ENHANCE YOUR SKILL
Prachyanat School of Acting and Design offers a six-month course twice a year (January-June and July-December) for those who are eager to learn the basics of acting and design and want to engage themselves in the realm of theater and/or media acting.
Prachyanat School of Acting and Design started its journey on 8 June, 2001. Its inception was inspired by a special concept that derived from the common thought of some of the young members of Prachyanat – the theater group which just began their journey in 1997. After crossing a certain miles, theater practice in Bangladesh has now come to a point where it stands face to face to the BOOM of the Multi-dimensional Culture and the Electronic Media. Still at such point of time, theater stands out as a complete media.
It is a successful teamwork that can carry the joyful march of theater practice forward. Members of newly founded Prachyanat felt that despite having an enthusiast team, the biggest constraint for the team to move forward would be the lack of proper knowledge and practice of its members in this field. Nowadays there are scopes to learn Dramatics academically but not everyone can avail them; even if they have vigorous eagerness to work in theater or any other medium of acting. From that thought, the young theater enthusiasts of the infant Prachyanat decided to begin the journey with Prachyanat School of Acting and Design – a platform that would provide a person with the basic one needs to know to engulf himself into the realm of acting or design, or even to have an improved life.
Director (Academics)
Director (Acting)
Director (Design)
~ Acting ~
~ Design ~
The course curriculum has two parts – acting and design. In the ‘Acting’ part, the curriculum includes classes on Basic Theories of Drama and Dramatics as well as theoretical and practical classes on different Acting Methods. In the ‘Design’ part, the syllabus includes theoretical and practical classes on ‘how to design’ set, light, music, costume, props, publication etc for a theatrical play. Moreover, the course attendees participate in a street play and a full-fledged stage play as a part of their practical curriculum during the course.
The classes are usually held on every Friday and Saturday, 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm Bangladesh Time. There is a day-long class (10.00 am to 5.00 am) once a month on any of the Fridays.
A person interested to enroll to the course needs to submit the admission form (200 BDT), appear for an interview on a given date and if selected then pay the course enrollment fee (3500 BDT) and become a course candidate.
The admission fee/ course enrollment fee is 3500 BDT
No. To become a member of Prachyanat a person has to apply separately and appear for a selection interview after the course is complete.
This is a six-months long course. There are two sessions of the course in a year – ‘January to June’ and ‘July to December’.
Any person who has completed his/her Higher Secondary Certificate Exam can enroll for the course.
A person interested in enrolling in the course needs to submit –
The monthly fee for the course is 1500 BDT. The candidate can pay the total of (1500×6) 9,000 BDT at the beginning of the course or can pay in a monthly installment.
No. Prachyanat School of Acting and Design does not take part in any such task as a middleman or an agency for the candidates interested in television/film media acting.
The Proposal
Play : Anton Chekhov
Bangla Translation : Kabir Choudhury
Direction : Md. Shakhawat Hossain Rezvi
The Rhinoceros
Play: Eugene Ionesco
Bangla translation: Jahurul Haq
Direction: Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon
Performance
13 July, 2002, Saturday
Synopsis
In a small European town the dwellers discover one day that rhinoceros with one or two horns are roaming around on the main roads. Primarily this incident brings amusement to them but eventually it raises a big question – Will everyone turn into rhinoceros gradually?
French-Romanian dramatist Eugene Ionesco(1912-1993), in his absurd play ‘The Rhinoceros’, written in 1959, wanted to de-mask the ‘Totalitarian’ social system in France held by Germany during the second world war. Ionesco himself has declared this play as an anti-Nazi play. The central character of the play, Berenger, is a wishful, drunk and tardy person. Jean, another major character of the play, is just the opposite – formal, rational, confident, socially successful. When everyone is joining the Rhinoceros queue, we see how Berenger stands alone against the metamorphosis. Daisy, who Berenger loved, finally joins the Rhinoceros and Berenger asks himself agonizingly, whether he should remain human or join the league. A human Berenger becomes a monstrous existence among the league of Rhinoceros around. ‘The Rhinoceros’ has used all well known methods of absurd drama in this play- description of scattered and strange events, nonsense conversations and recognizable characters. Sometimes the story flow seems surrealistic and sometimes without rationality. But, at the end, the most rational persons happen to become rhinoceros! Berenger doesn’t surrender, because he is not conventionally rational. Berenger is the alienated one in the society who keeps struggling for his survival despite all challenges nature throws upon him.
Fuente Ovejuna
Play : Lope de Vega
Translation : Shantanu Kaisar
Direction : Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon
Performance
31 January, 2003 , Friday.
Liberation War Museum (Old) , 5 Segunbagicha, Dhaka – 1000
Synopsis
Lope de Vega (1562 – 1835), the playwright of ‘Fuente Ovejuna’, belongs to the sixteenth and seventeenth century, which is the golden era of Spanish Literature. In Bangladesh, Lope de Vega is not as renowned as other contemporary Spanish writer, Cervantes. But at home and in Europe, Lope de Vega is the soul of Spanish drama and is sometimes even compared to his other English contemporary, Shakespeare.
Lope de Vega can be termed as a prolific playwright even by modern standards. He wrote two thousand (or twenty thousand in other study) or a few more plays; though, we got only 400 plays, most of which are one-act plays. Among these plays there were ‘ El Mejor Alcalde ‘ and ‘Fuente Ovejuna‘, which Soviet critics named as the ‘first proletarian play’ in the world.
The play ‘Fuente Ovejuna’ is a story of the struggle of afflicted farmers in a certain region of Spain during the initial period of imperialist Spain. The play is also significant from the point of view of modern history as the military chief was slayed by the protesting and violent farmers.
The flow of events in ‘Fuente Ovejuna’ is quite linear. The story began in 1476, during the reign of King Ferdinand and Isabella. There was a province in Spain named Ciudad Real and the fictional city of ‘Fuente Ovejuna’ was situated there. The ordinary life of the inhabitants was interrupted when the military commander Fernan Gomez established military authority in that particular region. But when this military authority expanded to the young women of the small town, the townspeople became agitated. Fernan Gomez tried to provoke the military and religious chief of Calatrava, Téllez Girón and at the same time, incited him to revolt against King Ferdinand of Spain. But when the military arrangements of Téllez Girón against the king failed, then along with this, the people of Fuente Ovejuna were preparing to resist their ill-behaved commander. The rebellion of the townspeople was inspired by a young woman named Laurencia, who was tortured by the commander; whose words encouraged the inhabitants of the town of Fuente Ovejuna.
At the end of this play we see that the organized townspeople, the majority of whom are farmers, slayed the brutal tyrant Fernan Gomez. But Fernan Gomez was sent by King Ferdinand – so the king had to arrange a trial. At that trial, when it was asked who was the killer of Fernan Gomez, the whole town answered with an unison ‘Fuente Ovejuna lo hizo’ that means, ‘Fuente Ovejuna killed him’. Fuente Ovejuna turned into a timeless group of agitated, militant, protesting and revolutionary people.
Another parallel story also exists in this play, which revolves around the everyday love of the individuals and its consequences. This parallel story illuminated the aspect of the struggling and protesting cognition in a humane light. In this play; there is no individual hero, rather the main hero is the unity of common people.
Shajahan
Play : Dwijendralal Roy
Direction : Sakhawat Hossain Rezvi
Performance
11 July, 2003, Friday,
Nat Mandal, University of Dhaka
Synopsis
The play ‘Shajahan’ was written in the early 20th century. The playwright of this play Dwijendralal Ray (1863-1913) was a poet, lyricist, publisher and playwright but his poetic fame has become memorable in humorous ballads and historical plays.
In The play ‘Shajahan’, the story of the decline of the mighty Mughal Empire was stated. Among the mass people, the presence of the Mughal emperor Shajahan is as the creator of the glorious Taj Mahal. But the playwright of this play has described the tragedy of an emperor who lost his glory and power.
The reign of Shajahan, which was said to be the golden age of Mughal dynasty in abundance, was losing one by one to his sons Dara, Shuja, Murad and even Aurangzeb – who became unfamiliar to his father by the deception and ruthlessness.
Although after finishing the bloody fraternal war, the conqueror Aurangzeb ascended the throne, it was clear in his lifetime that the conclusion of Mughal sovereignty was approaching. Dwijendralal Roy wrote ‘Shajahan’ about the transitional period of the Mughal Empire in the mid-sixteenth century, at the beginning of the twentieth century. This play by Dwijendralal Roy is the reflection of unprecedented awakening of the mind in the Swadeshi movement.
But this play has been praised by literary critics even today not only for its historical basis but also ‘Shajahan’ is an illustrious classic in Bengali literature for its poetic quality, refinement of language and skill in portraying characters.
As a post-graduate in English literature, the influence of Shakespeare is noticeable in this play by Dwijendralal Roy. Shajahan’s self-realization is comparable to King Lear’s self-discovery. The director of ‘Shajahan’ has tried to present a modern version. But, it has been done keeping the original structure of ‘Shajahan’ unharmed.
Romeo Juliet - Selected Scenes
Play : William Shakespeare
Direction : Sahana Rahman Sumi
Performance
18 January, 2004, Sunday
Nat Mandal, University of Dhaka
Synopsis
Practicing Shakespeare is no longer considered as a by-product of colonial culture. Beyond the compulsory Shakespeare at undergraduate or postgraduate level in English literature of higher educational institutions, the presence of another Shakespeare is also gradually extending. This is indicated by the recent significant productions of several plays by this playwright and several publications on the history of Shakespeare’s practice in Bangladesh.
We also think that there is no pride in re-introduction of the socio-cultural atmosphere in which Bengali’s Shakespearean companionship began. But we believe that the amount of profits will be higher in the re-discovery of that companionship. The ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Hara Chandra Ghosh wanted to reach in his translation of ‘Charumukh Chittahara’; much of it was to familiarize the unacquainted. The purpose of “Romeo-Juliet: Selected Scenes” is quite opposite.
Among all the plays by Shakespeare, perhaps “The Romeo-Juliet” is the most popular. Over time, this popularity has blended with natural scenarios. Today’s production is a modern presentation of those familiar scenarios.
Although this presentation has the allegiance of its origin, it is supplemented by the modern context of drama. The production will only be successful if this effort is considered as small but motivating in the history of Shakespeare’s practice of Bengali.
Galpo Hekim Saheb
Play : Manoj Mitra
Direction : Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon and Sakhawat Hossain Rezvi
Performance
3 July, 2004, Saturday.
Russian Cultural Centre, Dhanmandi 7, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Manoj Mitra is an illustrious playwright of contemporary times. His eyes are always on finding new subjects and his mind is full of rage. That is why the same story is not repeated in his plays and is not surrounded by any limited theoretical boundaries. Sometimes he seems a little gloomy or angry. But at other times his view spreads its wings like a butterfly and flies in search of humorous subjects. Sometimes his angry mood turns into mordant between revenge and the horror of reality. But it seems like his temporary self-oblivion. His natural mood is revealed in the recognition of a pleased life and in the sense of pleasant humor.
It shows the history of the world that those who love people usually get abandoned by people. They are lonely forever. We can see this fact in the play ‘Golpo Hekim Saheb’. The irrepressible passion and strong enthusiasm of his professional life ended in a tragic failure.
The story of this play is 150 years old. At that time, ‘Hekimi’ (Muslim method of medication) medicine was very popular in rural areas of Bengal. Villages were also the factory of diseases – malaria, typhoid, asthma, tuberculosis etc. Nobody paid attention there. British, The king of the land along with all the followers of British like, landlords, talukdars, tahsildars and the various middlemen of ‘the permanent settlement’ only understood taxes. During that tough period, ‘Hekim’, the rural doctor used to roam around from one locality to another in Dariaganj by riding on his lame donkey. At present time, we understand that the patients would find the doctor, but in this play the doctor used to find the patients. He used to patrol all day long from door to door of the households. The person who takes care of the people without complying with the rain, storm, mud, jungle or whatever the weather is, obviously will grab the attention of the Talukdar of the neighboring taluk, Pashupati Poddar. The success of tax collection depends on the well-being of the tenants; otherwise hundreds died in simple diarrhea, whereas in Dariaganj, it is not even ten in total. There is a fear of being ‘blacklisted’ from the landlord. So to reduce the gap between ten and one hundred, dirty politics occurred involving the doctor. The doctor stepped into the trap without understanding it. Then whatever happened was inevitable, the doctor forgot his own invention by falling into the trap of politics. Was everything about the doctor who was wounded by the cruelty of humans in vain….? Gangamoni and Sayem stood beside him. They made him dream about the moonlight, fresh breeze, fragrance of flowers, dawn…musk… sparks of lightning … but by this time…..
In this play it can be found how skilled Manoj Mitra is in writing comedy. Humor was not created here by fussing. There are not only sparkling lights but also a shadow of grief in the humor of this play.
Hekims’ helpless solitude makes the audience gloomy.
Sinduk
Play : Shishir Kumar Das
Direction : Rahul Ananda
Performance
15 January, 2005
Liberation War Museum, Old building, 5 Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Synopsis
Brajasingha, from a remote village, is a thief by profession. At midnight, Brajasinghas’ wife Subhadra waits for her husband to return with rice and pulses. Brajasingha returns with a chest along with rice and pulses. When Braja and Subhadra open the chest with lots of effort, they get frustrated because the chest is empty. There is nothing inside. At this time, an amazing occurrence happened. If anything is placed in the chest, it comes out in two. Like, from one pot to two pots, from one lemon to two lemons. An evil idea flickered in Brajasinghas’ head. Braja dropped money in the chest and it doubled in a moment. Poor Brajasingha became rich in the favor of the wonderful chest. Problem strikes when the chest begins to produce from one human being to another and the people who were born in the chest, wanted to know their identity. Thus, sometimes the poverty of Brajasingha, sometimes the magic of the wonder chest, again sometimes the claim to know the identity of the people born in the chest became the main theme of this play.
The Queen and the Rebels
Play : Ugo Betti
Bangla Translation : Nurul Islam Khan
Direction : Sakhawat Hossain Rezvi
Performance
12 July, 2005, Tuesday,
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samity, Natak Sarani, Bailey Road, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Although Ugo Betti is not very familiar in our theater, we are very interested in this modern Italian playwright. Ugo Betti, one among many playwrights of the modern Italian drama in the post-World War II era, did not write about any specific time, space, or characters. Ugo Betti himself tried to add a new dimension to his play with the long-term experience he gathered in practice of justice, law and court – in this case he is impeccable. His plays are the plays of our contemporary time.
This play is about a group of escaping passengers who were stuck in the turmoil of war. The group was detained under the suspicion of the existence of an informant among the passengers in the train. The search continues for arresting a rebel leader. That leader is a woman and is known as ‘Queen’ among her followers and enemies. The Queen’s office has been destroyed in the war and the Queen is escaping the country in disguise. The journey of this play began in such a situation.
After a while, it became clear to us that the theme of the play was the identity and revelation of identity. There were two women in the passenger group. One was a peasant woman; the other was an aristocratic courtesan, named Argia. Although, suspicion sprouted that – Argia is the real ‘queen’. Argia herself considered the farmer woman as the ‘queen’. The farmer woman handed over all the materials of her identity to the courtesan fearing the government and the hooligans and requested her to save her life. Argia admits herself as the ‘Queen’. Although the farmer woman committed suicide after getting caught, the courtesan Argia was judged as the ‘queen’. Argia can no longer go back to her former identity at any proven logic.
Which identity of Argia is true? Who is the real ‘queen’? – These questions become inevitable.
The Story of Vasco
Play : Georges Schehade
Bangla Translation: Hasan Azizul Haq
Direction : Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon
Performance
7 January, 2006, Saturday,
Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
The play ‘Chandar Kothay’ can be called both a translation and an adaptation of Georges Schedades’ play ‘The story of Vasco’, by Hasan Azizul Huq. ‘The story of Vasco’ was created in the ambience of a half-fairy tale, written with a fusion of nearly daydreams. Georges Schedade is a Lebanese poet and playwright. He was born in Alexandria in 1910, wrote in French. ‘The story of Vasco’ was first staged in 1956. The play was enthusiastically accepted by the audience. After one year, it was staged in Paris. ‘The story of Vasco’ has gradually risen above the criticisms and praises. In Bangladesh, ‘The story of Vasco’ was first staged at Rajshahi University. Todays’ staging of Prachyanat School cannot be called the complete ‘The story of Vasco’. But efforts have been done to keep the original essence intact.
At this time, when the uproar of war is surrounding us, it seems that ‘ The story of Vasco’ is much more relevant. War all around – Afghanistan, Iraq…
The upsurge of militancy in our country, the cold war all over the world – in the midst of it all, we, Chandar, Dundupati, Mayabi, Rondal, Dhudhusha ……are helpless. We don’t know how we are getting tangled up unknowingly. I also want to know- ‘Why is the color of war always red?’ Can’t it change color sometimes? Green or blue … just like spring.
Isn’t Mayabis’ dream the dream of all of us? – The dream of staying alive, the hope of living in peace. But standing in the land of the dead, we have to hear most of the time the bragging of the warlords – we have ‘won’.
We have nothing but that dream, they demolish that too. We scream – victory! What will the land of the dead do with your ‘victory’? When there will be no food in the stomach- Will you remember the victory?
‘The story of Vasco’ is a protest against the war, a play to contempt the warlords. Will anybody listen to me? Will anybody understand me? ….
Kinu Kahar er Thetar
Play : Manoj Mitra
Direction : Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon
Performance
6 July, 2006, Thursday,
Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
It begins like this…
The State Minister of the fictional Putna Kingdom has abused a woman. The governor general says, “If it is not settled by law, the throne will be seized”. The King falls into a dilemma! The State Minister is his best friend! How can he compel his friend to have 14 slams of whip? On the other hand, the British Governor General has threatened him that He advises the minister to find someone who will come to the court and admit himself as the culprit. Only this way the minister can be saved from the punishment.Jagadamba hands her foolish husband Ghantakarna to the minister for this job, in exchange for four bags of money. Since then, all thieves, robbers, marked criminals gather in line at Ghantakarna’s yard, offering him large sums of money; they do the evil, and the punishment is served to the ‘punishment receiving officer’ Ghantakarna. Jagadamba is happy that her seemingly worthless husband has learnt to earn money…The King is happy for his throne is saved….The State Minister is happy, because there is no prevailing problem of law and order…Peace is everywhere…..But, it doesn’t continue as easily….The king suddenly gets accused of murder of a goat. The intelligent Governor General subjects him to be hanged. The king says, “What to worry? I had been paying Ghantakarna regularly cause I knew such a day would come! – Go, Ghontakarna, stand up on the dice and get the punishment for me!”…….And the story takes yet another turn!
Kansat…Shonir Akhra…..and lives of thousands of people…
‘Kinu Kahar er Thetar’ is a vastly discussed play by Manoj Mitra. Many groups in Bangladesh have staged the play before, and audiences also have taken it with pleasure. Manoj Mitra’s plays are always unique for his story and dialogue manners. He brings us forth to the hardcore truth through humor. The Putna kingdom in this play depicts contemporary Bangladesh. The king, the Governor General, the State Minister, Ghantakarna – all of them remind us of our government, opposition, judiciary systems and the common people. Will we have any escapeway from this labyrinth ever?
Iblish
Play : Mamunur Rashid
Direction : Sakhawat Hossain Rezvi
Performance
29 January, 2007, Monday
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Words of the Director
Iblish and our journey…
A changed society, unchanging politics, unstable country, confused people…
At such a time, we embark on our journey with ‘Iblish’ with some actors and actresses who have just begun. The variety of their experiences, their isolated emotions – remind us of our surroundings which have adapted to the times. ‘Iblish’, which was written in the 80s, has been showcased in a different context to the reality of 2007 by the 11th batch of the ‘Prachyanat School of Acting and Design’. I have just given them some context. Our main goal was simply to portray the characters and I believe through a modern acting style we have been able to easily draw some scenarios in the production of ‘Iblish’.
‘Iblish’ is about the people who speak the opposite way, go the other way; it is about greed, injustice, iniquity, rampant corruption, misinterpretation of religion, degrading women, ignorance, illiteracy, deprivation of rights, leadership strategies deviant of principles, honest progressive minorities. As it is around us…
Today’s time may not be permanent. And so we want to dream about change. We want to stand in the line with those honest progressive minority people.
Shakhawat Hossain Rezvi
29.01.2007
Muntasir
Play : Selim Al Deen
Direction : Heera Chowdhury
Performance
9 July, 2007
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium,Bangladesh Mahila Samiti,Natak Sarani,Bailey Road, Dhaka
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Play : Bertolt Brecht
Bangla Translation : Rudra Prashad Sen Gupta
Direction : Heera Chowdhury
Performance
17 January, 2008, Thursday.
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Words of the director
Bertolt Brecht is a popular name in the history of theatre around the world. He is mostly famous for his ‘Epic Theater’ and the theory of Alienation.
In Epic Theater the audience do not get involved in the play but see it from the opposite aspect, from a distance, he thinks with logic and makes up a solution for the existing problem.
‘Let the stickfighters of the Mahajan come and chase us
we will collect our crop this time …
… Let’s sing this song to celebrate the new harvest… “
Every farmer may think like this, but the reality seems different. We seldom hear the harsh voice saying, ” Huh! from when you call this your land?”
No matter how many times the farmers take over the crop fields and harvest in it, is it ever theirs? …
The beneficiaries make certain laws according to their own benefit. Those laws become the weapon of exploitation for some others. When will a law come that speaks for the mass people? To protest the worldwide fights for right and for the insult of the human soul that takes place at our land everyday?
‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ is a protest against the social lawlessness and discrimination. In the name of religion, race and caste the retrograding Feudal lords still torture on us because it is very easy for them to strangle us.
Because we don’t know the strategies to stop them.
Let the mass people arise.
Let the law of people emerge.
Narak Guljar
Play : Manoj Mitra
Direction : Jahangir Alam
Performance
10 July, 2008.
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samity, Natak Sarani, Bailey Road, Dhaka.
Words of the Director
The responsibility of directing “Narak Guljar” ultimately fell on me, putting an end to all the speculations. Since Pavel Bhai told me to do it, tension grasped me- which play should I choose, of which playwright – and I finally sought to resort to the proverbial man in Bengali drama and a famous actor of the subcontinent, Manoj Mitra. Then, the journey began. Sometimes alone or sometimes with the help of my fellow group mates, I tried to understand the characters in earth, heaven, hell from afar. I tried to join their joys and sorrows. I tried to look through every nook and cranny. And those who accompanied me in this journey, their introduction to theatre hasn’t been for long. There is a joy in working with newcomers but it is also daunting. Due to lack of time, we had to make some changes to the original storyline and wrap up the journey in a hurry.
“Narak Guljar” is a farce. The period of its composition is about 30 years from today. But the course of events in the play is very much in line with our present times – indifference of the ruling class, might being the right custom, lifelong oppression of a class of people, and in the end, the triumph of good and decadence of the wicked. Manoj Mitra has portrayed the real face of our society with his kid-gloved fist. How it went – revered audience – you will determine. And what will happen will be told by the mortals, those in heaven, hell, gods and demons. The failure is on me. But if you like it, then this small effort of ours will be successful.
Let the theatre win.
Let the chained people be free.
Jahangir Alam
June 26, 2008
Lal Salu
Story : Syed Waliullah
Dramatization : Shishir Datta and Munir Helal
Direction : Monirul Islam Rubel
Performance
14 January, 2009, Wednesday
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samiti, Natak Sarani, Bailey Road, Dhaka
Words of the Director
Among the timeless creations of Bengali literature, Syed Waliullah’s ‘Lal Salu’ is still relevant in this society at this time, no doubt. The ‘Majid’s with the evil power of ‘Lal Salu’ are still present among us today. Perhaps it is us, who unknowingly hold and nurture the power of ‘Majid’ in our collective and individual thinking and at heart. So why ‘Lal Salu’ at this moment? I feel that there is no need for a very detailed explanation while we are witnessing and hearing about the evil attempt to remove ‘The Baul Sculpture’ and ‘The Balaka’ and the threat of ‘destroying all the idols in the city’. The force of the evil power of Majid’s ‘Lal Salu’ is now over our heads like a sword. The language of our protest against the sword of the evil forces that opposes art will become somewhat eloquent in your hearts, this is what we expect.
These aspirants are all newcomers to the theatre. Your blessings will lift our expectations and convictions even higher. As a director, working with newcomers is always a challenge. And when the director himself is a newcomer! His responsibility is easy to understand, yet strength… yet dreamfulness…
One day this awful time will be over – this power to dream will surely win. Let the religion of ‘humanity’ be introduced in the hearts of the ‘Majid’s in place of the evil shield of the Lal Salu – Let them sing in harmony,
“Devoting humanity will make you a better human,
Without it, you will lose your roots … ”
Monirul Islam Rubel
13.01.2009
Inherit the Wind
Play : Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Bangla Translation : Abdar Rashid
Direction : Saiful Islam Jarnal
Performance
12 July, 2009, Sunday.
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samiti, Natak Sarani, Bailey Road, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Did God create the earth with his own hands? Did God create the first man in a lonely moment on the seventh day of creation, or did through evolution an ape gradually evolve into today’s Homo sapiens? Is the Book of Genesis the answer to all these questions, or is the correct answer to be found in Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’?
The story revolves around the backdrop of the traditional conflict between science and religion over creation and human origin. When school teacher Bartram Kates went on to teach Charles Darwin’s theory in his class, he faced the charge of the State’s Theocratic Administration. A lawsuit was filed against him, and Henry Drummond, a well-known Baltimore lawyer, defended Kates. At odds with his argument in court was Matthew Harrison Brady, a fanatic and blind follower of the Bible. The plaintiff wins the case constitutionally, but in the real sense, the winner is the logic and intelligence of the defendant. This humiliating victory ultimately makes even an orthodox person like Brady understand that ‘the power to think’ is a basic human right and victory always belongs to logical argument. Even the people are in favour of strong reasoning, be it religion or science.
Krishnakanter Will
Novel : Bangkimchandra Chattopadhyay
Dramatization : Abdullah-Al Mamun
Direction : Heera Chowdhury
Performance
13 January, 2010, Wednesday.
Studio Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Krishna Kanta Roy was the Landlord of Haridragram. He made a will according to which half of his property would be inherited by his nephew Gobinda Lal. The other half of the property would be distributed between his two sons, his wife and daughter. But Hara Lal Roy, the eldest son, did not accept the idea of Gobinda Lal getting half the property. But it was not easy to change Krishna Kanta’s mind. On the other hand, Rohini, a widow, fell in love with Gobinda Lal. Gobinda Lal tried to resist at first but then he submitted himself too. The news of the love affair between Gobinda Lal and Rohini reached Bhramar, Gobinda Lal’s wife and then Krishna Kanta. Krishna Kanta changed his will again in anger and grief, and fell into the lap of death. In this new will, Gobinda Lal’s name had been cut off and Bhramar’s name was included instead. Gobinda Lal left home. The story took a new turn…
Tughlaq
Play : Girish Karnad
Direction : Shahed Ali
Performance
16 July 2010, Friday
Studio Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Synopsis
Muhammad bin Tughlaq was a visionary born long before his time. Even in that pre-Mughal era that person was inspired by a secular philosophy and many of those philosophies are the common sense of present time. Tughlaq ascended the throne at the age of 25 after the accidental death of his father and brother. But there were rumours that Tughlaq himself had lured a mad elephant to kill his father and brother. His rule continued in parallel with the association, inspiration and criticism of his three companions – the vizier Najib, the historian Barani and his stepmother. As he dreamt of breaking the conventional system and repairing the crumbling foundations and shaky structures of the empire with his modern thinking and visionary plans, as he wanted to enlighten the minds of the people in the light of Greek philosophy, establish his empire in front of the whole world as the object of envy, his subjects and even the people close to him thought of him as a madman and a selfish dictator. And so Tughlaq’s plans and dreams, one after the other, ended in failure. And his subjects became the victims of that failure. Shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, introducing copper coins, releasing Ain-ul-Mulk, stopping prayers, or equalising the price of copper coins and silver ones – all made him an increasingly villainous character to the people. Najib was killed. As it happens, Tughlaq himself sentenced his stepmother to death. His faithful friend Barani also wanted to leave. The dream that Tughlaq had been running after for years, the soul that he was trying to find in himself or among others, seemed to have remained a mirage; he could never find the oasis.
‘Michhil’ and ‘Shonibar’
Play : Badal Sarkar
Arrangement and Experimentation : Reetu Sattar
Performance
4 February, 2011, Friday.
Studio Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
A drama team starts to perform a play in the university area. At the very beginning of that play a ‘madman’, who is always to be seen in the university area, interrupts the performance. Before the audience manages to get away they hear a terrible scream. Everyone looks around but the drama team does not understand the reason for this unrest in the audience.
Every time the leader of the drama team comes and tries to stop the procession of the audience, the audience full of young people become more and more agitated. On the one hand, the play ‘Shonibar’ continues to be performed, on the other hand, in protest of the shouts that the audience hear, they hold up a picture of the present time, of ’71, or of religion and bazaar. Finally, it is seen that the play ‘Shonibar’ is dispersing. The boy who is killed cannot be traced. The ‘Shonibar’ group cannot not see him but the audience starts the play “Micchil” around him, the ‘madman’ being in the lead.
The Tempest
Play : William Shakespeare
Bangla Translation : Professor Jillur Rahman Siddiki
Direction: Shahidul Mamum
Performance
15 July, 2011, Friday.
Main Auditorium, National Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha,Dhaka.
Synopsis
Prospero,The Duke of Milan, is overthrown in a violent political upheaval. Perhaps he would have drowned, if not for the kindness of Gonzalo, who packed all of Prospero’s favourite books on magic. At the behest of destiny, Prospero arrives on an isolated, unknown island where ‘civilisation’ has never set foot before . The island’s inhabitants are also ‘strange’ . There is someone who is a master at creating storms with lightning speed from nothing – is named after the wind – Ariel. Some others look half-human, half-fish, barbaric with no language. Prospero subdues these subjects by applying his European knowledge.
The years have passed – Prospero’s daughter Miranda is now sixteen. At such a moment, Prospero’s old enemies – his wicked brother Antonio, King Alonzo of Naples along with Prince Ferdinand of Naples and Prospero’s genuine well-wisher Gonzalo – sail close to the island. Ariel storms the sea at Prospero’s command – in the purpose of teaching all enemies a lesson together. But what Prospero didn’t think, can the possibility of that to happen be ruled out?
Rakta Kalyan
Play : Girish Karnad
Bangla Translatio : Shankha Ghosh
Direction : Rinkan Shikder
Performance
26 January, 2012, Thursday.
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
In the mid-12th Century, Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat community and the prominent poet of Veerashaiva philosophy, was able to convince his disciples that the temples bear no meaning, the inert establishments bear no meaning ; that God resides within the living, God resides within the daily labours. He named the philosophy of hardworking as ‘the Kayaka’ and those who would accept ‘the Kayaka’ would be his disciples being called ‘the Sharanas’. Thus, the community of the Sharanas grew up. There, the believers were against the caste system and they wanted to see men and women with equal respect. This revolutionary idea, which is unbelievable still today, put Basvanna into the wrath of the orthodox Brahmins. His upholder and a friend, King Bijjala even failed to help him, rather the King was slaughtered while trying to and the city of Kalyan turned into a gory warfield…
Tin er Talwar
Play : Utpal Dutt
Direction : Farhad Hamid and ABS Xem.
Performance
25 July, 2012, Wednesday.
Experimental Theatre Hall,Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Bengal Opera is a theatre troupe and Beni Madhab chatterjee is its main one. He wants to continue his theatre journey, even if he has to sacrifice his own or the members’ significant wishes and desires of life. That is why, although he saw Moina like his own daughter, he did not hesitate to give away her to the greedy Mr. Virkeshthha as a mistress for the sake of saving his theatre. Mr. Virkesthha is the proprietor of Bengal Opera. This businessman is nothing more than a groveler of Mr. Lambert of East India Company. His main weakness is money and girls. He is very old but has no less enthusiasm than a young man to have mistresses. His social stature increases if he has a mistress from a decent family. Which is why he demands Moyna to Benimadhab Chatterjee in exchange for the ownership of Bengal Opera. Bashundhara Debi is a senior and imperious actress. She cares for the other members of the group like a mother. From paying the bill to the grocery store to solving all the other problems of the members, she takes responsibility for them all. Basu sees in Moyna the reflection of the life she once dreamt of. So, she requests Moyna to marry Priyanath and start a family. Priyanath Mallik is a rich, well educated young man who is equally enlightened by the spirit of revolution. His father has four mistresses, he is drunk and also torturous to his wife. For these reasons, Priyanath left home and eventually ended up working in the Bengal Opera. Gradually, he develops a romantic relationship with Moyna. Although Priyanath has sacrificed many of his desires, he has always carried his revolutionary entity within himself. That is why he leaves Bengal Opera and starts working in a stable. Young and beautiful Moyna, born of a poor but decent family used to sell potatoes in the market. One night, she mesmerized Benimadhab with her singing voice. Beni Madhab shows her a dream of becoming a ‘queen of theatre’. Influenced by the dream, she starts working in Bengal Opera and turns out to be the most famous actress for the group. She loved Priyanath but also she feared to become poor again, so she sacrificed her love for Priyanath and agreed to become a mistress of Mr. Virkestha. In the group, there are other members like Harababu, who is expert in English dialogues; singer and actor Jadu Gopal, kranky Kamini, prompter Natabar and Gobor. They all make up a family of the Bengal Opera theatre. The Bengal Opera in ‘Tiner Talwar’ is the reflection of the then society in Bengal.
The Hairy Ape
Play : Eugene O’Neill
Direction : Bakar Bakul
Performance
13 January, 2013, Sunday.
Experimental Theatre Hall,Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
A group of laborers fill up the ship’s engine with coal in the boiler room. Yank is one of them. He looks like an ape and he looks wilder when he is all covered in patches of coal. Mildred Douglas, the spoiled daughter of a capitalist who is also one of the Directorials of this ship, is a passenger on this trip. She goes down in the boiler to sympathise with the labourers but meets dread after having an encounter with Yank. Yank realizes she shouted out of fear when she saw her, his mind gets filled up with hatred. Eventually, he starts to feel hatred towards all the capitals in the world. He wants to demolish the ‘heavenly’ castles built by the capitalists.
When the ship anchors at the port, he sets out to roam around the city with a shipmate. The dazzling and shining presentation of the city torments him more. He starts to act like a lunatic. Finally, he is caught and sent to jail. He escapes from the jail and reaches a zoo where he finds himself in front of the cage of a guerilla. He recognizes the ape as similar to him and invites him to shake hands like friends. But, the real ape attacks him and kills him.
Mother Courage and Her Children
Play : Bertolt Brecht
Bangla adaptation : Utpal Dutt
Direction : Monirul Islam Rubel
Performance
19 July, 2013, Friday.
Main Auditorium,National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
‘Himmat Bai’(‘Mother Courage and Her Children’,‘Mutter Courage und ihr Kinder’ in original German) is a tale of a courageous woman. Her name is Anna Chhetri. In the midst of a war-bounded locality, Anna courageously pulls a cart full of provisions along with her two sons Alif and Moglai Parata and daughter Kattri. She sells provisions like food and clothes to the soldiers to manage the livelihood for her own family while she cleverly manages to keep her children out of the hint of the war. Even after, defiant and foolhardy Alif joins the army as a soldier conscripted by a recruiting officer. Honest and naive Moglai Parata follows his brother and joins the army as a paymaster shortly after. A chaplain, afraid by the risk of being killed, takes resort in Anna’s family.
Alif becomes glorious within a short time for his heroic acts. Moglai Parata distributes the payment among the soldiers with sheer honesty. But he gets caught by the Mughal Army while trying to save his regiment’s paybox. Anna attempts to bribe the Mughal army to free her son and decides to pawn her wagon, the one that she has been carrying for the last 17 years to earn the basic needs of her family. A bargain with Ivat for the price of the wagon takes a longer time than planned and Moglai Parata gets killed. The same vandalism that was congratulated as a heroic act previously causes Alif to be trialed as a criminal and executed by a death sentence during the short war break.
Anna is now left with her mute daughter Kattri. A cook resides with them for some days but leaves after a while. Thereafter, Himmat Bai and her daughter pull the wagon all by themselves. At one point, they take shelter in a hut of a Muslim family. At night, Hindu soldiers attack the Muslim town and hostage the very Muslim family where Himmat Bai and her daughter has taken resort and ask them to guide them to the path to the city for a sneak attack. Learning that the children of the locality would all be killed, sensitive and impressionable Anna becomes stressed. Kattri beats a drum and attempts to warn the townspeople but is shot to death.
Himmat Bai loses her three children one by one, but nothing can stop her. The indestructible old woman now pulls the cart alone to continue to earn her living. She moves ahead to save herself and to continue the flow of life.
Coriolanus
Play : William Shakespeare
Bangla translation : Mannan Heera
Direction : ABS Xem
Performance
13 January, 2014, Monday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Caius Marcius, a Roman General . He defeats the force led by Commander of the Volscian army Tullus Aufidius, who has been an opponent of Rome for a long time, and captures the city of Corioli. In recognition for his victory, he is given the title ‘Coriolanus’. When he returns to Rome, he becomes the consul as a reward for his courage and heroism. Meanwhile, the angry civilians boil up a protest when a post-war famine strikes in the city. Marcius criticises the Tribunes ( representatives of the civilians in the Senate) for this incident. This enrages two of the tribunes, Brutus and Sicinius. They whip up another riot in opposition to Marcius and eventually Caius Marcius gets blamed for insulting the Senate which obliges him to be banished. To wreak revenge for his offence, he befriends Tullus Aufidius and plans to lead an assault on Rome. Fearful by the threat of the attack, the lawmakers of Rome send Marcius’s mother and wife to him to negotiate. Upon their request, Marcius makes a peace treaty among the Volcians and the Romans. But Aufidius does not agree to the peace treaty and kills Marcius for his betrayal. This is how the journey of the Roman hero comes into a tragic end.
Based on this historical event, a group of university students are making a film. Sameer, a dance star of this university achieves an honorable prize in a competition and brings pride to his institute. The authority wants to make him a spokesperson for the University as a reward for his achievement. But being offended by Sameer’s arrogant behaviour the policy makers of the university files a complaint against him for violating code of conduct. This results in the expulsion of Sameer from the university. To take revenge, Sameer joins the opposition team for a national dance competition and befriends Sunaira, his once rival in dance. They keep on practicing for the big event. Fearing that Sameer’s win will mark an insult for the institute, the university authority sends Sameer’s favorite Professor and his girlfriend to negotiate. Sameer finally agrees to dance for his own institute but that makes him a traitor to Sunaira. Thus the story to be filmed reflects on the students’ real life.
The Weaver
Play : Gerhart Hauptmann
Bangla translation : Ismail Muhammad
Direction : Saiful Islam Jarnel
Performance
14 July, 2014, Monday.
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Gerhart Hauptmann’s ‘The Weavers’ (Die Weber) portrays the tale of the proletarian struggle of the Silesian weavers in 1844. While machines had been taking over the hand laboured works after the Industrial Revolution, it brought calamitous economical adversity for a group of people in the society. In the garment industry, when the industrial machines replaced the weaving of clothes by the spinning wheel in Germany, the weavers of Silesia suffered from poverty due to lack of work and eventual poverty. This resulted in suffrage of food and some other severe social depreciation in their lives and 1500 weavers organised for a protest.They attacked the torturous mill owners and their mills. Later, the protesting weavers were prevented by the arrival of armed forces. The weavers working under Mill owner Dreissiger complain that they are not being paid with their fair wage.After a number of requests and begging, when the authority does not take an initiative, the enraged labourers go on a movement in protest. The labourers gather under the leadership of rebellious Jaeger and Baecker. They rise up with rebellion songs and slogans. The authority now feels shaken. Old Ansorge cries out for a revolution – but would the revolution truly happen?
Tartuffe
Play : Molière
Bangla Translation : Shawkat Osman
Direction : Mitul Rahman
Performance
13 January, 2015, Tuesday.
Experimental Theatre Hall,Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
The story unfolds in the house of Mr. Orgon, a wealthy and dignified man in Paris, who received the honour from the King for his heroic acts in the crisis period of the country in the past. In his middle age, Orgon becomes very devoted to religion, and in continuation of his devotion he brings a pious fraud called Tartuffe from the church to his house. This initiates all the troubles as Tartuffe begins to show his true colours to everyone but Orgon!
Orgon falls under the influence of Tartuffe so much that he starts to prioritize him more than his wife and daughter. Tartuffe on the other hand, not only plans to possess all of Orgon’s assets but also accepts Orgon’s proposal to marry his daughter Mariane while also secretly desiring Orgon’s wife.
How would this family be able to come out of such a whirlpool?
Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen
Original : Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury
Playwright : Satyajit Ray
Direction : Shahriar Ferdous Shajeeb
Performance
7 July, 2015, Tuesday.
Experimental Theatre Hall,Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Gopinath is a naive young man from Amlaki village. He is very passionate about singing although he does not have the melody in his voice. Some elderlies of the village mockingly tell him to go and sing in front of the King’s Palace. Simple minded Gupi takes their word seriously and does so, just to be insulted by the King and his court which make him leave the village. Baghanath from the Uttarakuta village also has a similar fate. Only, he loves to play the Dhol. People of his village drive him out of the village too for his noisy, distuned drum beats. These two ill-fated men come across each other inside a jungle far from each of their villages. At night they meet the ‘King of the Ghosts’ who, pleased by their music, grants them three magical blessings that change their life. Meanwhile, the duo hears about a musical competition in the Kingdom of Shundi. They participate in the contest and become victorious by pleasing the King’s ears. They learn that a strange epidemic has caused the people of the Kingdom to turn mute. Suddenly, the distant Kingdom of Halla sends an edict which says if the Kingdom of Shundi does not surrender to the Kingdom of Halla there will be a war. Gupi and Bagha assure the frightened King that they want to save the Kingdom of Shundi from the crisis. Gupi and Bagha go to the Kingdom of Halla to investigate the situation and learn that the insidious minister is behind it all. He has hypnotized the King by drugging him and thus convinced him to send the firman of war; he is the one who wants to get the authority of the Kingdom of Shundi. Gupi and Bagha sing in front of the King, which cracks the hypnosis of the Hall King to some extent and tears well in his eyes, reminiscent of something. The King comes out of his bewitchment and reveals his childlike personality. The Minister orders the scientist Barfi to make stronger potion for the King and captures Gupi-Bagha in jail.
Barfi’s new drug makes Halla King furious and he orders to prepare for the war. Gupi and Bagha free themselves by bribing the guard with a feast by their magic. As soon as the army of the Halla King starts for the Kingdom of Shundi, Gupi-Bagha enters the battlefield and freezes the soldiers by their magical songs. Gupi-Bagha fetches numerous sweetmeats by magic which make the soldiers forget about the war and eat them. All the dark schemes of the Minister come to a failure. Halla King reunites with his brother, the Shundi King. Barfi’s medicine is spreaded in the air and people of the Kingdom of Shundi start to talk again.
Ingit
Play : S M Solaiman
Direction : Monirul Islam Rubel
Performance
11 January, 2016, Monday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
What is going on in the country? If this continues, what will be the scenario after a decade? The playwright wanted to seek the answer in his writing. The present gives us enough hints about the future of education-history-culture-politics and other sectors. The downfall of education and culture, oblivion of history that was filled with struggles, the bureaucratic complexities, the political mischiefs are going on constantly. The students are entering the institutes just to come out dumber than they ever were and in the land of Minister Chodu and King Bodu, Chodu and Bodu only shift their roles from a Minister to a King alternatively. This is, as if, going on in a loop. “Democracy is overwhelmingly inundating the country and putting it into the verge of a burst out”. The playwright throws a question to the audience, “If this continues then what should be done for the coming days?” None of us anticipate seeing it getting worse. But, the much we already have seen but staying ignorant, what if it gets worse? How will you face it? Have you thought of it?
Sirajuddoula
Based on the screenplay of : Sachindranath Sen Gupta
Direction : Jaganmoy Paul
Performance
29 July, 2016, Friday.
Main Auditorium,National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Champabati
Based on the screenplay of : Syed Shamsul Huq
Adaptation of : ‘Beder Meye’ by Jashimuddin
Direction : Rantik Bipu
Performance
19 January, 2017, Thursday.
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
The Tokoloshe
Credits :
Play : Ronald Sagal
Bangla Translation : Arpita Ghosh
Direction : Bilkis Jahan Jaba
Performance
23 July, 2017, Sunday.
Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Noishavoj
Play : Manoj Mitra
Direction : Mitul Rahman
Performance
16 January, 2018, Tuesday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
At one corner of the village a few families of tanners live in a cluster. At the other side lives the wealthy Kundus. While the tanner families are at a crisis of housing and livelihood under the pressure of the usurpers, the gardens of the Kundus are overflowing with jackfruits. Nevertheless the Kundus adhere themselves in conspiracy to do harm to others.
Ascetic Tushtu in the tanners neighbourhood chose the path of death to save his dignity, but death does not give him salvation. Tonight, to remain safe in the filthy competition, the Kundus also look for their feast while the wild foxes search theirs. And thus the dinner is being prepared for everyone.
Raajrakta
Play : Mohit Chattopadhyaya
Direction : Proddut Kumar Ghosh
Performance
12 July, 2018, Thursday.
Main Auditorium, National Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
According to the drier King, his fingers can be as hard as they are soft. They can touch someone tenderly and also can strangle someone to death. Those who he can not subdue with tender words or soft touches, he wants to find out what they have in their blood that makes them so. That is why he collects their blood and examines what germs may be hidden there. Those bloods eventually chase the King.
Khowabnama (partly)
Novel : Akhtaruzzaman Elias
Dramatization : Md. Shawkat Hossain Sajib
Direction : Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon
Performance
28 January, 2019, Monday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Long ago , some people cleared the dense forest along the marsh Katlahar and started farming there. Myth goes as this that they would put yokes on the tigers’ back to cultivate the land. In one such afternoon, Munsi Barkatullah Shah was killed by the East India Company soldier Lord Taylor on his way to Mahasthangarh with his fellow followers of Saint Majnu Shah. People of Girirdanga and Nijgirirdanga along the marshy land of the Katlahar still believe that Munsi resided on a banyan fig (pakur) tree and started to rule over the fen after his demise. The landscape along the river Jamuna changed as an impact of an earthquake at a distant epicenter. The banks of the marshland were grasped in flood bringing ample amounts of fish in the water. This turned farmers into fishermen. As if, it was a carishma of none other than the Munsi himself!
Over the passage of time, the landlords of the locality took the ownership of the lake. Some people become prominent with their own characteristics. Cherag Ali, a local hermit, becomes famous for explaining people’s dreams on the basis of Munshi’s verses. Tamij’s father shows examples of similar spiritualism in him and he believes he can see Munshi when he sleepwalks towards the banyan fig tree at night. Baikuntha Giri, claiming himself to be a descendant of Bhabani Pathak, believes in a prophecy that Bhabani will reincarnate. Tamij dreams of ownership of a cultivable land of his own. Kulsum, the granddaughter of Cherag Ali, sees something in her dream but she can never explain what it might be. Keramat, the poet who only writes about the Tebhaga Movement, resides in his own little world ; he wants fame, he wants a wife and a family.
At one point, the British Colonialism comes to an end in this locality but the new government system of the newly built country seems no less than a new colony either. Which was once a large territory under the name ‘Bengal’ gets separated within two nations after the partition. The new ‘lords’ make new rules which turn some into town-dwellers, and some into contractors. Many people lose their home and suddenly become foreigners within the land they were born in! The Hindu Landlord leaves, yet people do not get back their ownership of the lands and lake in the ‘Free Pakistan’ as they had been anticipating before the partition! The banyan fig tree gets felled for the construction of a brick-boiler. Tamij’s father dies drowning in the quicksand while seeking for the tree and Munsi desperately. Bhabani Pathak never reincarnates. Baikuntha gets killed in a Hindu-Muslim riot. The fishermen cannot catch fish for free in the lake anymore. Clashes begin between the fishermen of Katlahar and Jamuna where Tamij accidentally kills someone in a fight.Tamij escapes and hides in a well-worthy person’s house as his servant to avoid police, but he hears of the fights for land that is still going on. Tamij comes out of his safe haven and goes out to the movement. Fuljan, with her daughter Sakhina born legitimately of Tamij, does not know what to do! But, sakhina shows signs of inheritance of spiritualism like her grandfather.
The book that explained dreams had been lost from Tamij’s father’s ownership. Now, Sakhina has a legacy. ‘Khowabnama’, the book of dreams, explains dreams of men. But, the thing that is important in the explanation is not the dream, but the dreamer himself
Six Charecters in Search of a Director
Play : Luigi Pirandello
Bangla Translation : Khairul Alam Shabuj
Direction, Set and Concept of Poster : Mitul Rahman
Performance
15 July, 2019, Monday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Rehearsal of a new play is going on …
Suddenly, a man enters the stage without anyone’s permission … along with his family. He says, “ We have brought a play for you, we want to stage it here!” – just like a child’s whimsical demand! The director and his crew totally disagree. But, those conflicting characters, busy in blaming each other for their current state, compels the agitated theatre workers to sit aside when they start to tell their story. Then? While they had been crossing the sea of reality through the boat of theatre, they seemed to submerge into a swirl of fairy tales from time to time.
This play by Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello is known to be published in 1921 for the first time. This play is considered as an absurd metatheatre. In this play, it is repeatedly said that – the reality of the character is the truth, not who acts it. In another way it can be said that the character is the truth, the actors are just the container and the carrier of it.
Dewan Gazir Kissa
Play : Bertolt Brecht
Bangla Adaptation : Asaduzzaman Noor
Direction : Monirul Islam Rubel
Performance
15 January, 2020, Wednesday.
Main Auditorium, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Dewan Gazi – a financial steward of Gazipur. Paddy lands, fields of betel-nut trees, fish ponds, cattle herds, rice mills – as far as the eyes can see, he owns them all. A polar opposite side of the greedy Gazi Dewan reveals when he is drunk. Then he becomes a person who is kind and selfless.
It so happened that Makhan Ali became his personal secretary. Meanwhile, Gazi fixes his daughter’s marriage with Inspector Nafar Ali. His daughter Laili does not agree to this arrangement. She plans with Makhan on playing tricks to call this marriage off. To avoid marrying the inspector, she is even ready to marry Makhan.
Inspector Nafar Ali understands everything, but he acts dumb as he has eyes on the priviledges he would get being the son-in-law of Dewan Gazi. The duality of Dewan Gazi and Laili’s tricks puts Makhan into a dilemma. He then finds a way to escape. He wants to go to a place where he can breathe free. But, where would he find such a place? As far the eye goes, everything is occupied by the bourgeoisies and the capitalists.
Antigone
Play : Sophocles
Translation and Direction : Neel Kamrul
Performance
11 December, 2020, Friday
Experimental Theatre Hall, National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Synopsis
Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus. Antigone is the name of a ‘non-political’ power who stood up against the unjust decree of the administrative power of the royal court. Antigone was that woman who showed the path of ‘earnest endeavour for the establishment of the reign of truth’ some 2500 years ago. Due to some controversial political decisions Antigone’s brother Polynices took, he was ordered not to be buried or even mourned after his death in a battle, by the wayward King Creon. The King declares that the corpse may be eaten by foxes and vultures and that would be the punishment he deserves. To Antigone, such disrespectful treatment to his brother’s dead body feels unjust. She defies the King’s order and buries him with proper ritual. When the King hears about it, he catches Antigone and commands her to be sentenced to death. Had Antigone begged for her life, she might be forgiven; but Antigone was unwavering from her ideal. The King captivates her in a cave at a remote place from the city. Upon the requests of the royal members and the advice of the well-wishers, King Creon finally changes his decision. But it was too late already.
Ekattorer Khudiram
Play : Mannan Hira
Direction : Md. Shawkat Hossain Sajib
Performance
20 August 2021, Friday.
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samiti, Bailey Road, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Khokan Banarjee, the games teacher of Sonamukhi High School, is a man of rebellious conscience. For the last 21 years, the school has been staging ‘Khudiram’ in the annual function under his direction. In 1971, while the rehearsal of ‘Khudiram’ began, the nation-wide War of Liberation began. The streets become loud with slogans like ‘Bir Bangali astro dhoro, Bangladesh swadhin Koro’ or ‘Tomar amar thikana,Padma-Meghna-Jamuna’ or ‘Joy Bangla’. A group of people, who did not support the fight for an independent ‘Bangladesh’ also rose furiously at the same time. One of them was Hafizur Rahman, the Urdu teacher of Sonamukhi High School. He writes a play titled ‘My Dear Man’ depicting Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the father of the nation. He insists Khokan Banarjee to stage this play instead of ‘Khudiram’. Khokan Banarjee does not agree to stage a play written in Urdu language, even after the Head of the School pressurizes him to save the school. Rather, he challenges to stage ‘Khudiram’ as before as it is a play of Bangla language. He carries on with his rehearsal. Eventually, the Pakistani Army attacks in the town. They put down a genocide with the assistance of ‘rajakar’ Hafizur Rahman. Khokan Banarjee and a student named Kakali, who was playing khudiram’s sister, die. The participants of Khudiram take part in the liberation war led by Montu, a trained freedom fighter. They rediscover the spirit of Khudiram within themselves in the war of 1971.
Mayukh
Translation of plays : Kabir Chowdhury
Direction : ABS Xem
Performance
2 December, 2022, Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mahila Samity, Bailey Road, Dhaka.
Synopsis
A writer writes five stories based on the experiences of his life. The stories reflect the glimpses of his regrets about life, about the country as well as the world in many ways. But he has got an eternal power of hope and never loses it to despair. He depicts many of his sufferings in his writing in the manner of jokes and humour.
Molua
From Mymensingh Geetika, originally written by Chandrabati
Direction: Saiful Jarnal
Performance
Date: 15 March, 2022, Tuesday
Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
Synopsis
Chand Binod of the Halua family used to live beside the Sutya river. He had been living a solvent life with some properties to his ownership, while staying with his mother. But, due to Binod’s idleness and the crops being destroyed under overflow of water, his family becomes poor. Binod goes off to hunt watercocks and earn money. On his way, he meets the beautiful daughter of the rich Hiradhar, Molua in Arial village. Binod sends a proposal of marriage to Molua’s house. First, the proposal gets rejected as Binod does not have any assets or properties, but Binod changes his condition very fast and finally marries Molua and brings her home.
Molua catches the attraction of Kazi, a vile person in the village. Kazi sends his proposal of marriage to Molua through Netai, another vicious minded person. Molua rejects the proposal with much hatred which enrages Kazi. He wants to take revenge on Binod for that. At first, Kazi imposes a large amount of tax on Binod which he eventually pays by selling his properties and hunting watercocks. Then Kazi conspires against Binod again. This time, Molua is taken to the Dewan’s home forcefully. Intelligent Molua saves herself from Dewan’s lust in many ways and defends him.
Despite all these struggles and efforts, Molua-Binod’s conjugation finally breaks up. The relatives and other people in the village forbids Binod to take Molua back at home, referring to her as ‘unchaste’ and marries Binod off again with someone else. Molua endures all detractions and stays in Binod’s house as a maid. Oneday, Binod gets bitten by a snake. Molua travels miles carrying her husband and eventually saves him from death. Even then, the society does not accept Molua. Despite all the efforts, struggles, patience and affection, when Molua does not get the honor she deserves, what may she do then?
Dumurkheko Manush
Originally written by Shahidul Zahir
Theatrical arrangement & Direction : Tanji Kun
Performance
Date : 19 July, 2022, Tuesday
Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
Synopsis
A park
Or a locality
Or any area in the city
The people that came to the park
Or any people in the area
A mysterious stranger
Or one Mohabbat Ali Jadugir
And his wife Preetilata
And as he mentioned, his friend Abdul
A branch of fig, with rough-textured leaves long like the donkey’s ears
Consumption of the queer fruit and its purchasing
Then, price rises at compound rate
2 4 8 16 32 64
Five improvident consumers of the fruit
Or every improvident consumer of the fruit
The joy and the pain of consuming the fruit
A palace with no electricity
Or a palace as delicate as an egg-shell
A fig tree
Or a dream
Or a dream broken
Or a story about the result of the unforeseen behavior
Nil Darpan
A Bengali-language play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858–1859
Direction : Andolon Mithun
Performance
Date: 15 January 2023, Sunday
Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
Synopsis
Golokbasu family, the residents of Sarpur village were a prosperous and happy family. There was no shortage of discontent in their household. But the Basu family was destroyed by the indigo raiders or Nilkars. Last year Golokbasu cultivated indigo on fifty bigha land but did not get a single penny. This time again sixty bigha of land was being forced for indigo cultivation. Navinmadhav intervened and protested against the tyranny of the Nilkars. Golokbasu was given a false criminal case and imprisoned. While in prison, he broke down in rage and was killed. Hearing these words from the mouth of Saheb (The authorized English man), Navin Madhav hit his chest hard. As a result, Navin Madhav started to be mercilessly tortured. Navin Madhav also fell to his death. On hearing the news of her son’s death, Nabin Madhav’s mother killed her daughter-in-law in a frenzy and later committed suicide herself.
On the other hand, Sadhucharan’s daughter Kshetramani came to visit her father’s house and caught the attention of Nilkars. She showed enough courage to defend herself when she was taken by force and attempted rape. But in the end, she could not save herself. This is how Basu’s family and Sadhucharan’s family were destroyed by the oppression of indigo raiders or Nilkars.
Kallol (Great waves surging)
Playwright: Utpal Dutt
Directed by: Sahana Rahman Sumi
Performance
Date: 31 July, 2023, Monday
Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, Bangladesh Mohila Samiti, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Utpal Dutt’s play ‘Kallol’ (1965), inspired by historical events, is a timeless play that is also inherently political in nature. Kallol recounts the events of a mutiny on the battleship “Khaibar” during the last days of British rule in India. Under the leadership of gunner Sardul Singh, the ship’s inmates stage a fight-to-death resistance against British authoritarianism. Sardul’s heroism is achieved at the cost of the highest personal tragedy.
In response to the discriminatory treatment by the British officers, the native shipmen aboard the British battleship “Khaibar” staged a strike which soon escalated into a full-grown armed rebellion. Sardul Singh’s mother Krishnabai, a resident of a port-side slum, has credible reasons to lead the sympathetic slum dwellers because the rebellion is tied to the question of the community’s very existence. The rebellion marks a critical moment in the professional career of the Rear Admiral Rattray, who is desperate to crush the insurgents. Behind the discussions and negotiation efforts by Congress Party leader and former rating Suxena, the rebels of Khaibar are brought to the discussion table where they are treacherously imprisoned. The brave and unflinching Sardul Singh was killed while in custody at the prison camp. The Bengali word Kallol means ‘surging of great waves,’ and like a great wave the title symbolizes the awakening of the oppressed after a long period of subjugation. Kallol depicts the deceptive nature of political leaders who stand in stark opposition to the patriotism of the ratings and the slum-dwellers. ‘No compromise, no surrender, the war shall continue’ – the words of Sardul Singh are an inseparable part of the story.
Raktakarabi (The Red Oleander)
Playwright: Rabindranath Tagore
Directed by: Md. Shawkat Hossain Shajib
Performance
Date: 29 January, 2024, Monday
Main Hall, National Theatre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
Synopsis
Yakshapuri is a town where beneath the earth lies the treasure. People of this town are forced to be a source of gold-digging machines in the greed of treasure. The king Makarraj lives behind a wall of netting. The chiefs and foremen serve in the king’s exploitation. The chiefmen are promoted from the Privy Council and the foremen are from engravers. The intellective ones like the professor, can’t protest against the system either. Kenaram Goshaiji, though seems to be a devout individual, accepts offerings from the chiefmen. Engravers are exploited into digging gold for their ever-growing obsession with wealth. They are resorting to inhumane labor for hunger and thirst. In the trap of this darkness, Nandini’s arrival occurs like a sudden burst of light. The light of change, the light of freedom.
278/3, Kataban Dhal, New Elephant Road, Dhaka 1205.
[Beside Ashta Byanjan Hotel]
Contact 8801313774400 (WhatsApp)
