“AhomTamosha”

“AhomTamosha” Featuring Darkness of Soul Ershad Kamol Natural instincts of human beings have been brought under the spotlight in Mahakal, Natyasamradaya's latest production Ahom Tamosha. Everybody in society is greedy, hypocrital, selfish and cruel, which has been presented aptly in young playwright Anon Zaman's drama. Every character in the play represents the darker side of society. The play Ahom Tamosha (darkness of the soul) begins with a scene from a nightmare scene where the protagonist; Rohel Mridha, awakes after dreaming that he was going to die and decides to confess all of his sins to his associates. At the outset, one might confuse the confessions of the diabolical Mridha with the clever storytelling of Arabian Nights. But analysing the structure of the play-- use of symbols, metaphors and style of narration it can be safely said that the play follows Selim Al Deen's style, who set a new trend of narration based on the indigenous performing art forms. In fact, Anon Zaman, who was a student of Al Deen, is highly influenced by his mentor, especially in case of narration and use of metaphysical conceits. The specialty of the play remains in its portrayal of real life images of the peripheral areas of urban life where many emerge as criminals due to a faulty social structure. Each night Rohel Mridha narrates a new story from his dark past and gives a clue of the following story to be told the following night. The stories feature his growing up as a diabolical character, his crimes, and his relationship with a harlot named Reboti who still lives with him but is in love with Mridha's bodyguard named Abdel. However, the Ahom Tamosha is not only the narration of dark pasts, rather, features the cruelty of Mridha in his last days of life. Reacting to the relationship between Abdel, his illegitimate son, and his mistress Reboti; the aging Rohel Mridha decides to kill Reboti. But, Anon Zaman's craftsmanship has a few flaws. The play is full of stories of hatred and violence, which sometimes appear a little exaggerated. Moreover, there is no relief for the audience in the play that makes it monotonous. Another major drawback of the play is Zaman's craftsmanship. He has used standard Bangla for narration and for dialogue of the characters portraying downtrodden people as well, but, some sentences are not grammatically jarringly incorrect. Distinguishing between present scenes, flashback scenes and imagined scenes is a major challenge for the director Azad Abul Kalam. The director has efficiently handled this. The smooth transition between scenes and effective use of physical acting are key features of Kalam's directorial compositions. He has handled well the visualising of several characters with a limited number of actors. Through the physical movements and mimetic gestures the actors have simulated the narratives. Doing that the actors with masks appear on the stage in case of enacting minor characters. In fact, Azad Abul Kalam has been using masks as an element of his directorial compositions for the plays after his recent visit to Japan. Even the movements of the actors on stage sometimes appear a repetition of the directorial compositions in earlier plays in many scenes. But the major challenge that the director faced in the play is that all of the actors except Meer Zahid Hasan performed in the play are inexperienced and young. Sometimes, it appears that the actors are just narrating on the stage without incorporating the aesthetic sentiment. And most of the actors struggle to articulate Anon Zaman's difficult diction. Except Ferdaus Ekram in the role of young Rohel Mridha and Rajnya Taslim as Abdel, none of the actors perform enthusiastically on the stage. Ekram's mimetic gestures go well to portray a cruel, pervert and emerging terrorist character. Rajnya Taslim also performs boldly to enact in the role of multidimensional character Abdel. Perhaps, it would not be an injustice to the troupe saying acting is the weakest part of the play. Similarly, set and light design of the play are not praiseworthy. Faiz Zahir's light and set designs are not effective, especially the set elements four rope made structures at the two wings of the stage have no use and appear as ornaments. His glass-made structure used at the centre of the stage is quite effective and handy for directorial compositions. But, there is room for improving light design particularly in the scenes portraying powerful narratives. Mahakal Natyasampradaya staged Ahom Tamosha on December 27 at the Experimental Theatre Stage, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. .Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2008

Moments of Drama in Stills

Sabira Manir

The importance of our theatre cannot be emphasised enough. Bangladeshi theatre has earned a fair amount of commendation largely due to a few individuals who have selflessly dedicated to the development of theatre.

Kamal Uddin Kabir who lives for theatre. He is passionate about directing, often designing the sets when necessary. It's natural that he would have a particular interest about theatre. Ten years ago he came up with the idea that the plays staged in the theatre should be preserved in photographs. So, he chose photography. At some point he discovered that the still photography of those theatre-moments has been able to draw people's attention. He came to realise that those who are already in Proscenium or are about to enter the field of theatre have got to witness those theatre-moments as still photography. He expects that these photos will shed light on the theatre practice of today and will cater to the thinking process of future theatre-activists.

In order to realise his dream, Bengal Shilpalay arranged an exhibition inaugurated on July 3. Noted artiste Mustafa Monwar inaugurated the event, Wolfgang Vollaman, UNESCO representative in Bangladesh was present as the special guest.

Theatre activists, drama teacher, set designer and director Kabir has been photographing stage performances, both in the city and in villages for over ten years. The photographs not only highlight urban theatre but also folk theatre performances, such as Palagan, Satya Pirer Gan, Manasha Mangal, Alkap and more.

About his work, Kabir says, “At the end of any theatrical production, we are left only with memories of the stage. To get an overall impression of the production, documentation is a must. Theatre photographs reflect whether compositions were complete or not. Through photographs we can get a complete idea of the discourses delivered though movements on the stage. A photograph keeps the productions alive even after years of its staging.”

The photographs in the exhibition are far more effective than words could be. Every image is bustling with life, energy and a brilliant display of light shadows. All have their own stories to tell. Kabir's pictures don't high light the face of a performer. Kabir rather focuses on the totality of presentation. He likes to take in the whole ambience of the stage and capture the drama, the dynamism and the depth of a particular moment. Kabir does not only focus on the stage. His camera often zooms on the faces in the audience. In his photographs the members of the audience are not just onlookers; they are active elements in the total scenario of a theatre production.

The photographs of Kabir's solo exhibition bring together a diverse range of theatre activities group theatre plays, academic work by the theatre departments of our universities and folk performances. These have all been shot in action while the performances were going on. The photographs are therefore moving, as against frozen images of our theatre.

Despite a positive response of the exhibition from the audience, Kabir adds, “Arranging photo exhibitions only are not going to serve the whole purpose of the endeavour. Apart from this, organisations like Group Theatre Federation, Bengal Shilpalaya can publish Albums of Thetre Photography.”

In future, Kabir wants to arrange an exhibition focusing the folk drama mainly because he thinks that the techniques of all performances have evolved from folk drama. Therefore if we can uphold and nurture the basic elements of folk drama, we can upgrade our modern theatre. “Theatre photography should be encouraged and considered essential in the total theatrical culture” Kabir asserts.

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2006

Experimental theater Hall Rules of using the Hall

Purpose:
1.1. The national theater of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy was built to fulfill the following purpose
1.1.1. Overall encouragement, advancement, development and expansion of drama
1.1.2. To lay ground for perfect drama performance
1.1.3. To ensure physical infrastructure for staging theater of appropriate facilities for the drama workers
1.1.4. To encourage more theater performance for the drama artist and workers
1.1.5. To gradually establish drama work as a productive vocation and to promote drama of Bangladesh to an international height
1.1.6. To ensure sharing of knowledge and experiences of the public and private university students of drama
1.1.7. To establish a centre for exchange of views for all drama artists and drama works at the national level
1.1.8. To enhance drama as an art for all the drama lovers and workers to reach the cherished goal on drama
1.1.9. To fulfill the cherished dream of al drama workers by setting a stage with all modern amenities for drama in the country.

2. Policy
2.1. The experimental theater Hall may be used for staging drama, training on theater, workshop on drama, musical drama, dance drama, mime performance or for performance of audio drama.  The hall can also be used for recitation show or performance related to audio drama as well.
2.2 The Experimental theater hall will not mean the main theater hall having main national theater hall of 750-seat, or Academy or the premise of the Theater complex or any other rooms place or space.
2.3. The experimental theater hall can be used for the three following purposes of staging dramas, which can be used according to the need of the drama or as needed by the authorities staging the drama.
3.2.1. Proscenium stage
3.2.2. Arena stage
3.2.3. Side stage
2.4. As a matter of general term the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy can use the experimental theater hall 7 in a month. For rest of the days the other theater groups can will be allowed to use the facilities. However, programs of Academy Drama festivals or the drama workers will get the importance and priority.   During those days which are reserved for use of the Academy, and not in use, the Director General can allocate those days for use by other drama group’s use or performance on the basis of priority. This policy will not be applicable for the cultural troops from friendly countries visiting Bangladesh.
2.5. Except the Academy the groups willing to use the hall for experimental drama production will get the priority.
2.6. Dramas having the spirit contrary to the freedom fight, or which can hurt the religious sentiments of the people, or content having sick culture will not be allowed to use the hall.
2.7. Drama having cheap entertainment value will not be allowed to be staged at the hall.
2.8. For a new production the drama group will be allowed to use the hall for two consecutive days (four shows having mornings and evening shift in each day).
2.9. A committee constituted by the Director General will recommend for permission to use the hall. Based on the recommendations of the said committee, the Director General will finally allow using the hall to the concern group.

3. Tariff rate for the Experimental Hall:
3.1. For each show in the experimental hall the rent to be paid is Tk 4000 (Taka Four thousand) only which include the following: the hall rent of Tk 2000 (Taka Two thousand) for light and sound Tk 1000, (Taka one thousand) and for air-condition Tk 1000 (Taka One thousand).
3.2 The cost of conversion of Proscenium stage to arena stage has to be born by the party using the hall.
3.3. The party willing to use the hall will need to pay Tk 2000 (Taka Two thousand only) in favor of the Academy as caution money.
3.4. The party using the hall at regular basis will need to pay Tk 2000, one time. If the party take back the caution money and wants to use at regular basis again, it will necessitate to re deposit the caution money. A drama troop can keep the deposit that in Academy’s fund for up to two years if willing to do so. 
3.5. The rent for the rehearsal room will be Tk 100 for every hour of use. The rehearsal will not be rented out to any party for less than 2 hour and more than 4 hours duration. A fee of Tk 50 for every hour exceeding 2 hours has to be deposited with the Academy. The party which uses the hall for performance will get preference in allocation of the rehearsal rooms.
3.6. With the written consent of the Chairperson of the council of the Academy the Director General holds the discretion to let the hall use at a reduced rate or can give a full waiver in nationally special day or events.

4. Procedure for Application:
4.1. To use the Experimental hall the interested drama troops will need to apply to the Director General in prescribed form of the Academy in advance within the stipulated time.
4.2. The application should provide the following information
 
4.2.1. Name of the applicant organization, Address and telephone number
4.2.2. Name of the drama, name of the playwright, and name of the director of the drama to be staged.
4.2.3. Name of the Head of the troop, Designation, Address and telephone number of the applicant group.
4.2.4. Specific dates and shifts (Morning or evening) the party is interested to use the hall.
4.3. Once the application has been submitted to the Academy particulars can not be changed without the prior permission of the Academy.
4.4. The applicant needs to give the following undertakings:
4.4.1. That information submitted in the application is correct and true
4.4.2. The applicant will be bound to furnish any additional information beyond which is given in the application form.
4.4.3. The applicant organization will be bound to follow all the rules set forth for using the experimental hall.
4.5. The preliminary letter of allocation will be issued by the Drama and Film division of the Academy after receiving recombination of the allocation committee with permission from the Director General.
4.6. Within seven days of receipt of the letter of allocation the applicant organization will deposit the specified amount to the accounts department, in favor of the Academy by separate pay order or in cash for rent and security deposit. If the allottee fails to deposit the specified amount within specified time the tentative allocation may not remain reserved for the applicant party.
4.7. The Drama and Film division will issue the final permission to use the Experimental hall upon receipt of hall rent and security deposit where applicable within specific time.
4.8. The applicant organization will not be allowed to use the hall before it is issued with final permission.
4.9. The organization booked the hall may apply to shift the date of use seven days prior of date allotted, and permission may be given to the party provided that the hall is free on the date applied for.
4.10. 10% before three days, 25% for 2 days, 75% before one and 100% of the day of show will be forfeited if the allocated party cancels the booking.
4.11. The hall booked by one organization can not be used by any other organization.
4.12. In case of any disaster, political or social unrest, any event beyond control of the allottee organization, happens on the day where the performance could not be possible, the hall is booked for, the rent will be refunded to the party or an alternative day can be allotted to the party provided that the day is not pre occupied.
4.13. If no damage caused by the party to the hall or the Academy, the security deposit will be refunded to the party within seven days of receipt of the application by the Academy.
4.14. The allottee organization will need permission from the drama and film division of the Shilpakala Academy if it needs to bring any thing special except costume, props etc, and it will also need the gate pass issued by the authority when taking those things out of the academy compound.
4.15. This rule will go in force from the day of use of the hall.
4.16. Any important which is not yet included in this policy document can be incorporated at a later date with the permission of the council of the Academy.

Bangladesh: Contemporary Theatre trends

Shafi Ahmed
	Only some two or three years ago, a question iriteted all theatre practitioners and theatre-lovers in Bangladesh. It was rather a concern. People, more precisely, the audience had been consistently relaying a decreasing interest in theatre. Hollow seats inside the auditorium gave a depressingly strange look. Some groups even thought of ooncelling the shows. The impact was naturally not united to this awful apparent look, it really started creating cramps in the spinal chord of theatre activities. However, since Bangladesh theatre has never developed as something 'professional' in the widely accepted sense of the term, our theatre activists never allowed any negative idea to settle within themselves, they never thought of 'giving in. Anyway, all kinds of diagnosis were conducted. Different views were pronounced as to this state of concern in theatre. In fact, a group organised a round table conference of theatre-workers and critics to find out the reasons of ailment. Naturally, diverse opinions were voiced. The factors and conditions that gave the primary blood to the nervous system of our theatre were recalled. Strong observations were made noting that Bangladesh theatre rose and developed with its very positive commitment to bring about social changes, with a mission of practicing cultural exercises through theatre arts to uphold the secular and democratic and pro-people structure of the society. And since the very visible and touchable aspects of the present-day society show marks of decay as against a 'good' society characterised by care and concern for human rights and development, theatre is bound to go through a 'shock' period and no imposing therapy can offer the answer. Theatre has to create or rather reestablish its own place with its own strength. The aggressive advent of TV and the digital media was identified as an important area to create problems for us. But from a self-critical point of view, we also sought to find out that whether we could properly rise up to the occasion, whether we had failed to produce something that could respond to people's cultural needs. Another exceptional development characterized our theatre in the 80's. Under the impact of movement of the political parties, politicization of themes to be represented on the stage became sharpened to a degree which often theatre aesthetics does not approve. Many short plays were composed and performed under the category of street theatre, in which intellectual and affiliatory fixation could be so easily and often crudely identified. The concept of street theatre, of course, intellectually concerns itself with a kind protest that addresses the immediacy of purpose. But our experience says that it also costed us much, it was gained (or aimed) at the expense of art. And not unnaturally, this somehow found some entrance in our mainstream, I mean, the metropolitan theatre. Presentation of some plays on the stage became sometimes so loud that a question of propriety was legitimately raised. And again, all credit goes to the thinking theatre ­workers of Bangladesh who rightly became aware of the impending dangers in such moves. And at the same time, some newer political development took place that effected a moderation in such exercises. Theatre workers tried to become self­ conscious as well as self-critical so that a positive rethinking is invested behind new productions. As a result, Bangladesh audience started to experience something different. It was not an unusual departure and the political overtones never left the stage, not that they always should. And the series of socio-political development led to a kind of polarization that had a tendency to become sharper to encounter some threats for the values for which the nation fought their war of liberation and won it at the cost of three million lives. Politics, with its less explicit but more implicit connotation retains its place in our theatre and we want to value it with commendations since the war was fought to build up or rather strengthen a secular society that guarantees human rights. It is certainly a reality that things are not in fair shape in Bangladesh for some decades. Foul play has grown a habit of the day. The theatre stalwarts who created a positive upsurge on the stage were forced to take on a more active role to fight some urgent social issues. It is interesting to recall that two of our ITI leaders, Syed Shamsul Huq and Aly Zaker came under serious wrath of the administration at a time when they actively participated in a 'people's court' that passed a verdict recommending punishment of some ruthless violators of human rights in 1971. These offenders were engaged in the killings of Bangladesh people and helped the Pakistani forces in their acts of repression on and rape of women. The mention of this incident simply indicates that how theatre activism in Bangladesh is connected with immediate social and political issues. Anyway, through some unfortunate political development, the society was forced to halt or move backward so far as the progressive endevours are concerned. But in spite of a short gap when theatre workers became watchful for a while, theatre again gained its lost strength. But probably as it happens with other artistic movement, we experienced a lean period, not exactly a stagnant one, but we had been struggling to progress in the qualitative area. A sense of light­heartedness temporarily submerged our theatrical activities. The strength of positive ridicule that one of our foremost groups, Nagorik Nattya Sampradaya succeeded in projecting on the stage with productions of Bertolt Brecht became a tool for some time to provide laughter to the audience and our theatre was stuffed with materials in between comedy and farce. Many groups were particularly interested in playing to the gallery. And sometimes that clicked. The result was an infection of the similar psychology into the schemes of others. But we went through some exceptional experience. The cult of tolerance and democratic practices came under strategic violation leading to an indulgence of a section people who preach and want to establish a society characterized by the conscripted divide of religious faiths, with patronage from some influential quarters of home (and probably from abroad too). Religious groups and institutions grew almost all over the country without any apparently particular reason. There was never a popular movement in favour of the acceptance of superiority of one particular institutional religion over others. But reality thwarted us. Some forcible changes could be detected in the social fabric of Bangladesh and liberal thinking was branded as something that is not acceptable as per the tenets of that particular religion. Growth of religious fundamentalism is a matter of increasing concern in Bangladesh. There exist some groups who believe in terrorism as a weapon to achieve their so-called religious ends and they directly and indirectly warn the cultural as well as theatre activists at regular intervals to 'moderate' themselves as per their prescription. Instances are there where shows had to be called off. But the reality of present-day Bangladesh would reveal that theatre workers and others involved in performing arts have not slowed down their activities in spite of the aggressive theocratic views purposefully spread all over the country by the twenty first century neo-fascist puritans. Rather our stage does intermittently deliver serious critiques of these ulterior moves by the people whose heads are filled by the dark thoughts of the Middle Ages, while in their hands they carry the most modern and scientific weapons for the annihilation of human bodies as well as their spirit. Violence of the militant fundamentalists recurs at irregular intervals yet Bangladesh theatre goes on unabated with all its vibrancy, diversity of aesthetical experiment and exploration of multiple themes. As I have noted earlier, I again want to insist that the section of 'thinking' theatre activists could not lay all their arms aside in such a precarious situation. They know and believe that they have a great treasury in the cultural roots. So the very first significant trend that we can identify in contemporary Bangladesh drama, when it had been slowly whirling in some kind of disarray, is a conscious look at the traditions of the past. With the change of approach in defining a theatrical action all over the world, particularly with the extensive and intensive choreographical compositions that skillfully attempt to work out a fusion of a lot dissimilar forms and gestures, our theatre workers started to undertake some equivalent exercises. In fact, some researchers and some groups did some extraordinary work in connecting the decaying present with the traditional past. Our folk traditional performances have abundant resources of theatre in terms of themes, music, dialogue, conflict, acting and even costume. But at the same time, both in theory and practice, our folk performances are characterized by serious social contents presented in an amazingly simple manner. Looking back into the cultural heritage that is largely enshrined in the forms still practiced in our countryside became a passion for many of our theatre workers. Selim Al Deen is a very renowned person in our dramatic literature. He has been always insistent to underline that Bengali theatre is much older than what the academics usually say. Frontline groups like Dhaka Theatre and Aronyak came up with productions that artistically integrate the forms, often said to be surviving in the peripheries, into metropolitan theatre. And this created an impact on the production of some other groups too. Such a journey to the roots was accelerated by the growing popularity of the theory of post-colonialism. In the rural areas of Bangladesh, the traditional narrative theatre still exists and the form is a very challenging one. Often there is only one actor performing the role of many or of two simultaneously that is so different from the conventional stage theatre. With minimum costume and limitation of space, a theatre is performed with songs, music, mimicry and at times with acrobatics. As a route to find out a difference that Bangladesh theatre urgently needed in the mid 80's, the inclusion or rehabilitation of folk tradition into the body of plays performed in the cities opened before us not only a very strong substitute, but also an opportunity to reach out to the areas of diversity which we virtually possess for generations. While in the past, the villagers' way of life and articulation was out into the play as something additional to create a variety in the storyline, and the contrast of the folk and the urban was sometimes identified as high and low, civilized and undercivilzed, in imitation of the colonial mindset, now the folk takes on the centre stage, almost disregarding any intervention made in theatre by the educated elites in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, that was not be, absolutely, since the metropolitan space has to be used and the director naturally wants to create some more effects with sound control and light design with the use of modern electronic gadgets. This marriage of the traditional and contemporary brings some real strength to our theatre. It is very heartening that the folk does not suffer from any kind of over employment, but the variety continues to come in from different regions, from the south, from the east. And this movement widens in its scope in various dimensions. So the movement finds its multiple routes. At one point, we all regretted about the scarcity of dramatic texts or scripts in vernacular (which is a reality even today) but probably today we do not regret the way we did in the past. Our young talents have come up to prepare scripts on the stories from the legends or on the life-styles of various communities living in different parts of the country. They initiated a kind of sociological search to study the lives of various communities, the fishermen, the boatmen, the village bard, the small religious cults. One great opportunity was opened in the process. The theatre workers found enough scope for experimentation. And what happened in the same process was something significant in the documentation of history. They could interpret history from, what can be called, the subaltern view. They could discover some old heroes of the community, forgotten or often ignored in the classical annals recorded out of the colonial mindest. In fact, in modern Bangladesh theatre, this is the most important trend. And here again, the theatre does not only initiate new thematic concerns in the narration of the play, (for the community/place/time/revolt/movement), but it also creates an environment in which not one or some play their roles, rather many are important and the presentation becomes increasingly a teamwork representing a group and community and often they work like the chorus in a multi-dimensional innocent looking intellectual space connecting the past with present, far with the near, traditional with the modern. This trend has encouraged our theatre workers to explore large areas. Plays have been produced on communities who live on fishing, cultivation, ferrying people on the rivers and so on. However, in particular, some communities who are more known as ethnic groups have entered our stage not just as distinct communities but as people on the margins. We can now see a growing interest, specially of the upcoming groups, to reflect the lives of the marginalized peoples. Plays have been produced on Chakma, Marma, Garo and Hajong ethnic groups. And in the process, it is not just the reflection of their lives rather some of the ancient myths of their lives have been integrated and reinterpreted in the plays. Moreover, the cultural tools that are so integral with their performing arts are used in the plays on the urban stage. So far the representation of their forms was limited to a kind tailored showcase required more to publicize the variety that Bangladesh possesses in order to fulfill the demands usually connected with the tourists. But in the recent times, these forms pronounce their claim to better treatment. It is interesting to note that one group, Mahakal has produced a play that focuses on the representation of a pitifully marginalized group, known as Hffras. These persons are genetically and sexually retarded, often looked down upon even by the very poor section of the people. Most of these plays are built on texts prepared by young people who usually devote a lot of time to action research. At the same time, another trend of the present-day Bangladesh theatre cannot be overlooked. While a lot of action on stage takes place with the people at the peripheries inside the country, we can also see that plays from Europe and America are being produced with a kind of seriousness that claims recognition. As many as four Arthur Miller plays have been produced. Two of them are being shown currently. A group from Chittagong, Tiryak has produced Sartre's No Exit. It is very interesting to note that we experienced an extra-ordinary production of Heiner Muller's The Mission. Translated by Saidus Saklaen, the play was produced by Centre for Asian Theatre. Kamaluddin Nilu directed the play which can be exemplified as the finest representation of post-modern Europe in our theatre. Nilu has shown his mastery in the direction of a Hernk Ibsen plays. Brand is his latest work. It was a great artistic adventure to produce this play in our present-day theatre. But it was a wonderful visual experience. A group in the southern part of Bangladesh, Shabdabali has produced a recreated version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, placed in the 'present' of our society. The Drama and Music Department of Dhaka University has produced a number of plays of overseas origin, in translation as well as in adapted and recreated versions. These are by Shakespeare, Chekov, Ibsen, Beckett, Pinter and others. The vibrancy of Bangladesh theatre can also be felt in its passionate re-search of some of the stories and legends from the epics. Even a play has been produced by a group that takes its theme from the Persion epic, Shahnama. Just at the moment (2005­06), we have four plays that connect the The Mahabharata. It is interesting to note that themes from this epic were used to create plays of social relevance in the near past by Shaoli Mitra, an great actress and director in Kolkata, India. However, we watched and enjoyed them but certainly were not influenced by those productions. We began a process all by ourselves. Theatre, one of the pioneering groups, produced Madhavi, directed by Ramendu Majumdar. What is very significant to discover in these productions is that the fragility of women's position has been underlined in most of them. The treatment of the myths from the epics, the inclusion of the folk traditions and the increasing interest in the marginalized people, all are actually bound to the centre of the intellectual framework of our theatre workers. And this is reflected not only in the selection of subject matter but also in the employment of techniques both in the plays that necessarily claim such a treatment and in the productions which otherwise have a metropolitan flavour. Another important thing comes out of ancient endevours. They remind us of the richness of our ancient culture. And this re-visioning is not limited to the areas of native country traditions; even on a casual scrutiny one can understand that an intellectual and cultural urge has been created among the theatre­workers not just to renew interest in anything remote from the present but it has persuaded them to re-read some of the older texts in order to reinterpret them and re-connect the contents in the contemporary context. However, this trend should not confused as a kind of nationalistic renascence against the recurring encroachment of western theatre traditions in our cultural milieu, which we had been sustaining for nearly three hundred years. Rather this should be explained as the artistic search of our theatre­ workers who certainly feel committed to the roots, but nevertheless are not conservative by any definition. They look for a variety on the stage with their conscious response to the present day social and cultural crisis. Theatre, till today, is understood by many of us as the vehicle to resist oppression, communalism, forces contrary to liberal ideas, social discrimination and injustice. So at the early period of Bangladesh theatre, we experienced a series of Brecht plays on our stage. However, a new generation of producers and directors found that the weaponry that they want to build up is not only to be reinforced from the resources from abroad; we have in our store of the past a wide range treasury of folk ideas and instances of performances with which we can consolidate our efforts for the same purpose. In the last two or three years, we have seen productions that quite specifically address the issues of the ethnic groups. Their peripheral existence in our society had been a reality, but in the recent times, disregard of their cultural heritage and threats to their community living have increased in a dangerous way. So theatre workers have come forward to highlight the issues of the religious minority and the small ethnic groups. And certainly, to fight this kind of aggressiveness, looking back into our old secular cultural heritage is a better and effective recourse. There it departs from the notions of nationalism that bind the intellectual exercises to a narrow circle. Apart from this search and theoretical-cum-practical settlement in our theatrical endeavours that reflect the energy that Bangladesh theatre possesses, there is a different logistic reality that has contributed to the spirited state or this art. We have suffered for long for the absence of good and decent theatre spaces. Earlier, we had two places with more limitations than conveniences. The city council built a hall supposed to be used by the theatre groups. It was born with a faulty structure. It remains simply abandoned now. At present, we have three places. That has lifted our spirit too. More groups can now be accommodated. Creating of more space for theatre will ultimately lead to create a harmony within our present-day society characterised by causalities and conflicts. Let's hope so. Hope is the immortal shelter for the theatre workers of Bangladesh, may be, all over the world. [This article was first published in the souvenir of the Theater festival and International Seminar organised by ITI Bangladesh Centre held at 21-28 February, 2006]