Patha natak festival begins today
Month-long theatre festival ahead
Cultural correspondent
Good news for theatre enthusiasts. An eight-day patha natak (street drama) festival starts today at two venues: Central Shaheed Minar premises and Rabindra Sarobar near Dhanmondi Lake. The Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF), in association with Bengal Foundation, has arranged the festival. Eminent educationist Sardar Fazlul Karim will inaugurate the festival today at the Central Shaheed Minar premises. Aktaruzzaman, programme secretary of BGTF, said, "Each year BGTF arranges a patha natak festivalespecially in the February-March season, as these two months have a significance in our national life. Last year we arranged the festival in March to observe our Independence Day. This year we have arranged the festival in February to commemorate the Language martyrs. "45 theatre groups from all over the country are taking part in the festival, of which 18 are from Dhaka. A few prominent theatre groups of the country like Theatre (Baily Road), Aranyak Natya Dal, Mahakal, Prachyanut, Samay Sanskritik Goshthi, and others will stage patha natak in the festival. Each day five plays will be staged at each of the venues. The duration of the street drama is less than 40 minutes." On the forthcoming programmes of BGTF, Aktar said, " The Chittagong Division Council of BGTF will arrange the programme, which includes a 17-daylong drama festival, starting from February 12 at Shilpakala Academy in Chittagong. Theatre groups from all over Chittagong division will participate in the festival." Aktar added that, following a discussion between the leaders of BGTF and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the former has plans to arrange a month-long theatre festival at the newly built National Theatre Stage. Going by the favourable turn out at its Experimental Theatre Stage, these initiatives of BGTF seem set for success.
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