3-day Women’s Theater Pageant in Thiruvananthapuram, starting on December 23, showcases 14 plays by females administrators

A day in the museum turns out to be an unforgettable journey across time and areas for six kids who come upon several overlooked women warriors and social reformers who encourage them to query and raise their voice from injustice. Kuyili, an Arunathathiyar warrior from the 18th century, who served queen Velu Nachiyar earn a war in opposition to the British, reminds them that at 21, she was the commander-in-main of the military and had sacrificed her everyday living to win a vital fight for the queen.

Kuyili is just one of the many silenced voices which will be read in Sreeja Arangottukara’s play, Museum of Silencethe inaugural play of the 3-day Women’s Theater Pageant that commences in the Thiruvananthapuram on December 23. Directed by Sreeja’s daughter Savithri M, the engage in is a collage of tunes, dance and dialogues.

The eco-friendly premises of Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram will flip into a mega phase as the curtain goes up on the 2nd Women’s Theater Pageant in Kerala. Just about every night, performs, ranging from 15 to 90 minutes, will be held on various phases just one just after the other. The a few-day festival showcases 14 plays directed by gals, which includes a single each from Assam ( Nearly Antigone) and Karnataka ( Giribale,

Playwright and co-founder of Thiruvananthapuram-based mostly Nireeksha Women’s Theatre, E Rajarajeswari states, “Some plays revolve all around gender difficulties and difficulties faced by gals, but most of the plays discuss recent gatherings, State oppression, misuse of authority, political selections and so on from a woman’s standpoint.”

Giribale, a participate in in Kannada, which will be staged in Thiruvananthapuram as portion of the Women’s Theater Competition, is based mostly on a story by Vaidehi | Image Credit history: Specific arrangement

Held 24 yrs following the very first version, which was structured beneath the auspices of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, this fete is staying carried out by Nireeksha in association with the Union Ministry of lifestyle, Kerala Point out Division of Cultural Affairs, Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan and Kudumbasree (a poverty eradication and females empowerment application of the point out government).

Associates of Kudumbasree’s theater troupe, Rangasree, will participate in a a few-day workshop. Rangasree, which exists in all 14 districts of Kerala, conducts avenue performs as component of awareness campaigns of the State federal government. “The workshop aims at upgrading their theater techniques and providing them a new route,” claims Soya Thomas, a gender guide and one particular of the customers of the arranging committee of the fete. “Their conversation with theater professionals will help them familiarize on their own with the newest in theater approaches, lighting, scripting etcetera.”

Theater workshops, poetry sessions, concert events and a seminar will be held on the sidelines of the festival. Although all the plays are open to the public, contributors for the workshops will have to pay out a registration rate.

A scene from Nearly Antigone
, Photograph Credit history: Special arrangement

“A pageant like this will be a raise for women’s theatre, which is however not all that obvious even in Kerala,” states Sudhi Devayani, a person of the organizers of the fete and co-founder of Nireeksha, which is celebrating its 23rd anniversary.

She factors out that despite the fact that there was no publicity as these to pick the plays for the festival, 14 girls directors came ahead with their performs.

“The practitioners occur from unique walks of daily life and belong to distinctive age groups. It is their enthusiasm for theater that brings them collectively. A platform for them is very important simply because we want to highlight the will work of women who work driving the scene as experts and stage designers.” Sudhi maintains that there is a big difference in the way gals understand, present and program a theme.

According to her, the current technology for presenting a engage in is not always female-welcoming in Kerala. The aim is to enhance the technological competencies of females practitioners in theater and help them locate revolutionary approaches to defeat present hurdles.

Nireeksha’s new manufacturing Andhika will be premiered on the last day. Written by Rajarajeswari and directed by Sudhi, it turns the limelight on Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas in the epic Mahabharata.

“Why did Gandhari turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of her sons? She chose to go alongside with the patriarchal established-up in the courtroom. Andhika examines Gandhari’s selections from a modern day perspective when her choices are questioned by her maids,” narrates Sudhi.

As Sushma Vijaylakshmi, one particular of the organizers details out, the themes introduced issue patriarchal norms and narrate stories of empowerment. “The intention of the festival is to make a considerably-necessary room for girls in theatre, not only as directors and actors but also for all those operating powering the scenes.”