Get ready for winter theatre fest
It is showtime at Rangayana. The annual winter theatre festival is back at theatre repertory, which will present 24 plays. The eight-day fest will showcase 16 works of Jnanpith awardees, the Nobel for literature in India. The 10th edition of the annual fest will showcase a wide variety of works by tall figures in Indian literature in nine different languages, displaying the richness of India.
The veritable spread will have film shows, folk mela and an exhibition. Ahead of the fest, India's only state-sponsored repertory is abuzz with activities. The works of eight writers who have got Jnanpith for Kannada will be presented at the mela of theatre starting January 14. In all, 24 troupes will participate in the festival. Language form the basis of literature and Bahuroopi-2012 is the celebration of the richness of Indian languages, said Rangayana director B V Rajaram on Monday.
Started in 1989 on January 14, Rangayana began its journey of reviving theatre movement in Karnataka by hosting the annual theatre festival. The event is packaged as a complete family entertainer, Rajaram said. Apart from Kannada, works of celebrated writers in Hindi, Assamese, Odiya and Gujrati, who have won the coveted prize, will be presented. There will be two plays for children and two plays based on folk culture and a puppet show. The film festival will also celebrate the life and works of the Kannada Jnanpith awardees.
The specialty of the event is that some of the best works by Kannada writers are coming to Karnataka for the first time, Rajaram stated. During the mela, writer Chandrashekar Kambara, who got Kannada its eighth Jnanpith award, will be felicitated.
Rangayana is taking works of each Kannada Jnanpith awardees to the student community hosting seminars on each writer's works at eight colleges starting January 15. Kambara's works will be discussed at Vijaya Vitthala PU College, Girish Karnada's at JSS College for Women, U R Ananthamurthy's at Sharada Vilas College, V K Gokak's at SDM Women's college, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar's at Maharaja's College, K Shivaram Karanth's at Vidyavardhaka College, Da Ra Bendre's at St Philomena's College and Kuvempu's at Mahajana's College.
Unlike earlier when theatre personalities inaugurated the festival, this time Kannada and culture minister Govind Karjol will do the honours. The shows will be presented at Kalamandir at 6pm and Bhoomigeetha (6.30pm) and Vanaranga (7pm). The festival will be inaugurated showcasing Kambara's work-Shikara Surya.
Ahead of the evening shows, street-plays and folk performances will be organized at Kalamandir complex. The street-plays will be taken to 50 places in Mysore and its surrounding starting Friday.