A bonanza for theatre lovers in the region starts today (Tuesday) with the Chandigarh leg of the 8th edition of the world’s largest theatre festival, International Theatre Olympics, being hosted by India. The global event kicked off from New Delhi on February 17, and in its entirely is covering 17 cities with over 25,000 artists performing 450 shows, giving 600 ambience performances and conducting 250 youth shows. Chandigarh will have the privilege of hosting 15 performances as part of the Olympics at the Tagore Theatre from March 20 to April 3. Haryana Governor Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki will be the chief guest at the opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Marathi/Hindi play Mahna Batav directed by Navid lnamdar will be staged on the opening day. Among others resent will be Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture, and Ratan Thiyam, Artistic Director, 8th International Theatre Olympics. Entry is free.
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Among the other plays being staged in Chandigarh are Ratan Thiyam’s ‘Macbeth’, Pranjal Saikia’s ‘Indipity’, and Saurabh Anant’s ‘Hasyachuramari’, Littette Dubey’s ‘Kanyadaan’, Feisal Alkazi’s ‘Kartik ?!3’, S.M. Azahar Alam’s ‘Lohar’, Sonal Mansingh’s ‘Pancha-Kanyaa’ and Atul Kumar’s ‘Khawab Sa’.
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Photos By Life In Chandigarh
Apart from the plays in the evenings, there will be allied activities in the mornings like Master Class, Living Legend, Conversation, Interface and a couple of seminars. Sculpture workshops will also be organised.
A Master Class is slated on March 22 with C.S. Krishna Shetty, Living Legend on March 22 with Dr. Attamjit Singh and Conversation with Dr. Satish. On March 24, there will be a Living Legend with Mohan Maharishi and Conversation with Shantanu Bose. Another Master Class has been slotted for March 26 with Nalini Kamalini. An Interface with Dr Varinder Mehandiratta and a Conversation with Vijay Kapoor will take place on March 31. Seminars will be held April 1 and 2.
The Chandigarh leg of International Theatre Olympics 2018 is being organised by the National School of Drama (NSD) under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, in collaboration with Department of Cultural Affair, UT Chandigarh /Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Academy.
About Theatre Olympics
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The Theatre Olympics was established at Delphi, Greece in 1993. The Theatre Olympics presents some of the greatest theatre practitioners from around the world. It is a platform for theatrical exchange for students and masters, where a dialogue despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged. Apart from Delphi, the Theatre Olympics has been held in the following countries: Japan (1999), Russia (2001), Turkey (2006), South Korea (2010), China (2014), Poland (2016).
Details of some of the plays
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Director: Purva Naresh
Group: Aarambh Mumbai Productions LLP, Mumbai
Playwright: Purva Naresh
Duration Of The Play: 2 hrs 15 mins
Language: Hindi,
The Play
In a green room four artists come face to face with each other. Two are yester-years’ divas and the other two are young heart-throbs of the nation. They are all set to participate in an event celebrating 70 years of Independence in a small town of India. Soon crisis begins to emerge. The male heart throb of the nation is banned… There is a power failure… Beni Bai refuses to sing. As the event team tries to cope with these issues, we get a glimpse into the history of bans on artists and their artistic journeys. In the end the artists leave the green room. Will they still be worthy of the stage?
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Director: Piotr Tomaszuk
Group: Teatr Wierszalin, Poland
Playwright: Piotr Tomaszuk
Duration Of The Play: 2hrs
Language: Polish
The Play
1820’s – Poland and Lithuania are under Russian occupation. Poles and Lithuanians are deprived of civil rights. They are oppressed, imprisoned or sentenced to forced labour deep into Russia and Siberia. GuÅ›larz begins the ‘Dziady’ feast under the sacred tree. Ghosts conjured up by GuÅ›larz appear for the feast. Ghosts gather in the cosmos. A young man’s ghost seems to be stuck between the sky and the earth. It is the ghost of a poet. The other ghosts reveal their divine plan to him. The young man’s ghost writes an inscription: ‘Gustaw Died, Konrad was Born’. Then he falls to the floor, fainting. The ghost wakes up. He recognizes the cell of a tsarist prison in Vilnius. He starts writing a poem about his imprisonment, inventing his fellow prisoners who are played by other ghosts.
The prisoners of Vilnius tsarist prison tell their stories. Konrad himself fights with God. Evil spirits appear in the cell. They flee as a priest comes after being called by the nearby monastery. Konrad has a vision of future events. Konrad receives the gift of prophecy. The prophecy foretells the triumph of the oppressed and the failure of the tyrants. Under the sacred tree the ritual comes to an end.
GuÅ›larz walks away along with his ‘Dziady’ ritual.
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Director:Atul Kumar
Group: The Company Theatre, Mumbai
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Duration Of The Play: 2 hr 30 mins
Language: Hindi
The Play
We cannot know whose dream this is……….Perhaps Quince dreamt of Titania and
Titania imagined lovers while lovers dreamt of Puck and Puck conjured up a donkey.
In dreams there are no anchors; images and sounds waft in and out of the mind. Often becoming so real, so under the skin that a dreamer could fall or fly or even remain suspended mid-air, all the while cocooned in a the warmth of a blanket.
Inspired by the bizarre and extraordinary quality of a human dream, The Company Theatre presents an ensemble of 16 dancers, actors, singers and musicians, all weaving together a landscape of Shakespeare’s fantastical vision, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Bodies and voices drift from real to unreal, moving like a daze or even a possession might move. Sometimes slowly and sometimes suddenly, the performers create and attempt to transport the audience into other realms of experience, led by song, words, music and dance
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Director: Ratan Thiyam
Group: Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Duration Of The Play: 1 hr 40 min
Language: Manipuri,
The Play
Scene One: While returning after victory Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches on their way back. Witches prophesy Macbeth’s becoming the next King.
Scene Two: Captain bringing the news of victory to King Duncan. Duncan declares Macbeth as the Chief of Cawdor.
Scene Three: Letter from Macbeth delivered to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth returns home and informs Duncan’s arrival. Lady Macbeth takes the decision of killing Duncan.
Scene Four: Arrival of Duncan and welcome gesture of
