A scene from “Jonok”. Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon

A three-day theatre fest commemorating Munier Choudhury concluded at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Sunday evening. Theatre and Film Department of BSA organised the festival tiled “Shaheed Munier Choudhury Natya Utsab 2014” from May 9 to 11 to remember Munier Choudhury, a trendsetter of modern Bangla theatre.
The festival featured five new productions from the theatre departments of five universities: Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University. All of the plays staged during the fest were written and translated by Munier Choudhury.
The festival opened on Friday with the Theatre and Performance Studies Department of Dhaka University staging “Manush.” Written against the backdrop of 1947's communal riots, the play presents a rare example of communal harmony. On the second day, Theatre and Theatrics Department of Jahangirnagar University staged their production “Ek Tala Dotala” while Theatre and Performance Studies Department of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University staged “Mukhora Romoni'r Boshikoron” – the Bangla adaptation of Shakespearean comedy “The Taming of the Shrew.”
On the concluding day, Dramatics Department of Chittagong University and Theatre and Music Department of Rajshahi University staged “Jonok” and “Moharaj” respectively. “Jonok”, the Bangla adaptation of August Strindberg's play “The Father”, revolves around the conflict of interest between retired army personnel Captain Adolf and his wife Laura over raising their daughter Bertha, depicting the power of a woman's will in a male-dominated society. Laura, a suppressed woman goes against all the conventions of the society and his overpowering atheist husband so that she can raise Bertha the way she wants. Laura traps her husband gradually, leading him to insanity and ultimately death, to win the decision over their daughter's future.
However, the play somewhat victimises men and sheds light on the negativity of women and their manipulating power.
Directed by Farzana Afrin Rupa, the play boasts powerful, witty dialogues and the acting of characterisation of the Captain was commendable. All the characters on stage were lively, and the minimalistic stage design was ideal for the Experimental Theatre Hall.