Over 30 chosen inmates from Mysuru, Bengaluru and Dharwad prisons, who participated in the integrated cultural workshop conducted by the Mysuru-based cultural organisation Sankalpa, are ready to entertain theatre lovers.
The inmates are staging two popular plays — ‘Maaranayaka’, based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Jayanth Kaikini’s play ‘Jategiruvanu Chandira’ — at Ranga Shankara here on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Founder of Sankalpa, Hulugappa Kattimani, who directed these plays, said through the workshops, the organisation hoped to identify and encourage the latent talent among inmates. He said that 30 inmates were trained during the 45-day workshop around six months ago.
Over the past two months, the inmates have performed at four-day camps in Mysuru, Dharwad and Udupi. The women in the plays are theatre artistes, he said.
Kamal Pant, Additional Director-General of Police and Inspector-General of Prisons, said the Department of Prisons, in an effort to reform jail inmates, has been supporting the cultural troupes to train and transform them. Under the programme ‘Jailininda Jailige Rangayatre’ (theatre tour from jail to jail), Sankalpa has trained several prisoners and given them an opportunity to present their talent before the audience.
Retired IGP Gopal B. Hosur said the experiment to reform prisoners through cultural activities has seen positive results. “Shakespeare’s dramas staged by the jail inmates has even drawn the attention of BBC, who featured the programme in their documentary on Shakespeare’s plays that are being staged by various theatre troupes across the globe,” he said.
Theatre activist Srinivas G. Kappanna said conducting the cultural workshop for jail inmates is first of its kind. “We are arranging shows by these troupes at Mumbai in May. Apart from these two plays, K.V. Subbanna’s ‘Soole Sanyasi’ will also be staged in Mumbai,” he said.
Tickets are available at Ranga Shankara.
Over 30 prisoners to stage two popular plays
at the Ranga Shankara
