Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010350550200.htm

New Delhi

Stage set for young dramatists

Staff Reporter

High Drama: ‘1857: Ek Safarnama’, a play set in the backdrop of the First War of Independence, to be staged during the festival.

NEW DELHI: To nurture talent and encourage upcoming theatre directors, the National School of Drama is hosting the 11th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav in the Capital beginning January 7.

Ten young directors have been chosen by NSD this year for their intellectually stimulating works.

The festival will feature 63 productions, 51 of them from India and 12 from international productions, over a span of 12 days.

While the terror-stricken times in which we live are refracted through the prism of our national history in passionate productions like “1857: Ek Safarnama”, “Aurangzeb” and “Traitors”, “Jinnay Lahore Nahin Vekhya” from Pakistan provides another perspective to the experiences of Partition.

The 9/11 trauma is distilled through artistic expression in “Waterlilies”, while the stark tragedy of loss in war is recorded in “Letter of Suffering” from Afghanistan and “Mayadevi Ke Sapne” from Nepal.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, NSD Chairperson Amal Allana said the younger generation of theatre practitioners were being encouraged and they would be portraying loneliness and alienation of living in big cosmopolitan cities.

“One of the main areas of focus is the works of young directors. These directors are in search of generating a meaningful dialogue and engagement with audiences through newer means of performance. Other outstanding productions reflect an originality and independence of vision and have been culled from over 400 proposals received from both across the country and overseas,” she said.

Stating that the Mahotsav would show the artistic calibre of both urbanities and those from smaller cities and towns, Ms. Allana said: “We want to showcase the state of affairs of theatre. We don’t want to glamorise theatre but show its holistic and realistic perspective. While there will be political works by young directors, the ten senior directors will highlight continuity in the Indian theatre movement. But theatre is facing a lot of challenge as there is dearth of playwrights and actors are supporting themselves through other jobs. Not enough money is being ploughed into theatre. We at NSD are re-thinking and re-envisaging the role of theatre.”