Manipur Information Centre
New Delhi , November 16
The 11-day National Theatre Festival for Children Festival organized by the National School of Drama will kick off on November 18 at 6 pm at Abhimanch, here with the Bangla play- Dakghar directed by Susanta Mondal. Noted Hindi actor Mohan Agashe will inaugurate the festival.
Held every alternate year, this 11th edition of the Festival will have 17 plays- a mix of fantasies, history, comedy and social issues in nine different languages performed by children.
The festival will also have performances by special children. Three plays will be performed by them including Dakghar as the opening performance. The play is about a boy named Amal who desperately waits for a letter from the king knowing him to be the greatest authority of the land. He firmly believes that the king will write to him. The play’s dialogues are very much like the lines of a poem that goes on forming a story as it proceeds.
Hindi play- Dastaan-e-Dilli directed by Feisal Alkazi and Radhika Alkazi, again by special children, will mark the end of the festival on November 28. The play opens with a delightful re-telling of Krishna and his childhood exploits on the banks of the Yamuna off Kalindi Kunj and it will end with a vision of ‘Dilli’ in the future seen through the eyes of its special children.
There will be theatre groups from Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Sikkim, Delhi, Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu. Interactive sessions with play directors and artistes will take place daily during the festival. Free passes will be available at the reception of National School of Drama from Sunday. Entry on the day of the performance will be on first-come-first-serve.
The Delhites will witness four plays from the North Eastern states. Manipuri play-Meenam Charadi Laina Shao-e directed by Ningombam Jadumani of the Blooming Cultural Akademy of Huyen Lallong Manipur Thang-Ta Cultural Association, Irilbung, Manipur to be staged on November 24 at 5.30 pm at Sammukh is based on the popular Manipuri folk tale – Sanshelnaha Keina Chaba (The Cowherd Killed by a Tiger).
The 55- minute play tells the story of Manithoiba, the only son of his parents, who grows up to be a cheat and a liar. Though his friends keep telling him that god hates cheats, he does not heed their warnings. Parents also always defend their son in front of others and quarrel with those who come with complaints about him.
One day, Manithoiba comes across a tiger near a hill and tells everyone, but because of his reputation no one believes him.
On another day when Manithoiba and his friend, Tompak, are together, the tiger attacks and catches Manithoiba. Tompok cries for help, and it is only because everyone knows he always tells the truth, that people rush to the spot and drive away the tiger, thus saving Manithoiba.
Realising the importance of telling the truth, Manithoiba mends his ways and starts believing that God never helps those who lie.
Assamese play- Andharat Xihotor Mukhbur directed by Krishna Bhuyan of Padamjyoti Moina Parijat, Rajbari, Assam will be staged on November 19 at 5.30 pm at Shri Ram Centre.The 56-minute play focusses on the children living in slums. They are human beings but become the slaves of their surroundings. They can’t differentiate between right and wrong and are pawn in the hands of anti-socials.
Joy, Radha, Pintu and Raghu live in such a slum and survive by doing minor works. Chacha the policeman treats them like his own children. Pintu and Raghu adopt unfair and unlawful business to fulfill their high ambitions. They are in danger. With the help of “Chacha”, they are set free and return to the slum. In the meantime some children bring the good news that they will get a chance to be educated at night schools.
Another Assamese play- Budduram directed by Bhagirathi of Seagull Theatre & Shishu Sarothi, Assam, is the performance by the special children to be staged on November 20 at 6.30 pm at Abhimanch. The 80- minute play is about learning to laugh.
Today people have forgotten how to laugh, and how our ancestors laughed, so has disappeared the merry-making of adults and children. A shadow of fear seems to follow all. Every day we hear and see news of riots, abuse, explosions, etc., in the newspapers, radio, T.V., etc. even the T.V. serials depict the same picture. Seeing and hearing all these have resulted in the heaviness of heart and deterioration of mental growth.
Among all, the people and children of the Northeast are worst affected by the fear. Laughing, playing, beautiful dreams, creative thoughts – everything have disappeared.
The play is about to spread laughter for some time, forgetting all stress through “Buddhuram”, to enable everyone to forget all their tensions and sadness for some time, watching the production full of laughter and happiness. The play director believes that if laughter ends, the whole human race will come to an end.
Nepali Play-Shahi Fitta Lal Directed by Manish Saini of The Sikkim Theatre Training Centre, Gangtok, Sikkim will be staged on November22 at 5.30 pm at Shri Ram Centre.
The 60 -minute play is the presentation inspired by some stories of Mulla Nasiruddin. The trampy, turmoil, chaos and corruption are on its peak. People are remembering Mulla who uses to challenge the authority and help the people. But he has been in exile eight years back. He returns to his country in disguise. With his cleverness and wisdom, he succeeds in convicting to stop the corrupt practice and helps the poor people.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/festival-for-children-to-kick-off-on-nov-18-meenam-charadi-to-be-staged-on-24/
