Padatik's weeklong theatre festival begins today

Scenes from “Joldash” (left) and “Majhrater Manushera”. The plays will be stage at the festival.Photo: Mumit M.

A weeklong theatre festival by Padatik Natya Sangsad (TSC) begins today at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The festival marks the 88th birthday of the troupe's former president, the late Syed Badruddin Hossain. The festival features 14 plays by 13 troupes -- from Bangladesh and India.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs, Advocate Promod Mankin, will be present as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony. Kamal Lohani, director general, Shilpakala Academy; Ramendu Majumdar, president, ITI Worldwide and Liakat Ali Lucky, chairman, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation, will be present as special guests. The inaugural ceremony will also feature an award (named after Badruddin Hossain) giving ceremony.
Plays will be staged at two venues everyday, at National Theatre Hall and Experimental Theatre Hall.
On the first day, Dhaka Theatre will stage its production “Dhaboman” at the National Theatre Hall and Padatik will stage “Janomanko” at the Experimental Theatre Hall.
Among other local troupes, Natyachakra, Dhaka Padatik, Theatre (Bailey Road), Shilpakala Academy, Loko Natyadal, Subachan, Aranyak, Theatre (Arambagh) and Shomoy Sangskritik Goshthi will stage their productions.
The participating Indian troupes are Theatre Workshop and Ha Ja Ba Ra La. Theatre Workshop will stage two plays -- “Buro Shaliker Gharey Ro” and “Boshikaran” -- at National Theatre Hall, on April 8. Ha Ja Ba Ra La will stage “Hashey Osru Nodi” the following day at the same venue.
The festival will end on April 12 through staging of the Shilpakala Academy production “Shapath”.