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Reviving old form of theatre

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Setting the Stage: Artists doing the rehearsal of the play ‘Mantri Asuchanti’ (The minister is coming), a production of Ganjam Kala Parishad, at Utkal Ashram in Berhampur on Tuesday. --

BERHAMPUR: The amateur theatre activists of the Ganjam Kala Parishad of the city are now busy experimenting with evolutionary forms of theatre to enact their annual play.

It is a tradition continuing since more than last four decades by this premier group of amateur theatre activists of the state.

Enactment of annual play is part of an annual theatre workshop that is held on the premises of the ‘Parishad’. The workshop is almost complete and the outcome of the workshop would be the play ‘Mantri Asuchhanti’, which is to be enacted on Kavisurya Rangamanch on October 31.

It may be noted that major experimentations in the history of the Oriya stage during past half century has been outcome of this annual workshop and play enactment by the organisation, said Raju Padhi a noted theatre activist of the State who also happens to be part of the organisation.

Noted playwright like Ramesh Panigrahi have preferred to get their landmark experimental plays like ‘Bindu Balaya’ get enacted on stage for the first time through the annual theatre workshop of Ganjam Kala Parishad.

Mr. Padhi hinted at the experimentations being made this year.

According to him this year’s play is a political satire based on real life incidents. There is extra emphasis on acting rather than props in this play. The writer Narendra Mishra and director N.N. Mohapatra have left ample scope for actors to improvise their acting in every enactment, said Mr. Padhi who is also acting in the play.

“We want to get closer to tradition theater, where acting was the basis rather than the props and lighting,” he said.

The group is trying to prove that the histrionics of the actors is the Unique selling Proposition (USP) of any play in modern times rather than the gimmicks of lighting and props.

There was a time when people used to throng to see plays on stage.

Due to advent of modern means of entertainment like TV and movies the attraction of the stage has diminished.

“The stage can never compete with movies and TV in the field of gimmicks and sets but stage builds up a direct contact between the audience and the acting talents of the actors, which we want to take benefit,” said Mr. Padhi.

They hope their experiment will draw establish amateur theatre in the State.

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