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The big show of the small stage begins

Mandira Nayar

NEW DELHI: It was the beginning of a two-week-long "live" journey into the contemporary world of culture with the oldest way of telling a story: theatre. An evening to celebrate the small stage that is usual overshadowed by glitzier electronic mediums, the inauguration of the National School of Drama's eighth Bharat Rang Mahotsav here in the Capital on Monday brought alive the art of acting in its purest form.

The festival that took off with "Peking Opera" -- a visual extravaganza from China -- brings together plays from different countries and languages.

"Theatre is among the arts that give meaning to our lives. It is a fact that theatre is a barometer of the thoughts and concern of our times. Those in charge of selecting the plays for the festival were amazed at the diversity of the voices in theatre. From revisiting the classics to reinterpreting contemporary myths to reflect present concerns, the festival showcases theatre of today," said NSD chairperson Amal Allana.

The festival, which is aimed at giving audiences a little taste of the best theatre across India, also has a foreign component. This year it will feature more than 60 plays of which about a quarter are from abroad. With a window on Asia as well as the Arab world, there are plays from China, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Lebanon as well as Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

While the theatre movement is still vibrant in India, it still needs to be supported from different patrons. "The Government has taken an initiative to train theatre personalities, but theatre now deserves to be supported in a sustained manner. There is an immense reservoir of talent in the country and the private sector has to start promoting culture. In an age of globalisation our corporate sector should not lag behind," said Ms. Allana.

Judging by the sale of tickets, the festival is a hit even before the staging of the first play. With the tickets all sold out, there seems to be enough of an audience to watch theatre.

"Drama is a reflection of our society. The festival brings to audiences plays that talk about the politics of gender, insecurity and violence. The plays also reflect the diversity of India and its plural heritage that we must preserve," said Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Neena Ranjan.

The evening also saw two eminent theatre personalities and NSD alumni being awarded for their outstanding contribution to the field. V. Ramamurthy was conferred the B.V Karanth Smriti Puraskar-2006 for his multifaceted contribution to the art of theatre and Satyabrata Rout was presented the Manohar Singh Smriti Puraskar-2006.

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