Mysore/Mysuru: The four-day Mysuru Science Theatre Festival-2023 organised by Parivartana Ranga Samaja, Kalasuruchi, Arivu Educational and Cultural Trust, Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA) and Kutuhali, Mysuru, began at Kiru Rangamandira in the premises of Kalamandira in city yesterday.

The theatre festival is organised to inculcate knowledge through science among students and throw light on the achievements of scientists.

After the inauguration of the festival, Shashidhar Dongre of Kalasuruchi said that “Earlier, the programme was organised in association with several organisations. Now, the Association is strong and our intention is to deliver meaningful programmes to the students. Except for Malco Theatre in USA from 2005 to 2017, there are no examples of Science Theatre Festival in any other parts of the world.  The Science Theatre Festival is constantly being organised in Mysuru that is in its sixth edition now and the credit goes to the audience.”

Kutuhali, a Central Government programme provides opportunity to plan Science related programmes. There were several discussions to use theatre as a medium to spread the importance of Science. During the beginning in 2018, we were staging translated plays more. Now, of the total four plays, three are our own that proves our originality. If we want to know about contents of Science in the play, they are conceptualised based on the scientists and their ideologies, said Shashidhar Dongre.

Nine plays are based on the persons and their ideologies. While those on a person revolves around their childhood, plight, education and achievement, those based on ideology forms their ideological roots and scientific thinkings, said Shashidhar Dongre.

The inauguration of theatre festival was followed by the staging of the play ‘Prabhasa’ based on Nobel Prize winner Madam Marie Curie’s story and directed by Salian Umesh Narayan.

Several plays will be staged at Kiru Rangamandira today, tomorrow (July 8) and day after (July 9) for the benefit of students.

Managing Trustee of Arivu Dr. M.C. Manohar, Kutuhali’s Kollegala Sharma and Parivarthana Ranga Samaja’s Madhav Khare were present.