Pallavi Dance School stages Shapmochan on the 5th day of ITI Theatre Festival. — Snigdha Zaman

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has become the hub for the young theatre activists and theatre enthusiasts in the city since the eight-day ITI theatre Festival had commenced on Sunday. The ongoing festival titled ‘Theatre in Asia and Asia in Theatre has offered the audiences an array of diverse experiences.
The viewers have got the opportunity to watch some quality productions as the festival brings in the recent best productions of the participating local and foreign troupes.
Moreover, workshops, seminars and exchanges of views among theatre directors, performers and audiences have added more colours in the festival.
The three venues of BSA, National Theatre Hall, Studio Theatre Hall and Experimental Theatre Hall have been seen to be fully loaded with audiences since the beginning of the fiesta.
Shamim Ahmed, an audience, told New Age on Thursday, ‘It’s great to have the opportunity to have so many good productions in the event. But it would have been better if all the three plays of a day were shown at different times. As an example, on the concluding day a troupe from United Arab Emirates will stage The Pianist while Dhaka University’s production Bhelua will be also be staged at the same time at another venue. I had intension to watch the both but I have to select one.’
Abdul Karim, a theatre activist who came to BSA everyday till the fifth day of the festival, said, ‘I am enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Shilpakala during The festival. But I really hoped for staging of more plays dealing with contemporary global issues.’
Mazharul Haque Pintu, playwright and director of the play Mahatma, staged on Wednesday, told New Age, ‘It is a great opportunity for us to be a part of the prestigious festival. But I personally hoped participation of more Asian countries like Japan, Korea ,Nepal, Bhutan and many more.’
On the fifth day of the festival on Thursday, three local troupes including Pallavi Dance School, Nagorik Natya Sampradaya and Bangla Theatre presented respectively Shapmochan (dance drama), Achalayatan and The Distant Near at the National Theatre Hall, Experimental Theatre Hall and Studio Theatre Hall of the Academy simultaneously.
Funded by the government, the festival has been organised by Bangladesh centre of International Theatre Institute, in association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.