VISAKHAPATNAM: After the successful performance of `Sri Krishna Leelalu' on the first six days, the second drama `Mayabazar' will be staged from Wednesday to November 13 as part of the Surabhi Drama Festival - 2006 being held at the Turner's Choultry.

Announcing this at a media conference here on Tuesday, founder of the Cultural Foundation, `Badamgir Sai' (AVVS Murthy) who is organising the show, said that this was the first time in history of the State that a private cultural organisation was conducting the Surabhi drama festival on its own over a 22-day long period, staging as many as five plays. "Surabhi means big budget, for, as many as 80 to 90 persons involved in organising the show.

But we are happy to conduct it, thanks to the support of Lebenshilfe founder T. Saraswathi Devi and the Wellfare Group. Everyday about 100 to 150 watched the Sri Krishna Leelalu drama but with the more famous Mayabazar, with all special effects ready for staging, we are hopeful of drawing bigger crowds, particularly children, for the rest of the festival," he said.

Good response

He said that lot of educational institutions like MLBT School, School of Wonder Kids, Gowri Degree College-Kancharapalem, and Lebenshilfe for mentally-challenged children had come forward to book tickets in adbulk to enable their children watch the mythological drama during the next few days. Similar patronage was expected from the others and the general public, he said.

Mr. Sai said that Sri Venkateswara Natyamandali (Surabhi) that was staging the dramas as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, would be going to Bhubaneswar after November 22 to perform over there. It was likely to return and stage Mayabazar for three more days from November 28 to 30, depending on public response, he announced.

Government help

Surabhi Babjee of the drama troupe said till the 1990s the Surabhi dramas were confined to villages and rural areas but thanks to the Department of Cultural Affairs of the State Government, it was possible to extend the shows to towns and cities.

Schoolchildren

"We have been enacting Surabhi dramas for the last 20 months at Public Gardens in Hyderabad and lot of schoolchildren witnessed our shows, specially organised for them for about one-and-a-half hours from 10.30 a.m. on a regular basis," he said.

Mayabazar was always a big draw and if about 250 to 300 shows were staged in a year by the Surabhi troupes, 200 were Mayabazar shows, he stated.Lebenshilfe founder T. Saraswathi Devi said that Surabhi's was a great tradition and provided inspiration to the people through its mythological plays.

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