The much-awaited Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival will begin at Rangayana here on Saturday.
This year’s theatre festival includes multilingual theatre shows, symposium, film festival, painting exhibition, poster exhibition, poster exhibition, folk performance, Chitra Santhe, book festival, handicrafts festival, and a desi food festival.
Theatre personality Prasanna will inaugurate the seven-day extravaganza at Vanaranga at Rangayana, a premier theatre repertory, at 6 p.m. District in-charge Minister G.T. Deve Gowda will release a souvenir and Minister for Tourism and Sericulture S.R. Mahesh will inaugurate the desi food mela. R.G. Singh, honorary secretary, Ramsons Kala Prathistana, will inaugurate the books and handicrafts expo.
Rangayana has been organising the national theatre festival for the past 18 years. Plays from various States and countries have been staged over the years. Amateur theatre troupes have staged their plays since Bahuroopi is reckoned to be a prestigious platform for artistes.
This year, the festival will feature 25 plays, including 12 productions from various States and six Kannada plays. These will be staged at Bhoomigeetha (at 6.30 p.m.), Vanaranga (at 7 p.m.), Kiru Rangamandira (at 6 p.m.), and Kalamandira (8 p.m. onwards).
This year’s theme is ‘gender equality’. In this connection, a seminar has been organised on January 17 and 18. Writer Vaidehi will inaugurate it at Bhoomigeetha on January 17 at 10.30 a.m. Senior advocate and progressive thinker C.S. Dwarakanath will speak on ‘Gender Equality and the Constitution’ at the seminar. Writer and social activist A. Revathi will speak on ‘Gender (In) Equality: My Experiences’. Critic M.S. Asha Devi will speak on ‘Gender Politics’ and writer Rahamat Tarikeri will speak on ‘Gender Equality in Anubhaava Cults’.
On January 18, former Minister Umashree will speak on ‘Politics and Gender Equality’. This will be followed by sessions on Gender and Spirituality; Gender and New Media; The Idea of Gender in Kannada Poetry; Gender Equality in Ancient Kannada Literature and Gender and Theatre.
Among the plays that will be staged are ‘Sri Ramayana Darshanam’ , a production by Rangayana artistes that was staged last year, drawing appreciation from theatre enthusiasts. This play was also staged in Bengaluru and other places.
Folk and cultural programmes will start daily at 6 p.m. at the Kindarijogi statue. Films as part of the Bahuroopi Theatre Festival will be screened at Sriranga on January 13, 14 and 15.
