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Paramparih Natya Samaroh

Festival of Traditional Theatres of India

28 March - 11 April, 2003

Assam . Nagaland . Meghalaya . Manipur . Arunachal Pradesh

Traditional theatre forms, though varied linguistically, are characterized by several features which they share in common. If they happen to display a wide variety of presentational styles, they also possess important narrative and contextual similarities, a high level of stylization and ritualized performance traditions. Epics, the Puranas, the regional folk-tales and ballads, form a common thread.

All the varied traditions seem to have an inbuilt mechanism of acceptance of change, of modification and dynamism, within a well-defined system of unity in their artistic vision. This also results in continuity despite the changes through the centuries.

Sangeet Natak Akademi has planned an important series of festivals of traditional theatres of India to be presented in the north-eastern States including Sikkim. More than 25 important forms of traditional and folk theatre from different States will be featured together with traditional forms of the respective States of the North-East. These will include such well-known traditions as Tamasha of Maharashtra, Bhavai of Gujarat, Yakshangana of Karnataka, Therukoothu of Tamil Nadu, Nautanki of Uttar Pradesh, Prahlad Natak of Orissa, and so on. Together with performances, there will be lecture-demonstrations and interaction sessions with local theatre workers and scholars. The first phase of the festivals in the series will be held at Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tezpur (Assam), Dimapur (Nagaland), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), and Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh).

We do hope that the festival will have a significant impact both in terms of national integration through the artis and development of theatre traditions in the region. In this process, the youth of the North-East would conceivably have an important role to play. We have been fortunate to receive the collaboration of all the State Governments of the region and also the North-East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur. The Department of Culture, Government of Assam, is playing a major role in co-ordinating the festival not only in Assam but also in the other States.

The first phase of the festival in this series is being held from 28th March to 17th April, 2003; the second phase will follow soon in the States of Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim.

28th March 2003

JAYANT KASTUAR

Secretary,

Sangeet Natak Akademi

New Delhi

 Programme

28 March - 2 April

GUWAHATI

Rabindra Bhavan, 6 p.m.

1 - 3 April

DIMAPUR

Town Hall, 4 p.m.

3-5 April

SHILLONG

Crinoline Swimming Pool, 4 p.m.

4-5 April

DIBRUGARH

India Club Auditorium, 6 p.m.

6-7April

TEZPUR

Wan Stage, 6 p.m.

8-10 April

IMPHAL

Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, 6 p.m.

9-11 April

ITANAGAR

Sidharth Hall, 6 p.m.

LECTURE DEMONSTRATION AND INTERACTION SESSIONS (10 A.M. DAILY)

PARTICIPATING GROUPS

Prahlad Natak (Orissa), Krishna Chandra Sahu a Party, Ganjam

Therukoothu (Tamil Nadu), Purisai Duraisami Kannappa Thambiran Parambarai Therukoothu Manram, Chennai

Ankia Nat (Assam), Jatin Goswami & Party, Guwahati

Sri Krishna Parijat (Karnataka), Mallikarjuna Mudakavi & Party, Hospet

Tamasha (Maharashtra), Sheikh Jainu Chand & Party, Mumbai

Nautanki (Uttar Pradesh), Ankur Natya Samiti, Allahabad

Karyala (Himachal Pradesh), Karyala Natya Dal, Shimla

Khyal (Rajasthan), Banshilal Khiladi S Party, Jodhpur

Oggukatha (Andhra Pradesh), Chukka Sathaiah & Party, Warangal

Natua Nach (Bihar), Batohi, Bihar Lokvidya Sansthan, Saharsa

Gambhira (West Bengal), Kutubpur Gambhira Dal, Malda

Nacha (Chhattisgarh), Ravilal Sangde Nacha Party, Bhopal

Bhand Pather (Jammu & Kashmir), National Bhand Theatre, Kashmir

and TRADITIONAL FORMS FROM NORTH-EAST REGION.