On the occasion of the centennial of prominent dramatist late Bal Krishna Sama, Royal Nepal Academy is organising a three-day National Drama Festival.

During the carnival, late Sama’s outstanding plays such as ‘Pralhaad’, ‘Uu mareki chhaina’, ‘Tala Mathi’, ‘Ma’, ‘Moti Ram’, ‘Boksi’, ‘Buhartan’, ‘Andhabeg’, ‘Amit Vasna’, ‘Mutuko Vyatha’ and ‘Prem’ will be enacted by different drama groups.

Prominent singers of the present day will deliver musical performances from the creations of the late artist.

Outstanding performing groups of the competitive drama shows will be awarded at the closing ceremony on Wednesday.

Senior stage artistes, speaking on the occasion, said the importance of drama is still intact although its market has been replaced by electronic entertainment including television and video.

Audiences however take an interest in the theatre if it happens to be good. Senior stage artiste Prachanda Malla said the stage has been lacking in activity because of cinema and television though it would play to full houses for weeks one and a half decades ago.

Although theatre artistes say that a play is successful only after it is staged and not just after it is written, its market faces a bleak situation because of much writing but fewer staging and low audience figures.

Sama brought about a revolution in the Nepali theatre by writing tragedies as against the earlier tradition of writing comedies only. He contributed over three dozen plays on historic, Vedic and social themes. The festival has being organised since 2033 BS.

Speaking at the inauguration of the festival, minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation Bal Bahadur KC said the government is ready to assist stage artistes for the uplift of Nepali language, literature and the genre of the drama.

Vice-chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy Mohan Koirala said the festival was organised to highlight the contributions of Sama in drama and to encourage artistes up country.

Member secretary of RNA Dr Tulsi Bhattarai said the success of a play is not in its writing but in its staging and the audience response.

Convenor and academician Neer Shaha said 10 plays were selected out of 27 presented at the festival.