Theatre treat at Orchid School fest in Pune

The two-day Orchid School Theatre Festival, beginning on April 1, will bring some noteworthy works of theatre to Pune.

Speaking about the festival, Laxmi Kumar, director of Orchid School said, “I think schools are beyond exams and syllabus. Parents and teachers make a great impact on children and hence, they should be exposed to such works of theatre. We have the privilege of space, so I think it should be utilised properly. Our aim is to make an impact and redefine the meaning of school by
hosting this kind of theatre festival.’’

On April 1, a play titled Mathemagician will be showcased, directed by Gowri Ramnarayan from Chennai. It is a mono-drama which interweaves dialogue, music and poetry to transport the audience to Babylon in 500 BC, the commercial centre of the ancient world.

“Earlier, we staged this play at the National School of Drama’s Bharatrang Mahotsav in New Delhi. This mythological play has a sub-text of live music with thumri, ghazal and geet belonging to the Radha-Krishna and Sufi genres. One can relate to the current scenario when you watch this play,’’ says Ramnarayan.

On April 2, the play Sarpa Sutra, which unfolds a story from the Mahabharat, will be staged. “This play is my second play on poet Arun Kolatkar, who I think is the finest poet of our age. It is a tale of revenge and counter-revenge, flaming into a cycle of violence that threatens to destroy earth,’’ adds Gowri.

For Sarpa Sutra, two versions of the story will run on parallel tracks, one by the magisterial voice of Vyasa in Sanskrit and the other by sardonic Kolatkar in English.

The festival is being brought to Pune by Justus Repertory Production and will be hosted at the Orchid School, Baner. The plays are meant for those above 18 years.