Dhaka Theatre’s 40th anniversary celebrations programme will begin today afternoon through a seminar at the seminar room of
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Professor Afsar Ahmed will present the keynote paper at the seminar featuring the impact of Dhaka Theatre’s activities over the past four decades. He will also analyse the 30 years of activities of Gram Theatre, which is also a brain child of the Dhaka Theatre activists who formed Dhaka Theatre with the intention to present theatre in the light of the spirit of the war of independence.
Meanwhile, the current and once regular activists of the troupe are working hard at the rehearsal room of Bangladesh Shilapakala for the final touch of a collage production featuring segments of the remarkable theatrical performances produced by the troupe over the past four decades.
The collage will be displayed on July 29, the founding anniversary of the troupe.
A group of freedom fighters formed Dhaka Theatre on July 29, 1973. So far the troupe has produced about 30 stage plays and seven street theatre productions. More importantly, the troupe has developed a distinctive style based on the age old tradition of the performing art forms of the region.
The history of how the troupe developed its style will be presented through the collage performance featuring scenes from Dhaka Theatre’s first production Selim Al Deen’s Sangbad Cartoon to its last play Shakespeare’s The Tempest, said Nasiruddin Yousuff, the chief of Dhaka Theatre.
‘We have successfully established a new drama trend through our productions, which is completely based on the tradition of the region. Through our activities trendsetter playwright Selim Al Deen has been created,’ said Yousuff narrating the achievements of the troupe.
Commenting on the failure he said, ‘Well, we have failed to create a successor of Selim Al Deen. And again, we have failed to contain the interest of the once very popular actors of the troupe, who are at present busy with their individual projects.’
Nasiruddin Yousuff further said that the troupe would organise two more festivals this year. ‘We will organise a two-day festival marking Selim Al Deen’s birth anniversary. And then in November, we will organise a 10-day festival featuring our plays. Moreover, members of Gram Theatre will also present traditional performing art forms during the festival,’ Yousuff said.
-With New Age input
