Annual kids’ theatre festival kicks off today

Ranga Shankara is back with its annual theatre festival for children. Starting today, it is on until July 23. 

The 14 edition of the ‘AHA! Theatre for Children Festival’, follows the theme ‘Life is beautiful’. “This is an ode to all the children who are now stepping out and coming into their own, fearlessly, after losing two years to the pandemic. We have chosen plays that encourage kids to have a positive outlook, while also tackling important topics,” says Arundhati Nag, managing trustee and artistic director, Ranga Shankara. 

This edition features five plays. ‘The Crying Village’, in English and Hindi, follows Guddu, a young man who travels to a dreamland where water is scarce. The 45-minute English play ‘The Land of Mea Lilo’ , revolves around the quirky titular characters, while ‘Bags of Gags’, is a non-verbal clown show. The other plays that will be staged are ‘Just Hiss’, a theatrical adaptation of ‘A Serpent’s Predicament’, and ‘Hanv Ghara Asa’, a Konkani production. The event is open to children in the age-group 3 to 10. 

Shedding light on the importance of creating quality entertainment for children, Arundhati adds, “In a country like India, with a huge population of youngsters, what entertainment are we producing for them? One of the biggest film industries in the world and how many films are we creating for children? Nothing. We need to take a hard look at what information and imagination we’re passing on to them.” 

In addition to plays, the theatre festival will also feature two storytelling sessions by Vikram Sridhar on July 20 and 21, and theatre games on July 19, 22 and 23. Entry to these ancillary events is free. As a part of the event, Rupesh Tillu will also conduct clowning workshops for adults. 

Billboard 

July 19: ‘Just Hiss’, 7+ years (7.30 pm)

July 20: ‘Hanv Ghara Asa’, 3-4 years (7.30 pm)

July 21: ‘The Land of Mea Lilo’, 4-8 years (7.30 pm)

July 22: ‘The Crying Village’, 8+ years, (3.30 pm and 7.30 pm)

July 23: ‘Bags Of Gags’, 7+ years (3.30 pm and 7.30 pm)

(Tickets available online and at the venue)

From July 19 to 23, at Ranga Shankara, J P Nagar. For details, visit rangashankara.org or check @rangashankara on social media.