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It was about the people, who are active mostly at nights - the hooligans, the whores and the vagabonds. Liaquat Ali Lucky, the director aptly presented the activities of these people in the play. The story is translated by Abdus Selim from the play titled 'Nocturnal Wanderer' by the Nobel laureate Chinese novelist and playwright Gao Xing Jian. It was staged after the inaugural ceremony of the three-day Loko Natyadal drama festival which started on July 6 at the Jatiya Natyashala of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segun Bagicha.
   This play probes into the deeper spheres of mankind trying to unearth seeds of vice. In fact, no matter how good we are, we cannot deny that in each one of us there are elements that can be deemed bad. These vices may not be monumental but they do exist, thus, making us imperfect. Say, a group of passengers is boarding a train. But, when the ticket collector comes, it transpires that almost all of them have broken the rules in some way or the other. One person is traveling without a ticket whereas the other has lost it; then, someone is traveling second class though his ticket is for third.
   However, in the play a seemingly innocent man comes out after midnight to enjoy the solitude of the night but he forgets that after dark the city turns into a haven for prostitutes, frauds and mastans. Intoxicated by the fresh night air, he starts to sing but becomes the victim of verbal abuse of a vagabond. Then, the pistol of a mastan catches him unawares. And, he also meets a sex worker. The mastan wants free sex from the woman but the latter refuses and a chase ensues. The man walks away, and this time, becomes the victim of a fraud.
   After several twists in the plot, the man finds the prostitute once more and develops a bond. However, the girl is shot dead and the fraud skillfully implicates the innocent man in the murder. Hence, to save himself the man is forced to carry out some illegal jobs for the fraud and this is when the apparently quiet man revolts. He kills the fraud without even flinching and when the vagabond comes to disturb him he kills him too. Then, in the dead of night the man is faced with his conscience. Eventually, he is killed too, but not literally. His soul dies because he realises that living without vices is impossible.
   The script deserves special praise because it does not try to play down the ferocity of the night language which is often filled with expletives and explicit references to sex. On top of that, the acting has been lively and the lighting blended with the plot. The best feature of the play is that despite being Chinese it finds chords within our own society.

It was an enchanting evening of music at the Shaheed Zia Auditorium. Hundreds of people, particularly youngsters, flocked the National Museum hall on July 7 to witness one of the most exciting concerts by Kumar Bishwajit and Close–up one stars. The main theme behind this concert was to raise awareness among the people about acid crimes.
   Acid crimes are still evident in Bangladesh. Though there has been strict government intervention, such heinous crimes still prevail in many parts of the country and the number of victims is still rising. The aftermath experienced by the victims is devastating and living a normal life for them becomes a challenge. With a view to raise awareness, a concert was arranged by Gaanchil. Relevant to mention, Gaanchil is a music production company which began its journey this year and the company is primarily owned by one of the leading Bengali singers of our time, Kumar Bishwajit.
   Bishwajit has always been in the fight towards acid crimes. In several noted occasions, he urged the people to take action by preventing these crimes. In statement, he said that ‘he would like to continue working with social problems through cultural organisations. His speech in the last concert was no different. He also stated that Gaanchil will continue to hold concerts relating to acid crimes.
   The concert commenced at 7:30pm with a short speech given by Shaon, a director for Gaanchil and the whole event was presented by the ever popular Fima. The show comprised of performances given by top ten stars of the Close-up one talent show. Mehrab’s performance had the crowd standing up on their feet, whilst Nolok Babu, Beauty, Rumi and Sonia left the crowd craving for more. In the end, Kumar Bishwajit’s performance was appreciated by all.

The Guggenheim Foundation announced Saturday it had commissioned American architect Frank Gehry to build a new branch of the Guggenheim modern and contemporary art museum in this Gulf Emirate. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is planned at 323,000 square feet, larger than any of the existing Guggenheim museums.
   The museum is expected to be finished in five years. It will display its own major collection of contemporary art and exhibit works from the Guggenheim Foundation's global collections, according to a government statement.
   Abu Dhabi, like the flashier neighboring emirate of Dubai, is in the midst of an energy-fueled economic boom that is quickly filling the Persian Gulf cities with luxury housing and resorts.
   Observers say the development of a world-class art museum like the Guggenheim may serve to defuse critics who have complained the cities lack the cultural amenities of the world's great cities.
   Established by philanthropist millionaire Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1937, the foundation draws more than 2.5 million visitors per year to its flagship museum in New York and local branches in Bilbao, Spain; Berlin; Venice, Italy; and Las Vegas.

Dolly Parton is putting some more big curves into her Dollywood theme park. Tennessee's top tourist draw will add a $17.5 million steel roller coaster called ‘Mystery Mine’ in 2007, the country singer and actress announced Friday. It's the biggest single capital investment in the park's 21-year history.
   ‘I've had to keep my big mouth shut about the Mystery Mine, but I can tell you now,’ Dolly said. ‘It's the most exciting thing to come out of these hills in a long, long time.’ The coaster, with the theme of an abandoned coal mine, will take riders on a 2 1/2-minute trip featuring a weightless inversion known as a ‘heart-line roll,’ a double inversion known as a ‘rollover loop’ and a kind of half-loop climb, turn and plunge perfected by combat pilots in World War I.
   The 1,811-foot coaster will cover an acre and join Dollywood's other major coaster, the wooden Thunderhead.

Robert Downey Jr., whose own life story at times has been gripping, intends to write his memoirs.
   The 41-year-old actor has signed a deal with Harper Entertainment, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, the company announced Thursday. The book is set to be released in 2008.
   The publisher, which did not disclose the terms of pact, promised a ‘candid look at the highs and lows of his life and career.’
   ‘He has an intelligence which shines through all his performances, revealing his intellect as well as his acting abilities,’ Marjorie Braman, an executive with the publishing company, said Thursday.
   ‘His dramatic personal life, often at odds with his career, adds a layer of complexity to who he is.’
   He suffered from recurring drug and alcohol problems in the 1990s, prison time, court-ordered rehab and probation that ended in 2002.
   Downey, whose TV and film credits include ‘Chaplin,’ ‘Ally McBeal,’ ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ stars as a drug user in the new movie ‘A Scanner Darkly,’ which opens Friday.

Newlyweds Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban watched a holiday fireworks display from the rooftop of a popular pool hall, and a lot of gawkers watched them.
   Fresh off their whirlwind Australian wedding and honeymoon, the 39-year-old actress and 38-year-old country singer snapped photos of the Fourth of July display from Buffalo Billiards near the riverfront in Nashville.
   Before the fireworks, they were in a small room in the back of the billiards club, set off by velvet ropes and several security guards.
   But patrons could see into the room.
   ‘Girls and guys alike could be seen text messaging friends and leaving giddy voice mails upon noticing the famous couple,’ said David Yunker, a copy editor for The Tennessean newspaper who was in the pool hall.
   Urban and Greg Morris, the owner of the billiards club and a longtime friend of the singer, confronted some men taking pictures with long lenses.