Kathmandu:

While rest of the Valley was busy celebrating a leisurely Saturday afternoon on the Maghe Sakranti day, a group of committed theatre workers gathered at the dabali at Royal Nepal Academy for a purpose.

With a mission to share and experience the dramatic productions of different companies on a single stage, a special coordinating committee has been formed. This committee, in ssociation with the Royal Nepal Academy, has initiated a tradition of staging performances of different companies on the first Saturday of every month. Krishna Shah ‘Yatri,’ coordinator Samuhik Rangakarma Samyojan Samiti said, “Individual theatre groups have been erforming in their own ways. Through this activity we want to bring them together at a common forum so that they learn from each other and at the same time we can give a picture of the contemporary theatre to our audience.”

Leading theatre personalities and critics like Prachnda Malla, Shubi Shah, Sharu Bhakta, Harihar Sharma, Shakunta Sharma, Mohan Himanshu Thapa, Ashesh Malla, and Hari Bahadur Thapa were present to lend support to the noble endeavour.

Speaking at the programme, Sharu Bhakta, head of department of music and theatre, RNA, said, “We hope this effort will one day take the form of a theatre festival. We are also thinking of publishing a book of collection of these plays.”

The first play, Sur, written and directed by Ashok Sibakoti and presented by Lalit Sanskritik Kala Samuha featured the seven notes of music in a symbolic and artistic manner. Equally interesting was the next performance staged by child actors, Hingmang ko Chaunri, written by Krishna Shah ‘Yatri,’ directed by Hemanta Gautam and presented by KINS Theatre, Mitrapark. Artist Roshan Pradhan had done the installation art titled, Feelings 2006, on the right side of the dabali signifying the transience of life that will one day become one with earth.

The last performance was Manchhe Pratiyogita, an experimental play staged by Satwik Natya Mandir Maharajgunj, which was written and directed by Manoj Babu Pant. Performed at an open space, it was the evidence that plays can be staged effectively even without a proper stage, lights, props and other technical assistance. Litterateur Ashesh Malla said, “These young theatre workers have proved that we don’t need a stage to perform a play, the play itself creates a stage.”