Theatre Festival begins in Mymensingh

With the staging of “Rother Roshi” by Palakar, a theatre group from Dhaka, the five-day Dhaka Divisional Theatre Festival began at Mymensingh Shilpakala Academy Auditorium on June 22.
The drama festival is being organised as part of a countrywide programme, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.
International Theatre Institute (ITI), Bangladesh; Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF) jointly organised the festival being assisted by the Cultural Affairs Ministry.
The play, “Rother Roshi', written by Tagore, has been directed by Shamim Sagor.
Five theatre groups -- two each from Dhaka and Mymensingh -- and one from Jamalpur will stage five plays written by Tagore. “Kaaler Jatra” by Padatik Natya Sangsad from Dhaka; “Rajputanir Mahal” and “Shasthi” by Bahurupi Natya Sangstha and Bidrohi Natya Goshthi of Mymensingh, “Bisharjan” by Amrita Theatre, Jamalpur will be staged at the festival, said Khorshidul Alam, coordinator of the celebration committee and office secretary of BGTF.
A discussion was held at the inaugural programme. Additional Deputy Magistrate of Mymensingh, Dr. Suvash Chandra Biswas, was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the celebration. Secretary, ITI, Deb Prasad Debnath, and secretary, BGTF, Jhuna Chowdhury were the special guests.
Cultural organiser Amir Ahmed Chowdhury Ratan inaugurated the festival. Shahadat Hossain Khan Hilu, presidium member of BGTF and secretary, Bahurui Natya Sangstha, presided over the event.
The speakers were of the view that culture is of prime importance and therefore it should find a firm place in a society fit for future generations. Theatre, they added, is a powerful means to prevent the continuous degradation of social values. Such a festival is a rare opportunity for local theatre artistes to showcase their talents, they also opined.