Rallies, street plays, stage performances, and sharing of experiences were all part of World Theatre Day events in Kozhikode on Wednesday. Several cultural groups took initiative to remind the city of its theatre legacy.
Drishya, an organisation that had launched Save Drama Campaign a few years ago, conducted a proclamation rally with the participation of theatre personalities. Actors Kozhikode Narayanan Nair, Kuttyedathi Vilasini, and Savithri Sreedharan and director Jaishankar Pothuvath shared their experiences at a public meeting later.
Kuttyedathi Vilasini spoke about her second coming to theatre through the play Kunthi under the banner of Drishya, while Savithri Sreedharan explained how her debut in cinema after a long theatre stint became fruitful. Jaishankar Pothuvath, whose play Kuthiyavarkkalla Kunthathinanu Siksha was also staged, spoke about the need for an initiative like Save Drama Campaign.
“People no longer pay to watch plays. This situation should change. Youngsters who can act should be able to make a living out of theatre instead of knocking at the doors of cinema,” he said.
Nanma, a State-level body of artistes, staged a street play titled The mask before the Central Library. The character of the ‘mask seller’ carrying masks displaying various emotions caught the fantasy of the crowd.
The play spoke of masks one wears in daily life and urged one and all to drop their masks. Gangadharan Ayadathil, Kumar Palath, Varijakshan, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Ajitha Nambiar played various characters. The play was written and directed by Shibu Moothatt.
Maratha Cafe, an independent adaptation by Murali Menon of Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter, directed by filmmaker Ranjith, was staged at the Tagore Centenary Hall.
Murali Menon and Manu Jose played the only two characters in the play presented by Space (G. Shankara Pillai Arts and Cultural Ensemble), a collective of Mr. Pillai’s disciples.