Eighth National Children's Theatre Festival '07 ends
80 troupes participate
Cultural Correspondent
The Eighth National Children's Theatre Festival 2007 ended on June 29. The closing ceremony was held at the Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium, Public Library. The fifteen-day festival, which began on June 15, with around 80 troupes from all over the country, received steady applause from the audience. A total of 74 plays were staged at the festival. Chief guest at the event was Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui. Noted personalities Ataur Rahman, General Secretary, ITI, Bangladesh; Jhuna Chowdhury, Secretary General, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation and theatre personality Shajahan Shah were present as special guests. The ceremony was divided into two sessions. The first session featured an award giving ceremony, which was followed by a discussion. Like the previous year, People's Theatre Association(PTA) awarded Manchokuri Padak 2007 to 100 children who performed at the theatre festival. This year PTA gave away six special awards to Abdul Hai (playwright), Toufiq Hassan Moyna (director), Sheikh Mehdi Hassan Saju (organiser), Begum Mumtaz Hossain (for contributions in children's theatre) and to Kishor Theatre Association, Dhaka (for contributions in children's theatre). PTA also awarded two special awards. This was the Mancha Mukul award which went to Sheikh Zahid of Bibarton Jessore and Mancho Shena award which went to Sherajul Alam of Faridpur. Three plays Amader Khela Ghor--Amader Pathshala, Uchango Shangeet and Rastar Chhele were staged on the last day, prior to the closing ceremony. Also in the morning, a seminar on Children's Theatre in Bangladesh, its future and obstacles, was held at the seminar room, Central Public Library.
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A young participant receives a certificate from Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui. PHOTO: STAR |
