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Chinese folklore makes its way into Pune theatres
Shanxi Qinqiang opera group from China will be the highlight at the 4th Iapar international theatre festival which kicks off on November 7 at Jyotsana Bhole Sabhagruha, Tilak road
Bright costumes, elaborate headsets and make-up by the Shanxi Qinqiang opera group from China will be the highlight at the 4th Iapar (International Association for Performing Arts and Research) international theatre festival which kicks off on November 7 at Jyotsana Bhole Sabhagruha, Tilak road. Shekhar Sen, chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, will inaugurate the festival.
As part of the festival, a special screening of the film Edmond has been organised at National Film Archive of India (NFAI) on November 3. The festival will continue till November 12. The event is recognised by Unesco (United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organisation)-UNITWIN (University twinning and networking programme) network for higher education in performing arts and is an official festival of the Indian Centre of International Theatre Institute (ITI).
“It will be a treat for theatre aficionados to see the Chinese opera performance for the first time in Pune. It is a fantastic performance, visually appealing for their performance will have singing and traditional Chinese performance techniques,” said Vidyanidhee (Prasad) Vanarase, festival director, Iapar international theatre festival.
Opera Qinqiang is from Shanxi province in the north-west of China and will show a popular folklore story that has said to have taken place during the time of Song dynasty (1,000 years ago). Another country that is making its debut in Pune is state theatre from Georgia. “East Europe has a strong tradition of puppet theatre and is considered a regular performance in the country, where their plays are not just for children, but for adults as well. The group will be performing the story of a Georgian artist named Niko Pirosmani in a one act puppet show,” said Vanarase.
Besides these two countries, the six-day festival will also feature innovative performances from Germany, the US and India along with masterclasses and workshops by national and international theatre professionals, platform performances, a play-reading competition, and discussions.
“The idea is to build the intercultural exchange about and through the engaging medium of theatre, building relationships with diverse groups of theatre artists, and bringing original theatre from all around the world to Indian audiences,” said Aditi Venkateshwaran, festival secretary. The festival is supported by the Indian Centre of ITI; Lalit Kala Kendra (Gurukul), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU); Sangeet Natak Akademi; Maharashtra Cultural Centre; Kalachhaya Cultural Centre and Patheya.
