| Makadchya Hati Champagne | |
| Kanase Kanasu | |
| Numbers in the Dark | |
| Bankubabur Bandhu & Samudrer Mouna | Jameela Bai Kalaali |
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Oct 8 Sun Director: Roysten Abel Cast: Rajit Kapur Synopsis Girish Karnad's new play is a dramatic monologue about a devoted and pious priest who violates both his ‘dharma’ and his ‘bhakti’ because of his love for a courtesan. Torn between his love for his god and his love for Chandravati, between his duty to the king and his duty to his wife, the priest tells the story of his life after matters have come to a head and all his loves and his duties collide on a single night. Once again, Karnad takes a folk tale about the human condition and refreshes it with a contemporary sensibility that embraces love, loyalty and honour. About Ranga Shankara Apart from being a performance space for theatre, Ranga Shankara is also a production house that has made a mark on the Indian theatre scene with Girish Karnad’s “Broken Images”. This play has the rare privilege of being made in three languages simultaneously – in Kannada, English and Hindi. Critically acclaimed, this play has performed to appreciative audiences in Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and New Delhi. Rage is one of India’s premier theatre companies. Founded in 1992 by Shernaz Patel, Rajit Kapur and Rahul da Cunha, the company’s most acclaimed plays include “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “I am not Baji Rao”, “Class of ‘84” and “Pune Highway”. Rage has performed in countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Dubai, Holland, Germany, and Belgium.
Oct 9 Mon Directors: Dr. Sayeed Alam and Niti Sayeed Synopsis The play relives the music and cinema of yesteryears and narrates the story of K L Saigal replete with events and anecdotes which revolve around legends like Ustad Faiyyaz Khan, D.V. Paluskar, Punkaj Mullick, R.C. Boral, K.C. Dey, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Naushad and many more. The play is dotted with live recitals of Saigal’s ghazals, dadras, thumris, and film songs which envelope and suffuse the listener. The play has powerful performances by Uday Chandra, an extraordinary actor-singer and Tom Alter. About Pierrot’s Troupe Delhi based Pierrot’s Troupe was formed in 1989 with an endeavour to explore through theatre various facets of everyday life. Named after the French pantomime character Pierrot, the group brings to the stage the palpable reality of life in all its nuances. Non-conformist yet rooted in the finest traditions of Indian theatre, Pierrot’s Troupe is reputed as the “purveyor of original plays in India”. Pierrot’s have over 1200 shows to their credit including critically acclaimed productions like “Ghalib in Delhi” and “Begum Akhtar” amongst others.
Oct 10 Tuesday Director: Sunil Shanbag Synopsis Cotton 56 Polyester 84 is a gritty, true to life saga centred on ‘Girangaon’, Mumbai’s historical textile mill district. The text has been arrived at after months of research, which involved meetings with innumerable mill workers, their families, and union leaders. The drama of ‘Girangaon’ is played out by Kaka and Bhausahab, two mill workers, who spend their days at a local newspaper stand, recording their past. As they speak, a fascinating stream of characters flows past, each character adding a fresh dimension to the story. The play reflects Girangaon’s rich cultural heritage through live music in the best folk traditions. The play is hard-hitting, funny, and poignant. It will change the way one sees Mumbai forever. About Arpana Arpana (Offering) was founded in 1985 by a group of theatre professionals committed to presenting contemporary theatre to discerning audiences. Over the last sixteen years, Arpana has staged eighteen productions, many of which have done more than fifty performances each in Mumbai and other parts of the country. Arpana has been a regular participant at the prestigious Prithvi International and National Festivals. For the past three years, Arpana has been one of the leading companies to locate and develop alternative performance spaces along with other like-minded theatre groups.
Oct 11 Wednesday Director: Koushik Sen BANKUBABUR BANDHU Synopsis Bankubabur Bandhu tells the tale of the timid, polite, non-interfering Bankubehari Dutta who befriends a creature from the planet Cranius, Mr.Ang. Dutta, a schoolteacher in a small suburban town is routinely ridiculed and made the butt of practical jokes by all his ‘friends’, actually toadies of Sripati-babu, an influential and rich man of the area. Banku-babu tolerates all this in the hope that one-day Sripati-babu’s recommendation to the authorities will confirm his position in school, and his post-retirement formalities will be regularized. In an inspirational speech, Ang asks Banku-babu not to tolerate ridicule, and gives him a gadget that empowers him to control the movements of others. Ang leaves for Cranius, and Banku-Babu is a changed man, confident, sure of himself. Where loneliness is the absence of the enemy. The human condition: a contradiction in terms.Story: Bishnu Dey (Adapted by Koushik Sen) Set Design: Sanchayan Ghosh Synopsis ‘Samudrer Mouna’ is based on a story by the celebrated French writer Vercor. Bengali poet Bishnu Dey has translated the English version of the story ‘The Silence of the Sea’ to ‘Samudrer Mouna’. About Swapnasandhani Swapnasandhani was founded in 1992 and has carved a niche for itself on the theatre scene in Kolkata for consistent high quality work.
Oct 12 Thursday Director: Girish Joshi Synopsis The play revolves around three roommates who address each other by names they have invented on the basis of their individual personalities. There is the uncouth and aggressive ‘Chaku’ (Knife), who believes he has found true love. He brings home the woman he would like to marry, to meet his friends ‘Pustak’ (Book) who like his name goes by the book and ‘Makad’ (Monkey), a television journalist who will move heaven and earth to find news. The lady herself is unabashed about changing her mind when it suits her. With no accountability to an erasable past she aptly renames herself ‘Pencil’. The narrative turns witty as ‘Pustak’ and ‘Chaku’ try to woo Pencil as ‘Makad’ eggs both on. Their duel goes on in parallel to the election news on TV. The two men vie for the lady’s favours just as the opposing candidates vie for public support. About Maharashtra Cultural Center Maharashtra Cultural Center, Pune, is a Public Charitable Trust established in 1965 devoted to the promotion of performing arts mainly drama, music and dance. The Centre has a 150-seat theatre in the heart of Pune specially built to promote amateur theatre. Presided over by Dr. Mohan Agashe, the Trust is engaged in multifarious cultural activities. The Maharashtra Cultural Center’s theatre productions include ‘Chotyashya Suttit’, ‘Final Draft’, and ‘Chaan Chote Waitta Mothe’ amongst others.
Oct 13 Friday Director: Mathias Lafolie Synopsis “Kanase Kanasu” is an adaptation of August Strindberg’s celebrated work “A Dream Play”. Dream is used metaphorically to explore the complex realms that a man’s psyche travels through even in a monotonous everyday situation. Strindberg also uses the celestial as a means of procuring entry into these realms. About Rangayana Rangayana is an autonomous cultural organisation started by the Government of Karnataka, in the year 1989. The organisation consists of a professional repertory company, a theatre-training institute and a documentation and research centre. Located at the historic city of Mysore, Rangayana is noted for its classic long running productions like Girish Karnad’s “Tughlaq”, Anton Chekov’s “Seagull” amongst others. Noted theatre personalities like B V Karanth, Basavalingaiah and Prasanna have been directors of Rangayana. Currently, A G Chidambara Rao Jambe heads the institution. Rangayana has an eminent faculty of trainers, designers and technicians.
Oct 14 Saturday Director: Atul Kumar Synopsis The veins of every nascent leaf are inescapably hewn from the most distant and far-reaching root of the tree, much like the burgeoning Indian adult. He is born with the collective history of both, his corner of the world and the human race at large. At the same time, he has his own unique journey and individual history. The fabric of his social and personal reality continually shapes his identity. Holding up a persistent and probing mirror to the youth, ‘Numbers in the Dark’ attempts to understand the liaison between the individual, his history, his memories and the socio-political structure of the world he inhabits. Pursuing the genre of Tragic-comedy and devised from improvisations, research and self analysis, seven young actors put together a montage of short stories and monologues through narration, enactment, gesture, dance and multi-media. About The Company Theatre ‘The Company Theatre’ was formed by Atul Kumar in 1994, with the idea of achieving excellence in the field of performing arts, with special emphasis on theatre. The group seeks to reveal the truth of human experiences by exploring art forms from all ages and nations, developing diverse artistes and audiences from communities all over the world. The Company Theatre is also creating an international centre for performing arts, called EVAM.
Oct 15 Sunday Director: K K Raina Synopsis
Surnai is a non-profit theatre group, which was founded in March 1982 with the objective of promoting folk arts of India and performing contemporary plays that are thought provoking and relevant to our society. The founder members include National School of Drama graduates KK Raina, Vijay Kashyap, Virendra Razdan, Ravi Hankal and Ila Arun. Surnai’s first venture “A Musical Sandstorm” with its authentic portrayal of Rajasthani folk music, dance and drama in the form of an ensemble took Mumbai by storm. |
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FlowersFor tickets:
Ranga Shankara, J P Nagar
Sankar's Old Madras Bank Road
Hutch Shop at Indiranagar, Seshadripuram and Koramangala
Venue:
Ranga Shankara
36/2, 8th cross,
(Next to J P Nagar Post Office)
2nd phase, J P Nagar
Bangalore 560078
Phone:26592777/26493982
Email: rsfest@rediffmail.com
www.rangashankara.org