and recombined as theatre objects, scenery, reality...” inviting you to “plunge into the real word as it enters fiction, or as fiction enters the real world”

By bringing performance out into the open, the artist initiates a dialogue that is more direct, less cocooned and situated in relatable, everyday surroundings.

Auxiliary events

Three day Theatre Colloquium with panels on:

Street Theatre and Performance

Art making in times of extreme cultural and economic nationalism

Digital interfaces in today’s theater

Speakers include Aubrey Mellor, Anuradha kapur, TT Sreekumar, Erin Mee, Dr CS Venkiteswaran

Dramaturgy and Writing Conclave

Acclaimed writers and researchers come together at the Sahiyta Akademi to debate and discuss the nature and role of the dramaturgical process today

Session on Writing about the Arts

Practising art journalists get together to present their thoughts and confront the challenges facing art writing.

Talks at School of Drama

On 4 consecutive days renowned theatre makers will give talks to audiences at the School of Drama on subjects such as Scenography and Theatre Pedagogy.

Collaborative Projects

The Strings Theatre Company

is an artists’ collective from Germany, Finland and France that is famous for their onsite creation of performance in residency. Collaborating with three Indian artists – actor, singer and acrobat – for ten days, they will present a non verbal outdoor piece during the festival.

Art Junction Poland and Theatreconnekt Thrissur

come together to create ‘Not our Business’, an intercultural street theatre project commissioned and coproduced by the International Theatre Festival of Kerala. Drawing from the writings of social scientists, agro-ecologists and investigative journalists such as Martin Caparros , Andrew Mwenda , Amartya Sen, Palagummi Sainath and Yogendra Yadav, a small group of actors and activists is making their own physical and cognitive explorations into questions of social and human conditions.

They will apply the improvisational and devising skills employed during their residency, journeying from idea to discussion, improvisation to narrative and then to performance.

Kamchatka,

a cutting edge outdoor theatre company from Spain, walks into a street with their suitcases and encounters it and the world it is in. Their performances are those of rediscovery – of a street, a city, a country. This time, they will train 30 Indian workshop participants to join them in their workshop process of devising and then to perform the resulting work on the streets of Thrissur town.

La Patriotrioco from Chile will be in Thrissur to create work that is part spectacle, part political statement and reflects the nature of the politically charged environs in which we live. They too will be recruiting from among applicants from the general public to spend time with in a workshop process which will lead to the creation of the final performance piece in the style of flamboyant spectacle.

Some of the Venues

The Regional Theatre, KSNA

Bharat Murali Theatre, KSNA

Black box, KSNA

KSNA courtyard

Ramanilayam Campus

Palace Grounds

Swimming Pool

Thekkinkadu – the Round

Town Hall

Kerala Sahitya Akademi

Nehru Children’s Park

North Bus stand Road

Some of the Theatre Companies

Om Puri’s Contribution to Theatre

For his contributions to Indian cinema and theatre, Om Puri was conferred the 4th highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, which was presented by the Indian Government in 1990. Furthermore, for his services to the British Film Industry through art films and crossover films, he was conferred the title of Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

For his contributions to Indian cinema and theatre, Om Puri was conferred the 4th highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, which was presented by the Indian Government in 1990. Furthermore, for his services to the British Film Industry through art films and crossover films, he was conferred the title of Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Invaluable contribution to theatre

Om Puri has always been associated with theatre. He started performing as early as 1966, when he was 16 years old and was part of a theatre group called Punjab Kala Manch. He began acting in the theatre group under the tutelage of Harpal Tiwana, who was a graduate from the National School of Drama. Before joining the NSD in 1970, Om Puri was a part of many plays with Harpal Tiwana, like The Father, Oedipus Rex, The Misunderstanding, and many other Punjabi plays. In the later part of his life, after he gained stardom, Om Puri, along with Gurdas Mann proposed to the then Chief Minister of Punjab to build a theatre in honour of his teacher. A year hence, the Harpal Tiwana Centre for Performing Arts was established and is today, one of the best theatres in Punjab.

After he graduated from the NSD, Om Puri formed the theatre group, Najma. From the late 1970 to the late 1980, Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah, together as a part of Najma, staged many plays. Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah were seen together in plays like Zoo Story and Waiting For Godot. Najma also staged a play (Govind Deshpande’s Udhvastha Dharamshala) in Prithvi Theatre on the evening that it was inaugurated. Om Puri also acted in the Marathi play Ghashiram Kotwal, which was later made into a movie. The movie was also marked in history as the first film in which Om Puri acted. According to Om Puri, some of the best plays in which he has acted are Anton Chekov’s Three Sisters, a Hindi adoption of a Kabuki play called Ibaraki, and one of his most famous and successful plays till date, Bichhoo.

Om Puri was a pioneering theatre artist who opened the doors of mainstream cinema to many talented artistes who followed in his footsteps. Satish Kaushik, who has known Om Puri for more than four decades, says that if it wasn’t for Om Puri, theatre actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Divya Dutta would never have had the chance of making it big in mainstream cinema. Om Puri paved the bridge that exists between the mainstream cinema and theatre today. It is because of his contribution and the contribution of select other celebrated artists that the theatre industry thrives the way it does.

As a part of his immense contribution to the theatre, from time to time, he holds workshops in various drama schools. He interacts with young and aspiring theatre artists, and gives them valuable insight through experience. Very recently, he was at the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama (MPSD) where he conducted a workshop for aspiring artists. Being the realist that he is, he even went on to advise the aspiring artists that they should not pursue theatre as their full-time jobs because it can prove to be financially challenging. Om Puri was quoted saying, “as Sanskrit is the mother of all languages, theatre is the mother of all art forms”. He furthered his belief in the theatrical arts saying, “Theatre is the mother of all art forms and language has nothing to do with good performance”. He proved his point by doing a play in Punjabi, Teri Amrita, which starred Divya Dutta as well.