By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 6 Mar: After a gap of many years in Uttarakhand ‘National School of Drama’ will organise an Intensive Theatre Workshop, under its Extension Program, to impart training on various aspects of theatre, focusing on acting. This is beginning on 8 March and will continue till 8 April, in the campus of Olympus High, on G.M.S.Road,Dehradun.
Faculty includes some experts of national and international repute. Some well known film personalities, also graduated from NSD, have been invited. So far, National Film Award winner Seema Biswas of ‘Bandit Queen’ fame, has consented to take some acting classes. She is a gold medalist in acting from NSD too.
Prof. D.R. Ankur, Prof. Kirti Jain (both Ex.Directors of NSD), and 2 working professors of NSD will also come to teach for some days.
This workshop, scheduled to begin in February, was postponed in honour of the Martyrs of Pulwama incident.
It is for the first time in Uttarakhand that a full length play will be produced in an NSD workshop with trainees. A new play based on historical events, enriched with lyrics, music, choreography and impressive acting, will be shown in 15 cities across the country under an ambitious plan.
The script depicting pride of Uttarakhand in 17th century during Mughal period is penned by a promising playwright Kamal Rawat. ‘Garh Gaatha Mughal Shehzada’ is an authentic document of human values, principles, political ambitions and conflict between tolerance and bigotry. Selection of participants will be through an audition on 7th March, from 1.00 to 6:00 PM (also on 8th from 1.00 to 3:00 PM) in Olympus School. Youth of Uttarakhand will be given preference.
On 8th March, after inauguration at 4:00 PM, ‘Uttarakhand-Ratna’ Narendra Singh Negi will deliver the inaugural lecture on “Enriching theatre with folk elements”.
So far the event has received consent from Prof. D.R. Ankur, Prof. Kirti Jain (both Ex.Directors of NSD), Prof.Abhilash Pillai, Dr Swarna Rawat, Sudarshan Juyal (NSD and FTII), Basavalingaiah Basu (presently Director of NSD’s Bengaluru Centre)and others as faculty.
Also invited are important personalities from Uttarakhand. Himanshu B. Joshi (a director and light designer based in Delhi), Prof.D.R.Purohit (on folk theatre of Uttarakhand), Shri Ram Lal (use of puppetry in theatre and acting), Dr Manoj Rangarh (acting and meditation) etc. will be the regional faculty.
Kunal Shamsher Malla will be the Chief Coordinator of this workshop, Satish Sharma (an actor and journalist) the Production Controller of the play, Virendra Uniyal the Classes Coordinator, Anurag Verma and Sanjay Badoni as Associate Directors, and Shrish Dobhal the Camp Director of the workshop.
The workshop will be presented on behalf of National School of Drama, by Shailnat theatre group of Uttarakhand.
