Nataka Kar-Nataka

Ranga sapthami, A week-long theatre fest that celebrates the lives, culture and colours of everyone that calls Karnataka home, is a must attendu00a0
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They say theatre reflects the society it depicts and that's how things should be, at least when fiction decides to give way to real life stories. As a part of a festival celebrating Kannada theatrical traditions, Kriyative Theatre is organising Ranga Sapthamiu00a0-- a weeklong Kannada theatre festival at Ranga Shankara starting February 16.



"Kannada has a very rich literary tradition, which we thought we should portray through the medium of theatre," says Laxmi Chandrashekhar, the Founder and Managing Trustee of Kriyative Theatre. "It is especially for the middle class audience, who at times, need be exclusively catered to, because of the elitist tag that theatre has saddeningly seemed to earn. We hope more people turn out in huge numbers to enjoy this week-long festival."

The festival features six plays, playing through to Sunday...

February 16
Gundaayana
Based on a novel by Na Kausturi, the two protagonists play ten characters. Gundappa is an honest person, who hates taking bribes and hence becomes unpopular with his boss and colleagues. Meanwhile, he has a family of a four-year-old son, a wife and a mother. Fed up with the daily issues in office and at home, he turns to a guru, who is a fraud. The humorous narrative shows how Gundappa battles these problems and more.

February 17
Heegaadre Hege?
Upcoming playwright KY Narayana Swami scripted this play based on the writings of well-known Kannada humourist, T Sunandamma. The play will have performances of familiar television and theatre artistes like Sunder and Laxmi Chandrashekhar.

February 18
Aadaddella Olithe
Bhageerathi and Kapanipathi is a middle-aged couple. Their grown up son and daughter live in distant cities. The son invites them to Mumbai while the daughter expresses her desire to visit home with her French husband. Bhageerathi wants to go to Mumbai as she has always wanted to exercise her power as the mother-in-law, while Kapanipathi wants to subject his French son-in-law through the torture he experienced during his first Deepavali at the in-laws' house. However, both of them are in for surprises.

February 19
Singaarevva and the Palace
This is an adaptation of the novel Singaarevva Mattu Aramane by Dr Chandrashekara Kambara. The narrative depicts the predicament of women in North Karnataka's feudal society through Singaarevvau00a0-- a village lass. Her greedy father, an impotent husband and an obsessive lover make her life miserable. However, soon she rises and decides to take revenge against these men. A feminist narrative, the play is a must watch.

February 20
Kittalemane Kaveri
An adaptation of Emily of Emerald Hill, by Stella Kon, a pioneer playwright from Singapore, this play debuts at the festival. Through a monodrama, it shows the culture and values of Coorgis (Kodavas), a tribal warrior community in Karnataka's Coorg (Kodagu) District. Kaveri becomes a very powerful woman in a conservative aristocratic family but as time passes, she slowly ends up losing all her near and dear ones and becomes a lonely woman. Narrated in sensitive manner, it shows how globalization affects the position of women in a patriarchal society.

February 21
Ratnan Parpancha
The play is based on interesting anecdotes from the life and works of the author G P Rajaratnam. It is directed by Joseph while Laxmi Chandrashekar and Sundar play the lead roles. The last play at the festival, we're sure you don't want to miss this one at least, you busy bees.

At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar
On from February 16 to 21, 7.30 pm onwards
Call 2649 3982
Ticket Rs 70