A year-long bonanza awaits lovers of art and culture when the Ravindra Bharathi National Theatre turns 50 on May 11.
The foundation stone for the theatre was laid by the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh Bezawada Gopal Reddy on March 23, 1960 and was inaugurated by former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on May 11, 1961. It was built during the birth centenary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore.
At a press conference here on Friday, Chairman, AP State Cultural Council R.V. Ramanamurthy said the celebrations would be launched by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Minister for Culture J. Geeta Reddy on May 11. It would be followed by a performance by vocalist Kavita Subramaniam and violinist L. Subramaniam and a dance recital by eminent danseuse Shobha Naidu.
He said that starting from May 11 the culture of one State would be showcased. Among plans under consideration during the Golden Jubilee year were the construction of a 300-seat mini auditorium for which the Chief Minister had given the preliminary nod, he added.
Director of Culture, M. Kantha Rao said the rentals for the main auditorium, the meeting hall and the mini-theatre of Ravindra Bharathi were being rationalised. It was also decided to liberalise the hiring of the halls for non-commercial functions like book releases and those that promoted national integration. It was also decided not to give out the main auditorium for school functions in the evening.
