The monthly theatre affairs of Natyadhara are taking a shape of a 12- day theatre festival, starting from May 1 at the Bhanjakala Mandap here.
The inaugural play will be “Babaji”, said to be the first Odia play, by Satabdira Kalakar, a Bhubaneswar- based theatre institution. Recently the theatre troupe staged the play “Babaji” at the Bharat Ranga Mahotsav at New Delhi.
The other plays to be staged are “Mruganavi” by the Kalakar, Baleswar, “Pili Saja” by the Rangabhumi, Bhubaneswar, “Salam” by the Rangakarmee, Bhubaneswar, “Nacha, Manisha Pari Nacha” by the International Theatre, Bhubaneswar, “Barbara” by the Samrat Sei Kalara Pujari, Bhubaneswar, “Sua” by the Kala Parishad, Dhenkanal, “Thunta Gachha Ra Chhai” by the Manana, Bhubaneswar, “Ugrasena Ubacha” by the Srashta, Baleswar, “Adha Adha” by the Charlie Chaplin Cultural Club, Dhenkanal, “Bhuligale Bhala” by the Pranati Kalamandira, Puri and “Pratirupa” by the Ame Shrusti, Bhubaneswar.
It is worth mentioning that every month under Natya Dhara programme on first, second and third day, plays are staged at the Bhanjakala Mandap and on second Sunday one play staged at the Rabindra Mandap. But due to renovation work at the Bhanjakala Mandap, the scheduled plays of February, March and April couldn’t be staged there. As such, the pending plays are to be presented in a form of a festival.
In a Press meet, Odisha Natya Sangha president Manaj Pattanayak informed that this year for the first time Odisha Natya Sangha is going to confer Odisha Natya Sangha Samman on Sachhi Das, Ananta Mahapatra, Chandrasekhar Nanda, Dr Ramesh Panigrahi and Dr Bijaya Mishra.