A weeklong national level theatre festival and 12th State- level drama festival will be held here from January 12 to 17.
The Odisha Natak Samaraho Samiti will organise the fest for the first time with the active cooperation of Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Department of Culture, Government of Odisha, said its general secretary Dr Mihir Kumar Tripathy.
Artists of four neighbouring States, namely, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will present their performance. On January 12 evening Natak “Neesabda Ghungur” written by Natyakar Panchanan Das and directed by Satyabrat Das will be staged. On January 13 evening, natak “Paying Guest” directed by Dr Pradeep Bhoumik and Sarat Dash will be staged on behalf of “Pratidhwanee,” a lead cultural organisation of Rourkella.
Similarly, “Buro Salee Ki Not Out” written and directed by Debasish Dutta will be staged by Calcutta-Dum Dum based cultural institution “Ifta”, while on January 15, the artists of Bhubaneswar-based “Pancha Dhwanee Natya Parishad” will stage nataka “ Nua Deeganta” written by Panchanan Das and to be directed by Prakash Maharana. Hindi Natak “Eka Ajabani” written and directed by S Chattopadhya will be screened by the artists of “Masoom Art Group” Jharkhand State on January 16 while the artists of “GK Kala Creation” of Rajam Andhra Pradesh will stage Telugu natak “Purnya Phalam” written by A Shiva Narayana and to be directed by G Krishna Murty on January 17.
This event will be inaugurated by State Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro while Minister of Culture Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi will remain present.