Theatre buffs in Vijayawada are in for a treat thanks to the City Police Commissioner A.B. Venkateswara Rao who is a theatre aficionado. As part of the slew of measures that have been initiated to create a buzz befitting a capital city, the top cop has roped in a set of dedicated artists to host weekly cultural programme at Tummalapalli Kshetrayyavari Kalakshetram, under the banner of NTR Kala Vedika.
The Kala Vedika already organised eight events, including Alexander, a popular play by film actor Jayaprakash Reddy.
Besides policing, Rao has been promoting creative new concepts. Patrons, especially those with a penchant for folk and mythology, are going gaga over the new initiative. The best part is introduction of ticket system for these shows. “Earlier people used to buy tickets to watch plays and playlets. In foreign countries nothing is showcased for free in the fields of art. Our concept of ticket system has been received well by the audience,” says P.V.N. Krishna, secretary of NTR Kala Vedika. He says the ticket price may be reduced to encourage more number of people to visit the venue.
“Most people are hooked to television, watching meaningless soaps. We want to give them an alternative. This concept is a hit in many metros and cities. We also plan to add mimicry and magic shows in the days to come,” says Krishna.
Currently, the shows are being organised, including the administration part, by a group of artists who find little time to hone their skills and plan their next events. “Soon we will hand over the administration part to the administrators and focus on our performance,” says senior artist HVRS Prasad.
Last Sunday, theatre buffs witnessed a dance ballet Adi Sankaracharya staged by Sumadhura Kala Niketan, a well established cultural organisation. The musical dance drama was presented with 60 characters and 25 technicians. Artistes portrayed major incidents in the life of Adi Sankaracharya who travelled the length and breadth of India to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates.
The ballet narrated in brief his efforts to revive Advaita Vedanta and also about establishment of four peethams at Sringeri, Badarikedarnath, Dwaraka and Puri to promote and safeguard Advaita Vedanta. The dance drama comprised scenes from Sankara Parvathi Nrityam, a debate with Kumarula Bhattu and Sankara’s visit to places like Vijayawada, Tirumala and Kanchi.
It was truly a visual treat. The choreography was vibrant thanks to the aesthetic set designed by Surabhi Kishore and lighting by P. Bhaskara Sarma.
The director, however, should have exercised little care in stage craft as the make-up of some artistes was not in sync with the characters they portrayed. Some characters had beard but no moustache.
The musical score by C.V.P. Sastry and Ch. Sudha Srinivas gave the evening a divine touch and offering them the instrumental support was P. Nageswara Rao on violin, Satyam on mridangam and Ashok on keyboard.
