Sarod maestro Pt. Rajeev Taranath to inaugurate on Sept. 18

Mysore/Mysuru: Indian Institute of Educational Theatre has organised 6-day ‘National Children’s Theatre Festival’ in city from Sept. 19 to 24. Plays performed by adults for children, plays performed by children for children, book fair, educational theatre conference, exchange of ideas on children’s literature and mural exhibitions will be held as part of the Festival.

This Drama Festival will be held simultaneously in theatres of Kirurangamandira (Mini Theatre) in Kalamandira premises, Bhoomigeeta auditorium in Rangayana premises and at Natana premises in Ramakrishnanagar.

Theatre troupes, theatre experts and special representatives from different parts of the country have been invited to the festival. The aim of this movement is to protect the child’s sensitivity and joy of learning which is right now marred by the extreme book load, test load and over-intellectual pressure that have plagued the education sector.

Each day of this Festival will be held in the memory of someone who worked in children’s literature and theatre. Hence, the Festival will be dedicated to following personalities in this order from Sept. 18 to 24, respectively, G.P. Rajaratnam, C.G. Krishnaswamy, A.S. Murthy, Prabhushankar, Vaidehi, T.P. Kailasam and Srikantesh Gowda.

Veteran sarod player Pandit Rajeev Taranath will inaugurate the National Children’s Rangotsav on Sept. 18 at the premises of the Indian Institute of Educational Theatre in Hardwicke School premises.

On Sept. 19, at 11 am, in the gallery of Kirurangamandira theatre, renowned artist N.S. Harsha will inaugurate the art exhibition ‘Images of Imagination.’ Mohan Agashe, a veteran actor and academic theatre expert, will inaugurate the Drama Festival in the same theatre at 5 pm on that day.

From Sept. 19 to 24, plays for adults will be performed daily at 3.30 pm and 7 pm at Mini Theatre. Among others, the Hindi drama ‘Tothochan’ which focuses on children’s learning, ‘Hunkaro’  a Marwari language drama which has won the most awards in the Mahindra Excellence Award and Kannada  play ‘Kuppallipatta’ will be performed. In total, 21 plays will be performed for children.

Senior artiste Dwarkanath will be inaugurating an exhibition of the international drama posters at the Lankesh Gallery in Rangayana. Former Minister Rani Satheesh will inaugurate the drama festival                           of Bhoomigeeta.

In this venue, every day at 3 pm and 6.30 pm, dramas performed by children for children will be held, and the highlight of this will be Kannada play, “Neeli Kudure”, performed by the blind children. On the 24th, a children’s Yakshagana performance called ‘Veera Abhimanyu’ will entertain the audience. There will be performances from Sept. 22 to 24 at 3 pm and 6.30 pm at Natana in Ramakrishnanagar.

A ‘National Colloquium’ on Children’s Theatre will be held on the days, Sept. 20 and 21 at Dasaprakash Paradise Hotel. Swedish educational theatre experts Lena Fredel, Lise Helstrom Signingson, Zach Oyan will mainly participate in the programme. Renowned actors and teachers of the country will participate in this exchange of ideas as representatives.

On Sept. 23 at 10.30 am, a seminar on ‘Children’s Drama Literature in Kannada’ will be held, presided by K. Marulasiddappa and Rajendra Chenni will deliver the main address. Geetha Ramanujam will inaugurate the ‘Kathe Kelona Banni’ programme for children at 11 am at Sriranga auditorium in Rangayana, and will be presided over by Rameshwari Verma, which will continue till the evening of 24.

In the Heritage Building (Opposite Ramya Restaurant) there will be a mural exhibition and also ‘Katha Kelon Banni’ for children. Apart from this, a book fair, an art exhibition will be organised in the gallery of Kirurangamandira on Sept. 23 and 24.

Satellite Festival: As part of the National Children’s Theatre Festival, a Satellite Festival will also be held at Good Earth in Kengeri, Bengaluru and in Chamarajanagar in association with JSS                                                      Educational Institutions.

For details, contact Mob: 91088-00127 [www.Indiantheatrefoundation.org]