Khurda: Since the past 15 years, Natya Chetana organizes a People’s Theatre Festival to spread social awareness by using theatre art forms. The festival commenced on the 10th of November and continued till the 16th of the month. This year, the theme of the festival was “future”. Performances were staged on the future of environment/water, Adivasi tribes, humanity, Folk theatre and theatre artists.
Natya Chetana or Theatre for Awareness is a non-profit making, theatre organisation known in the field of theatre art as well as in the developmental sector. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Situated in Khurda, some 30 kilometers away from Bhubaneswar, Mr Subodh Pattanaik dreamt of building a Natya Gram or a Theatre village in 1990, which included Natya Ashram – Training Institute. Natya Gyan – Documentation and Museum, Natya Lipi – Publication House, Natyashala – Theatre Production Unit, Natya Mandap – Performance Stage, Nata Hata – Theatre Market, Natya Chetana - The Administrative and Coordination unit, Natya Nivas - The residential complex for about 20 families, and a Guest House. A lot of it has become reality.
Mr Subodh Pattanaik, the founding director of Natya Chetana says that this year he is happy with the organization of the festival. Though there is always a scope for improvement, he adds. He said, “The major return that we get is psychological. We win many hearts. This year there were as many as 41 foreigners who took part in theatre festival.”
This year, the focus was on folk and traditional art forms. Stage plays “Paani” by the students of Bajirout Chattrabas in Angul, “Shosha”, “Kaatha” by Natya Chetana and “Maankada” by Uttayani Club from Jatni, “Prahallad Nataka” by Nrusingh Natha Natya Sangh. Ganjam and “Tartuffe” by the Korean Theatre personalities provided a distinct diversity to the fest.
The tribal dances of Odisha: “Kutra”, “Dhapadal” and “Sanchar Nata”, the puppet shows and group songs added to the flavor of the theatre festival. Everyday there was a Reflection Seminar in which the previous day’s performances were analysed and people could give their feedbacks in form of appreciations or criticisms.
Different workshops related to theatre were also organized every morning, which helped in adding to the knowledge of theatre. Special speeches eminent theatre personalities were also conducted in order to fully utilize the time.
Ms Marie Van Bakelan(69) from the Netherlands said, “This is the third time I’m attending the Theatre Festival after 1996 and 2005. This time there are more traditional and folk art forms compared to the previous years which had more performances from abroad.” She added that she would like to see some more of martial art, classical dance and puppetry the next time. She also said that she would like to be here at Natya Chetana’s 25th Anniversary.
The Nata Hata or the theatre market every evening is a novel way to promote theatre articles and different forms of art itself.
As Pattrick Navatte, a French director who works in Belgium puts it, “I really enjoyed this festival with so many different kinds of performances. We organize street theatre festival back home also but it is not in the same spirit. It is very professional and does not give a family like feel as Natya Gram.” Despite being a foreigner, language was not much a problem for him as long as a sufficient background about the play was provided. Patrick’s team from Belgium includes 9 people who do stage plays as well as paintings.
Natya Chetana is the only theatre group of Odisha which developed its own style of scoring intimate spaces to produce long plays for urban audiences. That is how it carries its theatre to any town where even there is no auditorium.
All the plays of Natya Chetana are inspired by true stories and incidents that take place in someone’s life in some place of Odisha. In the past 25 years, it has definitely come a long way.
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