Ranchi Plays

Writer : Yogesh Tripathy
Director : Sharda Singh
Group : Prastuti, Patna, Bihar
Language : Hindi
Duration : 105 mins

Play

The period of the story is from 1937 to 1940. A village woman of Mithilanchal, named Gauri, after giving birth to a daughter named Pratibhama and a son named Umanath becomes widow. As tradition, she manages early marriage of Pratibhama and sends her to Pratibhama’s in-laws’ house, far away from her village. The son Umanath goes to a big city for earnings. At the village Gauri uses Takli and Charkha for survival. In this way she is the follower of Mahantma Gandhi. Unfortunately she becomes pregnant with her brother-in-law (Devar) named Jainath. When the developing embreo becomes of eight months she worries and finally goes to her maternal house and manages the abortion. After returning home she found that the woman society has bycotted her. The son Umanath comes to village to follow tradition of yearly ‘Shraddha’ of his father and comes to know about her mother’s incident. He becomes very angry and after slapping his mother, begins crying. Gauri loves her brother-in-law’s teenaged son Ratinath as her own son. She promotes Ratinath to take education in big city, where as Ratinath’s father Jainath wants him to marry immediately. Umanath gets married and puts his bride Kamalmukhi at village for the care of his mother, but the behaviour of Kamalmukhi doesn’t suit to Gauri and she becomes ill. Kamalmukhi continuously ignores her mother-in-law’s wishes and desires, and ultimately Gauri dies. Ratinath does her funeral, as per Gauri’s wish. This is the story of a village woman who always tried to stand on her own feet with self respect till the last breath.

Director’s Note

Baba Nagarjuna’s compositions reach straight to heart. Stories happen to be, or fiction gives the sensation, of a grotesque kind. This is the first Novel of Baba. The Novel based on widows is reflective of the situation and the circumstances of the society.

Baba has described the snotty mentality, lust and deceit of the man through the Novel. Wherein a widowed woman is pushed in to the jaws of a stingy whirlpool trap. In a society where the marriage of the widower man was possible, but a widowed woman was kept away  from all the pleasures, the Novel’s chief woman, Gauri, says… the widows are squared up, wearing white ones, away from men… Where can woman spend holy life? The question also arises, why can’t the vidhwa live up with a society or family after the demise of her husband? This is the question of Gauri that shake us- why ?

Baba has engraved to, the bitter truth of the celebrating her Society through his writings, in any era women have not the luck of tasting the nector of individuality, It has always men first to ‘amritpaan’. The theatrical adaptation of this Novel is done by Shri Yogesh Tripathi. It basically becomes  even more robust reading conversion. With the craft, taste, and theatricality, the drama draws a great impact on the outlines.

Director

Born in 1977 and a graduate from Patna University, Bihar and Post graduate in History and Dramatic arts, Sharda Singh acted in almost more than 50 plays. She received various awards, sammans and got best actress award also for acting. She is associated with Doordarshan and A.I.R (All India Radio) Patna, and has participated in many serials, tele films, radio dramas. She worked with renowned theater personalities like Satish Anand, Sanjay Upadhyay, Vijay Kumar. She received national scholarship in 1998 for acting and was rewarded the Jr. Fellowship in 2012-2013 by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

Sharda has directed a number of Nukkad plays along with stage plays like Maati Gadi, Ekla Chalo Re, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Lahron ke Rajhans, Laal Pan Ki Begam, Ratinaath Ki Chachi etc. She received ‘Shailbala Mishra’ acting award for acting- 1992, 1994, 1995. In the year 1995, she was honored with ‘Kala Shree’ Samman for acting and in the Year 2003 she received ‘Bhikhari Thakur Samman’. She received ‘Noor Fatima Smriti Samman’ 2009 and ‘Purnank Rang Samman’ in 2010. In the year 2013 she won Abhinav Rang Sammman (Ujjain), Bhikhari Thakur Yuva Samman (Bihar Government) 2013, Women’s achiever’s Samman and Shikshak Ratna Samman as well. She is currently active in doing Theatre.

Group

Prastuti, one of the famous theatre group in Bihar, was established in 2011-12. Since then it has been working very actively in the field of Theatre. The group performed many important stage plays all over India in states and cities like Bihar, Bhopl, Jabalpur, Delhi etc. It Participated in many important state and national festivals and recently has been selected to participate in Minarva Festival, Kolkata.

Prastuti has its Repertory consisting of 10 members, but we have more than 20 people who are associated with Prastuti and are working regularly for Nukkad and stage Plays. Some of the prominent productions by the group are- Maati Gadi, Ashadh ka ek Din, Lahron ke Rajhans, Renu Nama, Laal Pan Ki Begam, Bakri, Ratinath Ki Chachi.

Director and Playwright : Sri Kaushik Chattopapadhyay
Group : Belgharia Avimukh, Kolkata, West Bengal
Language : Bengali
Duration : 105 Mns.

Play

Our play, Kojagori, a dramatic adaptation of Howard Fast’s novel, Sailas Timberman, is  an effort to raise a voice of protest against gross misuse of power to serve the market forces in their continuing onslaught on nature in search of more and more profits.  The play shows how ordinary men like our protagonist, Sailesh Kashtho, can transform into a rebel by overcoming the fear-psychosis created by the ruthless tools of power.  His is not only the voice of protest but also the voice of sanity which reassures us again and again that there are people who will unfailingly keep the struggle for resistance alive. And by keeping the resistance alive, people like Sailesh Kashtho keep our hope for a more democratic world and environment alive.

Kojagori, the play opens up a window to an ordinary household to witness the birth of the determined dissenting voice in the threatened, traumatized body of an ordinary man.

Director’s Note

The ruling class throughout the world has sharpened their attack on the rights and privileges of the ordinary people. With each passing day they find it more and more difficult to express their opinions freely, act according to their beliefs without fear, and have unrestricted access to even the basic necessities of life.  This explains why there is war, famine, terrorist activities and intolerance afflicting the lives of the ordinary people all around the world. The ruler, afraid of any dissenting voice, does everything to gag it to silence, and the dissenter is charged with sedition. Kojagori, the play opens up a window to an ordinary household to witness the birth of the determined dissenting voice in the threatened, traumatized body of an ordinary man. The play can also be understood as a celebration of the birth cries of a rebel with a cause in an ordinary man’s consciousness. The play give us an opportunity  to figure out how we address our time, how we try to find the ground beneath our trembling feet and what functions of theatre we value as our own !

Director and Playwright

Sri Kaushik Chattopapadhyay, playwright, actor, director, teacher and writer, is an inhabitant of Shantipur, district Nadia, West Bengal by birth. From his very childhood, Sri Chattopadhyay was very fortunate to have an environment of theatre arround him which helps him a lot to think differently about the way of theatre he wants to do. In the 1986 he started his own group of theatre, Shantipur sanskritik , which created a different style of acting method. Still today, Sri Chattopadhyay, directs, acts, writes for Shantipur sanskritik along with directing in others groups througout West Bengal. Kaushik chattopadhyay got the prize for writing a drama in Sundaram’s full act drama writing competetion. “Chandragupta” a Minerva Reparetory ptoduction was directed by Kaushik Chattopadhyay, which was huge popular producttion of the Reparetory. Very recently he has directed “roktoupakhyan , “onshupot upakyan” and “baishe august” , “Naari gon “ , “Roktokorobi“. Being a member of Paschim Banga Natya Academy, External examiner of Rabindrabharati University, and an Invited lecturer of Sahitya Academy, he has done a lots of workshops, seminars on acting and his own way of teaching is very popular among his students. He was awarded with many a prizes for acting , direction and writing and this year he was awarded with the “Sri Shambhu Mitra award” by the Govt. of West Bengal.

Group

BELGHARIA AVIMUKH was born only six years back. We, the members of Avimukh, come from different backgrounds and fur flung places in and beyond the city but share a common bond which thrives on our deep and unstinted   love for theatre. Theatre is where all of us belong to; theatre has been what sustains us, and theatre, as a medium of social communication, will continue to inspire us in future. Some of us have long theatre background while some youngsters among us are newcomers. All of us, however, intend to search for a space of our own in terms of the kind of theatre we intend to do. Our first play, KOJAGORI, is a step on that direction, a conscious tryst with our own time.

Director : Ujjala Barman
Group : Angana Guwahati
Language : Hindi
Duration : 1hr. 15min.

Play

The play Godan, based on the ups and downs of farmers’ life, is a true reflection of Indian society, based on Premchandra’s famous novel “Godan”. Hori and Dhaniya are the main characters of the play, and there is a cow in this family, which both daughters Roopa and Sona loved very much. Even today cows are worshiped in rural areas. And in whose house there is a cow, it is considered to be the abode of Lakshmi. When the cow came to Hori’s house for the first time, the villagers were happy along with the whole family. Hori and Dhaniya were living a happy life with their 3 children, but the condition of the house became worse due to poor farming. Even the only cow had to be sold. Hori does not sell the cow but one day his brother Heera kills the cow by poisoning it.

The rich people of the village take advantage of the poverty of Hori. Seeing his family hungry, Hori goes to wage. There is nothing in his house even for donating (Godan) in the last time of Hori. Dhaniya earns 20 paise by selling twine (Sutli), from that she donates.

Director’s Note

Premchand’s Godan belongs to years old society where farmers were exploited. The poor are always poor and the rich are always rich. The farmers did all of the hard work, and rich enjoyed everything. The same situation prevails in the society even today. Farmers grows crop by working hard, but sometimes they will not even have a grain of Luck.

Through Godan play, we tried making a  small effort for the people  who actually give us two time-meal.

Director

Ujjala Barman was born in Khanamukh village, in Assam. She graduated from National school of Drama (NSD) with specialization in acting in 2005. She has worked with NSD Repertory company as an Artiste. She has worked as a resource person for the theatre workshops organized by the NSD Extension programme in different places of India like Itanagar University (Arunachal Pradesh), Laitkore (Meghalaya), Guwahati, Delhi. She has worked as a acting faculty at Anupam Kher’s ‘Actor prepears’, Mumbai (from 2008 to 2009).

She has also been awarded junior fellowship in theatre by the Ministry  of  Culture, Government of India (2007 -2008).

She is associated with ANGANA theatre for last 14 years. Now she is doing theatre in Assam, and as well as other states of India .

Group

“ANGANA” is a cultural organization which has been working continuously for the last 14 years. The main aim of this organization is to make the people of our society aware of the reality, to cope up with the different changes and also to provide them with the source of entertainment and relaxation. We do not believe in discriminating and prejudices regarding status, race, profession etc. and always try to work together in harmony.

The organization does not follow any specific age limit. In fact even a small child to an old personality can be a part of the organization. ‘ANGANA’ is an amateur theatre group which organizes workshops from time to time.

‘ANGANA’ strives to hold back the lost culture and literature of the country by organizing workshops and drama productions.

Our notable plays are   Rupalim, Madi aur Pehchan,  Phir maine woh sapna dekha, Sheet basant, Kafan and Licence, Maniram Dewan, Bibhranta Rang, Maa Sadhu Eta Kuwana and Godan.

Director : Jyoti Narayan Nath
Playwright : William Shakespeare
Group : Anubhav, The Actors Guild
Language : Assamese & English
Duration : 70 Mtns.

Play

The play “Abhibadon Macbeth: the evil insight” is based on the finest and evergreen creation of William Shakespeare- named Macbeth, The play has all the characters which existed in the main drama namely Macbeth, lady Macbeth, three witches and Haekatey. The witch-like negative qualities that resides within us, often misguides us for immediate escalation of our desire and desperate wishes, and provokes us to take a path that actually dooms us. The characters of the drama symbolize the same. So, without any alteration of time and situation, a gentle attempt is made to represent the actual performing text. Macbeth himself takes a backseat in our retelling of this Shakespearean tragedy, as the Weird Sisters also known as the three witches determine Macbeth’s fate in this classic twisted plot full of power, hunger and, unparalleled ambitions. Something wicked this way comes!

Director’s Note

“Abhibadan Macbeth” is an attempt to adapt Shakespeare’s classic play, Macbeth by situating it in today’s sociopolitical scenario of the state of Assam. By situating it in the contemporary times, we seek to bring forth issues of great socio political importance, that had once plagued Assam, but now seem to be forgotten, and, on the verge of making a comeback. Political issues of the state like secret killings merge with the storyline of Macbeth to put forth a commentary on those, who work in the lobbies of power, and forever exploit the masses for their benefit. Rejecting determinism, here the three witches weave a web of Macbeth’s own making, that ultimately traps him in his quest for ambitions and power. Through the use of various theatrical devices like puppets, projections and innovative set and sound design, we seek to make a much needed commentary on today’s state of affairs.

Director

Born in 1972, Jyoti Narayan Nath a graduate from National School of Drama, New Delhi is a freelancer actor and director and theatre trainer. He has been Practicing theatre since early nineties in 1999 he joined National School of Drama. After passing out from NSD Jyoti organized ANUBHAV, an actors guild and Directed, and acted in plays like Rakta Karabi of Rabindra Nath Tagor, Golpanaat of Manuj Goswami and Tapan Das Basantaakou Aahibo of  Dr. Jayanta Das, White Nights of Dostoyvsky, The Miser of Moliere, Bhootkanda(The Imp and the Peasent’s bread of Leo Tolostoy), Post Master of Rabindra Nath Tagor, Romeo-Juliet ‘N’ TRP  written by Minakshi Goutam inspired by William Shakespeare, Pokhila, of Imran Hussain and Baxanta Nixar Xapun (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) of William Shakespeare and Abhibadan Macbeth “the evil inside (Macbeth) of William Shakespeare Anubhav has been invited to various theatre festivals in Assam and other parts of India including Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Rashtriya Poorvottar rang utsav & North East theatre festival  organized by National School of Drama. Apart from theatre Jyoti is involved in visual media as an actor and director as well.

Jyoti is well known as a theatre trainer and expert in teaching methodology. He has been involved more than 30 theatre workshops organized by NSD extension programme, and other organizations, as camp director and as visiting faculty. Jyoti is associated with National School or Drama, Sikkim sector as visiting faculty. Jyoti has been attached to Spastics Society, Blind School, and Eco-conservation theatre. He has been awarded junior fellowship for the study of the folk theater of Assam by Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.

Group

The group Anubhav is a guild of acting artistes, involved in creative pursuits, concerned with theatre and its allied art forms. The guild aims at contributing to the evaluation of a neo theatre language, defying popular and stereotypical perceptions. Since its inception in 2002, the prime aspiration of Anubhav (The Actor’s Guild) is to introduce elements of Assamese theatre at a global level. The group has produced several plays like Raktakorobi of Rabindra Nath Tagore, White Nights of Dostoyevsky, Enai Lok Kato Dekha Nai (The Miser) of Moliere, The Postmaster of Rabindra Nath Tagore, Romeo Juliet N TRP (Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet) of Minakhshi Goutam, Pokhila of Imran Hussain, A Midsummer Night’s Dream of Shakespeare, The saga of a Tiger, Abhibadan Macbeth and more other original Assamese play.

Anubhav has participated in various National and International theatre festival like Theatre Olympics, Bharat Rang Mahotsav, New Delhi, Lucknow, Octave festivals, Amritsar, Bhopal, Jaipur, North East theatre festival, New Delhi, Bangalore, Poorvottar Nat Somaroh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Agaratala, Gangtak and more others.