Kathmandu:

The students of the Oasis English School put up a performance of Eka Deshama (Once upon a time...) recently that touched the hearts of the audience.

“Bichari, she will have to forget her dear Mainna from now on,” a dismayed member of the audience says from behind.

Maina, a speaking bird is the Rajkumari’s only friend. Believing her elder sisters, she puts the bird in a cage so that she can listen to her sing and her beautiful stories. To her disappointment, the bird stops singing and talking once put in the cage.

“I found those stories during my flight to far off places. How can I tell you stories when you have caged me here?” the bird laments.

Rajkumari realises that there is no other way but to set the bird free. She reluctantly releases the bird and it flies off.

“Maina, promise me to come back again, please…” the Rajakumari cries. Sixth grader Shruti Ranjit’s protrayal of the princess was flawless. The audience thought she was crying in real. Her incessant crying over a dead parrot portrays her as a spoilt child in the beginning but she emerges a sensible and kind hearted girl.

It was good to see a fairytale on stage. And what was even better was that the students were involved in the operation of the lights, stage decoration and outfit designing.

The play directed by Birendra Hamal, who has to his credit Barilai, had a lot of fantasy with a fairy dance featuring students.

Teaching through theatre could be an educational tool too. It gives a break from monotony of regular learning procedure. The plot of Eka Deshama was old but the message and lesson was love, friendship and trust amongst each other. Little Rajkumari realised how much one’s freedom is worth.