They come from various parts of Kerala and call it their ‘annual Kumbh Mela’. For the theatre artistes in Kerala, the State School Arts Festival is an event they cannot afford to miss, something they have been religiously attending for years.
Professional artistes from far-flung places forming the audience may be a rarity at other events, but not drama competition.
Majority of the audience who thronged MIHS, Poonkavu, on Friday were from the theatre field and apart from a handful of trainers, all others were there just to watch the art form.
Latest trends
Ravi Thykkad, a playwright from Palakkad, says he has not missed a single festival in the past 16 years.
“This is where we first see the latest trends in theatre or get a chance to evaluate the idiom of contemporary theatre. All the plays that reach the State festival are directed by professionals and each production takes nearly six months of hard work and rehearsals. Art, costume, script, dialogues — we observe all these elements closely,” he adds.
Amal Raj, an actor from Thiruvananthapuram, considers the festival a platform for updation.
“For a regular theatre artiste each festival is a learning experience. You get to see the best quality productions and very often it is an event that showcases exceptional performances and pertinent themes. Each time you go back happy and recharged,” he says.
NATAK help desk
This time, the theatre workers have gone an extra mile with the NATAK (Network of Artistic Theatre Activists Kerala) help desk providing all kinds of assistance to competing teams.
“We, in association with the organisers, check the stage and other technical aspects. If some schools don’t have curtains or props, we provide them that. It’s the first time that a theatre organisation has offered its support to the participants and opened a help desk,” says Praveen Raj Kilimanoor, district secretary of NATAK.
