Block your dates, theatre lovers. This weekend, performing artistes in the country will celebrate Veenapani Chawla, founder of Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research near Auroville, Puducherry, through a theatre, dance, music and visual arts festival at the institute. ‘Remembering Veenapani 2017’ features 13 shows from around the world, on all weekends in February.
The third edition of the festival will see an interesting blend of traditional and modern theatre, just as its founder envisaged. Akshayambara , by Bengaluru-based theatre company Dramanon, is an acclaimed play funded by the Indian Foundation for the Arts (IFA).
“People in the theatre circuits have appreciated this play because it combines traditional theatre form Yakshagana with contemporary style,” says Ashiqa Salvan, a resident artiste in Adishakti.
The opening show is by Prodigal Theatre from the U.K., for which the performers have collaborated with local children. Jujubee , a vibrant and relevant puppet play about an evil king who is always on the lookout for new ways to oppress his subjects, by Chennai-based Perch, is sure to entertain the audience and make them ponder.
Besides theatre, there is also music and dance. Anita Ratnam will perform ‘A Million Sitas’, a re-interpretation of the Ramayana , where the dancer explores how Sita connected with four other characters in the epic.
Bangladesh bands Sage For The Ages and Kaartikz Ensemble will enthral the audience with a heady combination of Bengali music and contemporary musical arrangements. Also part of the festival is C Sharp C Blunt , a play, directed by Sophia Stepf, a German theatre professional, popular for its feminist leanings. This will be performed by singer M.D. Pallavi, who plays a smartphone app called Shilpa.
The idea is to keep the festival as open as they can, says Salvan. “That’s why we do not stick to a theme, because it might restrict many wonderful productions from taking part. We have tried to make it as inclusive as we can.”
Chawla passed away in 2014. She chartered the direction for Adishakti in 1981, to shape it into a dynamic and vibrant cultural centre. She wanted it to be a hybrid space that did not take up any stance, says Vinay Kumar, the Artistic Director and Managing Trustee of Adishakti. “We believe all arts are interconnected. For us, these are not separate.”
With her contemporary and experimental approach to theatre, she engaged in research towards creating a performance methodology based on old knowledge. “When we held the first edition of the Veenapani festival, we met with a few financial hurdles. However, her work is so seminal that most of the groups agreed to perform for free. The shows are never ticketed, and are open for all. That’s the only way we can allow all kinds of participants to come for the festival.”
The festival is on from February 3 to 26. For details, visit adishaktitheatrearts.com.
