Shakespeare’s Tempest staged
Prachyanat School of Acting and Design, the academic wing of the popular theatre troupe, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. To observe the occasion as well as to award certificates to the latest batch of students, the school arranged a programme at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, on July15. The highlight of the programme was the staging of the William Shakespeare play “The Tempest”.
The day’s programme started with a musical event at the lobby of the National Theatre Hall. An effective multimedia presentation of the decade-long activities of the school caught the attention of the audience. The certificate giving ceremony was held inside the auditorium prior to the staging of the play. Among others, veteran theatre personalities Mamunur Rashid and Shimul Yousuf and chief of Prachyanat Azad Abul Kalam were present during the ceremony.
As “The Tempest” is translated into Bangla by Professor Zillur Rahman, the play was named “Duranta Jhanjha”. Shahidul Mamun was the director of the play.
The play circles around Prospero, former Duke of Milan and his daughter Miranda. They have been stranded for 12 years on an island after Prospero’s brother Antonio, helped by Alonso, the King of Naples, deposed them.
On the island, Prospero is served by a spirit, Ariel, whom Prospero had rescued from a tree in which he had been trapped by a witch.
The play opens as Prospero, having divined that his brother, Antonio, is on a ship passing close by the island, raises a tempest which causes the ship to run aground. Antonio’s son Ferdinand is separated from his father and meets Miranda and Prospero.
Prospero plots to forge a romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda. The two fall in love, but Prospero compels Ferdinand to become his servant, pretending that he regards him as a spy.
The play concludes with Prospero forgiving Alonso.
The cast of the play included Abu Faisal Ahmed, Farida Parveen, Md. Ruhul Amin, Rasheda Rakhi, Md.Raquibul Hasan and Mohammad Mamun Shobhani.
Saiful Islam did the set and light designing.
-With The Daily Star input
