Theatre enthusiasts can celebrate the end of the year by watching some fine plays as Nirantara Foundation, Mysuru, is back with its theatre festival — Nirantara Ranga Utsava-2018.
Kiru Rangamandira, located on the premises of Kalamandira complex, will host the annual theatre festival from Wednesday to Sunday. The Department of Kannada and Culture and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, are supporting the five-day theatre extravaganza.
The festival will be inaugurated at 6.15 p.m. on Wednesday. Former Rangayana director Chidambara Rao Jambe, district in-charge Minister G.T. Deve Gowda, and joint director for Kannada and Culture V.S. Mallikarjuna Swamy will be among those present. On the occasion, poet C. Sarvamangala, who was recently conferred the Rajyotsava award, will be felicitated. Prasad Kundur, theatre director, Niranthara, Mysuru, will be present.
A play titled ‘Mooru Kasina Sangeetha Nataka’ will be staged after the inaugural function. It is directed by Apoorna Anagalli and will be staged by the Natana School of Theatre at 7 p.m..
Mysuru Gururaj and team will present ‘Neelagara’ music on Thursday at 5.30 p.m. This will be followed by the staging of ‘Mokkam Post Bombilawadi’, a play directed by Ravindra Pujari and performed by artistes from Samasthi troupe, Bengaluru.
Keregodu’s Puttamuttamma and troupe will present ‘Tatvapada’ at 5.30 p.m. on Friday. A team from Ranga Surabhi, Baindoor will stage the Ganesh M.-directed ‘Chomana Dudi’ at 7 p.m.
Somana Kunita, a folk form, will be performed by Narasimharaju B.K. and team, Bevinahalli, Sira, at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday. ‘Modale Nenedevu’, a presentation of theatre songs from the theatre productions of Nirantara Foundation, will be presented at 7 p.m. Theatre personality Srinivas Bhat (Cheeni) has directed the presentation.
On the concluding day, K.V. Subbanna Samooha, Heggodu, will stage ‘Sandeha Samrajya’, directed by Manjunath L. Badiger, at 7 p.m., after the valedictory function.