Children love to hear folk tales and indentify themselves with the heroes who fight against injustice. If these stories are enacted by children for children, their fascination for folk characters brought vividly alive on the stage, becomes all the more intense. This is precisely what happened this past week at Shri Ram Centre when Sahitya Kala Parishad in collaboration with the Department of Education, Delhi Government organised four-day cultural festival titled Natkhat Utsav. Based on folk tales adapted in the course of a one-month long theatre workshop, these unpretentious theatrical pieces radiated the otherwise dull theatre landscape in the high summer.
Conducted by experienced theatres artistes, the workshop took place in 10 schools. About 500 children participated in the workshop. No fee was charged. The expertise of the selected directors was reflected in the way they dealt with the large cast, creating multiple stage compositions with ease leading the action to a gripping climax, conveying moral message. One of the highlights of these productions was the excitement they evoked. This is a significant effort to provide a platform to children in such a large number. Also, it is a great step to build up theatre audience.
One of the plays featured at the festival was “Anokha Vardan” which was presented by Government Girls Senior Higher Secondary School, Biswasan under the direction of Atul Jassi, a talented-actor-director assisted by Deepak Pandey. It has fun, pathos and a message about the dire consequences of greed. The entire action takesplace in the temple ground with the idols of Krishna and Radha adorning the temple. After the devotees leave the temple, Radha becomes angry with Krishna for not doing anything to mitigate the miseries of a beggar who is not able to provide adequate food for his daughter. Krishna assures Radha that his good days are about to come. A miser with vast wealth hiding behind a temple pillar overhears the dialogue between Radha and Krishna. He becomes determined to rob the beggar of the wealth he is likely to get in the near future. Despite all his cunning, he is trapped in his own web of conspiracy and forced to give a big amount to the beggar. The moral of the parable is effectively conveyed; the children in the auditorium feeling elevated to see that the miser with malafide intensions is rightly punished.
The adaptation of a folk tale entitled “Bhola” presented by Government Senior Secondary School, Shalimar Bagh depicts the story of a villager who is at war with the entire village. His name is Bhola, the-innocent and his rivals considering themselves clever, are jealous of his good fortune. In a number of episodes Bhola outsmarts his rivals and keeps becoming richer and richer. In the final encounter, his rivals obsessed with the desire to become rich, jump into a river full of water flowing swiftly. The director has treated his production with a light-hearted touch with children performing with spontaneity. The play is directed by Avinash Singh who is assisted by Bhawna Taneja.
Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya No.1, Keshavpuram presented “Shaap Ya Vardaan” directed by Mukesh Jha and assisted by Yogesh Sharma. A parable, the story has the element of king Midas and golden touch. Set in the Indian situation, the king of an unknown kingdom has a morbid desire to be the topmost ruler to own greatest treasure of gold. His wish is granted, but it ruins his life. Now that he has learnt his lesson, he goes back to the forest to meet fairies beseeching them to take back their boon and transform him into a human king in love with the world. This is a story kids loved most. Its enactment on the stage offered the children in the auditorium much pleasure.
Assisted by Varun Sharma, directed by Manuj Saikia who was assisted by Varun Sharma, “Bach Gaya Re” deals withclever wild animals and their interaction with an ageing farmer couple. In the final confrontation the wild animals run for their lives who were conspiring to eat up the old woman returning from her daughter's home. It shows that to be crafty does not pay all the time.
Vikas Bahari's “Amrood Ki Bagiya” presented by Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalya Arambagh, Paharganj focuses on the fact that wit and folk wisdom are powerful vehicles to combat forces of oppression. Assisted by Pooja Dhyani, Bahari's narrative is too simple and naïve to make his characters creditable. Presented by Sarvoday Girls School Number 1, Bholanath Nagar, Shahdara, under the direction of Ashish Sharma who was assisted by Ashima Khanna, “Chaar Dost” is the riveting drama about the trials and tribulations of four friends who leave their homes for the sake of their friendship. It has conflict, greed and sense of self-abnegation — all culminating in bonhomie.
Retold by Hari Suman Bisht, eminent Hindi fiction writer, “Laata-the-dumb” is a folk tale from Uttarakhand which depicts the injustice done by Laata's brothers. They grab the property that rightfully belongs to him. Directed by Himmat Singh Negi, presented by Girls Senior Secondary School No. 3, Badarpur, though Laata is the herot he does not struggle against injustice. Moved by the plight of Laata, Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati take up the cudgels on his behalf, destroying the perpetrators of blatant injustice, securing a happy and prosperous future for Laata. Ghazala Sehravat was the assistant director. “Kuan Ka Raaj” staged by Government Girls Senior Higher Secondary School, Badarpur under the direction of Amir Khan and assisted by Rahul Sharma, is a comic exposure of a village which is victim of superstitions. It offers moment of fun and wit. In the final act the villagers realise that it is because of their lack of rational thinking which is responsible for their sorry condition.
