Curtains for the third edition of the annual C.G.K. Rashtriya Rangotsava will go up on Friday, the day of Ugadi festival. The focus of the festival this year is “intolerance.”
Ranga Nirantara, the theatre troupe founded by C.G. Krishnaswamy, a big name in Kannada theatre, is organising this festival from the past two years. The theatre festival organised in his memory has gained reputation in the cultural spectrum of the country.
The festival will begin with the rendition of Kannada theatre songs by noted theatre personality Subhadramma Mansoor on Friday. Noted cine and theatre personality M.S. Sathyu and Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree will be present on the occasion. The Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree will preside over.
“In this third edition, various dimensions of tolerance are explored through seven street plays, rendering of poetry by women poets and memories of Kannada theatre movements presented in the visual form,” said writer K.Y. Narayaswamy, festival director.
A seminar has been organised on reinterpreting and understanding works of renowned scholar M.M. Kalburgi, who was gunned down last August. Eminent thinkers including K.V. Narayan and Basavaraj Kalgudi will discuss various issues pertaining to intolerance.
Some of the foremost national theatre troupes from Rajasthan, Assam, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka are staging their plays in this festival. Ranga Nirantara will showcase its ambitious play Sahadeva during the festival. “Before commencement of the shows, eminent scholars, thinkers and intellectuals will speak about tolerance for over 15 minutes,” said Mr. Narayanaswamy.
Plays to be staged:
* Matti (Malayalam)
* Gandhi Ne Kaha Tha (Hindi)
* Sahadeva (Kannada)
* Ravanaleela (Hindi)
* Santhimmi Love Purana (Kannada)
* Mukam Dehru Jila Naagore (Rajasthani)
