Dhaka Drama Festival 2004

A scene from a puppet show at the end of the play

Preview
Dhaka Padatik's plays revolve around people who are struggling for their livelihood. S M Solaiman's satirical play Inggit is no exception to this trend. In the play, the dramatist focuses on people who confront social discrimination and calls for a change. In the play, he mocks our education system, politics, administration, cinema, and the government. The play ends with a satirical puppet show.

Experimental Theatre Stage
A new experiment
Last year, the Film and Drama department of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy opened the Experimental Theatre Stage. This is the first ever facility of its kind in the country, where the theatrical groups can stage an experimental production.

The Stage Manager of the externally and internally well-fashioned theatre hall Arif Haidar said, 'The theatre hall as well as the two make-up rooms-for men and women artistes- are well decorated and centrally air conditioned. The artistes from the make-up room can hear the performance on the stage, which is not available in other theatre halls in Bangladesh. There is enough space for an orchestra inside the hall. In fact, the hall is an ideal one for staging plays. We also provide free light system, sound system for the groups. The hall has the capacity for 300 persons.'

Engineer Shukdeb Das, who is involved with the Experimental Theatre Stage, said, 'This is a part of the project. Another hall will be opened within a month. We have designed the project, taking ideas from the modern theatre halls of some developed countries of the world.'

Ali Ahmed, the set designer of the hall said, 'The Experimental Theatre Stage is a flexible one. It can be converted to proscenium stage, arena stage, thrust stage or any other type of stage for the experimental production by changing the seat arrangement or the frames of the stage. However, we have to do it manually that is why it takes time to do it perfectly.'

Light designer of the stage Mohammad Jasimuddin said, 'The light system of the theatre hall is imported. We provide 175 lights, which are sufficient for any play. We also provide other required facilities.'

Schedules (June 18-25)
June 18
Play: Inggit
Playwright-Director: S M Solaiman
Group: Dhaka Padatik

June 19
Play: Pejgi
Playwright: Apu Aman
Director: Kamruzzaman Tupa
Group: Shattik Natyasampradaya

June 20
Play: Birsa Munda
Playwright: Arup Dev
Director: Alak Anwar
Group: Dhaka Theatre Mancha

June 21
Play: Aranya Jonaranya
Playwright: Indu Saha
Director: Sanjib Chakraborty
Group: Nattyafouj

June 22
Play: Shoroshi
Playwright: Sarat Chandra Chattapadhyay
Director: Mostofa Heera
Group: Shanglap Group Theatre

June 23
Play: Shadhucharan
Playwright: Chandan Sen
Director: Ratan Saha
Group: Pratidwandi Nattyagoshthi

June 24
Play: Bhabaghurey
Playwright: Shantanu Biswas
Director: Tarun Kumar Basu
Group: Theatre (Topkhana)

June 25
Play: Hat Hadai
Playwright: Selim Al Deen
Director: Nasiruddin Yousuff
Group: Dhaka Theatre

Venue: Experimental Theatre Stage at Shilpakala Academy; Time: 7 pm
Tickets are available at Sagar Publishers, Baily Road and at the venue before shows.
Prices: Tk. 30, Tk. 50 and Tk. 100.