Ibsen through new eyes

Cultural Correspondent

A twelve-day international festival featuring works of legendary Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) begins today at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the city. Titled "International Ibsen Seminar and Festival '09," the gala event will take place at BSA and Jahangirnagar University, Savar. The festival will highlight several acclaimed plays by the existentialist playwright as well as seminars on his life and works.

Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) in association with BSA, Jahangirnagar University, Centre for Ibsen Studies (University of Oslo), Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, ICCR and Grameenphone, is organising the festival.

The inaugural will take place today at the National Theatre Hall, BSA at 4:30pm. Dr. Dipu Moni, Minister for Foreign Affairs is expected to attend the event as chief guest, while National Professor Kabir Chowdhury will inaugurate the festival.

The festival will feature 23 plays staged by troupes from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran and Egypt. Three seminars and several interactive sessions will take place at the Seminar Room, JU. The seminars will feature internationally renowned theatre personalities.

Local theatre troupes such as Centre for Asian Theatre, Nagarik Natya Sampraday, Aranyak Natyadal, Natyakendra, Prachyanat, Theatre Art Unit, Bangaranga Natyadal, Desh Natok, Palakar, Drama and Dramatics Department, JU and BSA will stage plays at the festival.

Plays to be staged by local troupes are -- "The Communicator," "Opekkhaman" (based on Ibsen and Syed Shamsul Haq's works), "Shatrugna" (adaptation of "An Enemy of the People"), "Mrito Manusher Chhaya" ("John Gabriel Borkman"), "Punarjanmo" ("When We Dead Awaken"), "Chhayachakro" ("Ghosts"), "Guru Nirmata" ("The Master Builder"), "Bhokto" ("Brand"), "Norar Tin Konya" ("A Doll's House"), "Nurir Pala" ("A Doll's House") and "Adrishya Paap" ("Ghosts").

Troupes from abroad such as The Chorus Repertory, Aarshi Theatre and Vivadi (India); Moaser Theatre (Iran), Aarohan Theatre (Nepal), Tehrik-E-Niswan (Pakistan) and LaMusica Independent Theatre (Egypt) will also stage plays at the festival.

Plays to be staged by the troupes from overseas are -- "When We Dead Awaken", "Putuler Chithi" ("A Doll's House"), "John Gabriel Borkman", "The Wild Duck", "Guriya Ka Ghar" (A Doll's House) and "Nora's Door" ("A Doll's House").

CAT's latest production "The Lady from the Sea" will also be staged at the festival, while Kotha Abritti Charcha Kendra will stage a recitation-based production highlighting Ibsen's poems.

Apart from plays and seminars, an art competition and exhibition on Bangladeshi theatre icon Selim Al Deen, titled "Images of Selim Al Deen's Life and Works" will be held at the National Art Gallery, BSA. The exhibition will feature artworks by the students of twelve art institutes of the country.

An installation, titled "Ghosts of the Heartland" by noted American artist Sara Paula Hoffman would also feature at the festival.

Films, featuring Ibsen's works, will be screened at the Rehearsal Room of BSA everyday from November 14. The festival will end on November 23. The organisers will honour seven personalities from different fields with 'Ibsen Award'.