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The Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation and the Bengal Foundation will jointly organise the show of Dhawaja Mestorir Maran, a play in Manipuri language at the auditorium of Mohila Samity at 7:00pm on January 28.
   The Manipuri Theatre will stage the play, which is written by Smriti Kumar Singha. Shubhashish Samir has scripted and directed the play.
   The play is based on the crisis of this tiny tribal group of Manipur, in the field of culture. Using the symbol of the rebuilding of an old house the playwright has tried to show the reconstruction of different values in the society of Manipuris.
   The storyline of the play shows octogenarian man Dhwaja Mestori’s pathos for the loosing of social harmony as well as the socio-political changes in this country. Dhwaja’s old house contains the tribal designs and the cultural heritage as well. But all of his three sons want to rebuild the house according to their own choice. They ignore the suggestion from their father.
   Dhwaja had earned reputation in building houses in his community. Being pleased with the work of Dhwaja, Gambhir Singha gives his daughter Sabi in marriage to Dhwaja. The builder makes their house beautifully and the people praise him. The couple jointly decorates their house with passion. They arrange offerings for the gods and also arrange traditional worships and activities.
   When the sons of Dhwaja call the builders to rebuild the house, the man recalls his sweet memories of his young life as well as the days with his wife, who had died by then.
   According to the tradition, the Manipuris drown the remains of the old house in the river. Dhwaja sees himself with the wreckage of the house being drowned in the river.
   The playwright has followed the style of conversation of the Manipuris, which is simple and slow.
   Sunil Singha, Rupen Singha and Lakhminarayan Singha have played the role of Dhwaja in the age of boyhood, adult and old. The other cast members of this play, who performed the roles of different characters, are Aparna Sinha, Shukla Sinha, Anjan Singha, Liton Singha, Arun Singha, Rana Singha, Sanjay Singha and Rajkumar Singha.
   Sharmila Singha and Bidhanchandra Singha have composed the music and Barnali Singha is an assistant choreographer. Subrata Singha did the lightings. Pranati Singha and Suchanda Singha have done the costume and makeup.
   The Manipur Theatre has been founded on September 26 in 1996. The group, which started its journey with the staging of Megh Brishti Rode, has staged 20 plays both in Bangla and Manipuri.

Johnny Carson the quick-witted “Tonight Show” host who became a national institution putting his viewers to bed for 30 years with a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter and heartland charm, died Sunday. He
   was 79.
   Carson died early Sunday morning, according to his nephew, Jeff Sotzing. “He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable,” Sotzing told The Associated Press.
   He did not provide further details, but NBC said Carson died of emphysema — a respiratory disease that can be attributed to smoking — at his Malibu home.
    His wealth, the adoration of his guests — particularly the many young comics whose careers he launched — the wry tales of multiple divorces: Carson’s air of modesty made it all serve to enhance his bedtime intimacy with viewers.
   “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” was the booming announcement from sidekick Ed McMahon that ushered Carson out to the stage. McMahon said Sunday that Carson was “like a brother to me.”
   His generosity to up-and-coming comics who got their big break on “Tonight” was lauded by Bill Cosby and others.
   “Johnny was responsible for the beginning and the rise of success for more performers than anyone. I doubt if those numbers will ever be surpassed,” Cosby said in a statement.
   Carson’s personal life could not match the perfection of his career. Carson was married four times, divorced three.
   Carson made his debut as “Tonight” host in October 1962 and quickly won over audiences. He even made headlines with such clever ploys as the 1969 on-show marriage of eccentric singer Tiny Tim to Miss Vicki, which won the show its biggest-ever ratings.
   Four consecutive Emmy Awards, came his way in the late 1970s.
   Politics provided monologue fodder for him as he skewered lawmakers of every stripe, mirroring the mood of voters. His Watergate jabs at President Nixon were seen as cementing Nixon’s fall from office in 1974.
   “No single individual has had as great an impact on television as Johnny. He was the gold standard,” said Jay Leno, Carson’s eventual successor.
   In the ‘80s, Carson was reportedly the highest-paid performer in television history with a $5 million “Tonight” show salary alone
   Born in Corning, Iowa, and raised in nearby Norfolk, Neb., Carson started his show business career at age 14 as the magician “The Great Carsoni.”
   Carson won a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 1992, with the first President Bush saying, “With decency and style he’s made America laugh and think.” In 1993, he was celebrated by the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for career achievement.
   — Internet

The Alliance Française, Dhaka, is sponsoring a foundation course for one year. Children, aged from six to fourteen, are eligible to be admitted in the course. Noted theatre activist Ashish Khondker will conduct the course as the artistic director.
   The classes for the course will be held every Friday. The admission is going on and it will be held till February 1 at the Alliance, 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, phone 8611557.
   In the course, the organisers will arrange some sessions for exchanging views with the theatre directors, playwrights, and activists from national and international arena.
   The organisers are expecting to provide some scientific information about the environment, history, geography, existing nature and everyday life.
   They will also work to create awareness among the student on different environmental issues.
   Students have a choice of classes from 9:00am to 11:00am; from 11:00am to 1:00pm or from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

Noted singer Asha Bhosle said that film songs these days were only seen and not heard.
   The versatile singer, who has sung more than 10,000 songs, said here that film music nowadays has changed drastically.
   There is also a lack of good lyricists.
   Talking to reporters recently after returning from Sefai Mahotsava, Asha said that once upon a time film songs were on everyone’s lips.
   Barring a song or two, all the songs in films those days proved popular and were sung with much fervour.
   But today you hardly remember any of those songs.
   The new generation of singers should try to be original, she advised.

10:00pm-11:00pm, Animal Planet
   Animal Planet profiles the country's most famous marsupials, marvels of ecology and deadliest creepy crawlers in Australia Uncovered. In Growing up: Marsupial Moms, three lucky people in Tasmania, Australia, are in the process of becoming round-the-clock marsupial moms. Each of them will take on the challenging but rewarding job of hand-rearing Trowunna Wildlife Park's abandoned or orphaned babies, until they are old enough to fend for themselves. Owner of the wildlife park, Androo Kelly, is 'mom' for a sixteen-week-old spotted quoll, Chris Coupland is mothering two six-month-old Tasmanian devils, and Laura Brumby has a new 'daughter' - an eight-month-old little wombat. Viewers can join Androo, Chris and Laura as they nurture these tenacious toddlers to adulthood.

Inspired by the legendary Egyptian warrior, “The Scorpion King” is set 5,000 years ago in the notorious city of Gomorrah, where an evil ruler is determined to lay waste to all the nomadic peoples of the desert. The few remaining tribes, never natural allies, have to unite or perish. Knowing their enemy relies on the visions of a sorcerer, they hire a skilled assassin, Mathayus (The Rock), to eliminate the visionary. After infiltrating the enemy camp, Mathayus discovers that the sorcerer is in fact a beautiful woman (Kelly Hu). Rather than eliminate her, he takes her deep into the desert badlands, knowing that the ruler’s henchmen will stop at nothing to rescue her and bring her back. Seriously wounded in the ensuing battle, Mathayus must find the strength to lead his scrappy band of allies back to Gomorrah for a final confrontation.
   
   The Scorpion King
   HBO
   09:30pm
   
   Starring
   Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Ralf Moeller, Bernard Hill