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Classical drama fete from tomorrow

BHUBANESWAR: The stage is set for the five-day classical drama festival being mounted at the Rabindra Mandap in the City commencing on July 6. The event, the first of its kind for the State, is being hosted by the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi (OSNA), State’s apex body for performing arts.

OSNA secretary Manmath Kumar Satapathy, a dramatist himself, told The Hindu that the festival will kick off with Jayadev staged by the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Orissa’s premiere college of performing arts in the Capital followed by Atibadi Jagannath Das on Tuesday by Swara theatre group of the western Orissa town of Sambalpur. Wednesday will witness Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja by Sampark theatre group of Rourkela while Ganjam Kala Parishad of Berhampur will present Bhaktakabi Gopalkrushna on Thursday.

The well-known Annapurna Theatre A-Group of Puri will stage its play Kabisurya Baladeb Rath on the concluding evening on Friday, the secretary elaborated.

The festival aims at highlighting the literature, culture and heritage of the State through these plays that depict the life and times of five legendary poets of the State, Mr. Satapathy explained.

These prominent poets have shaped the psyche of the Oriyas and their sense of nationalism through their pioneering works, he felt and added that it was also relevant to remind the new generation about the contribution of the legends towards Oriya race and society.

The plays were scripted by prominent dramatists decades ago and enjoyed a mass appeal during those days, the secretary pointed out. Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik, the doyen of the State’s performing arts scene of the 20th century, had scripted Jayadev, based on the life of the 12th century saint-poet who penned the immortal Geet Govind, he said citing an example.

Five prominent theatre organisations of the State with a proven track record have been assigned to stage the plays and the event has generated considerable excitement among the theatre community and connoisseurs, the secretary claimed.

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