Guwahati, Dec 14: As Badungduppa Kalakendra at Rampur in Goalpara district of Assam steps into the silver jubilee year of existence next year, the organisation is welcoming theatre, art and culture lovers for the 14th edition of the ‘Under the Sal Tree’ theatre festival.
The unique festival, acclaimed internationally for its ecofriendly setup amid Sal tree plantation, will be held on December 15, 16 and 17. The festival is organised completely under natural settings – with no artificial devices, not even a microphone to enhance the voice of the actors. The organisers use only bamboo and straw to build the stage and the sitting arrangements for the spectators.
As the festival, started by Late Sukracharjya Rabha, one of the widely respected theatre personalities of the region, hosts the 14th edition, the Badungduppa Kalakendra looks forward to the Silver Jubilee year 2024 – celebrating the arduous journey of relentless experimentation with theatre as art form since day one.
“It has not been a cakewalk for us. Challenges were many but so immaculate was your support that it made everything seem possible and most significantly unforgettable. Your unconditional love during this journey of many ups and downs spanning a period of over two long decades have always been a testament of immense inspiration and true comradeship. Let us take the pleasure of extending our gratitude for your support and goodwill on the eve of celebrating 25 years of existence,” said Badungduppa Kalakendra managing director Madan Rabha.
In the three days of the unique festival, five plays will be staged. On the inaugural day on December 15, a Rabha language play called ‘Madaiah Muchi’ directed by Sukracharjya Rabha will be performed by Badungduppa Kalakendra.
In the afternoon, Bengali play ‘Srijon Hobe Kabe’ by scriptwriter and director Bidyutjit Chakraborty will be staged by Kalabhumi, Agartala.
On December 16, ‘Pala Kuntala’, a Bengali play by Chena Adhuli, West Bengal, will be staged. The script and direction are by Rajat Das. Later in the afternoon, Assamese play ‘Ratnakar’ will be performed by Purbaranga, Guwahati. The script and direction are by Gunakar Dev Goswami.
On December 17, Chhattisgarhi and Hindi play ‘Charandas Chor’ will be performed by Naya Theatre, Bhopal. The play is directed by Habib Tanvir.
On all days, the plays will be followed by discussions in the evening amid bonfire.
