Handique Girls? College. Picture by Eastern Projections

Sept. 12: Though all the world was a stage for Shakespeare, four centuries later, the proscenium holds little meaning for literature students who merely memorise the bard?s poetic dialogues.

The English department of Handique Girls College, however, is attempting to retrieve theatre from the pages of textbooks and restore it to where it belongs ? the stage.

The college has launched Bohemian Souls, a dramatics society, to help students know about the different aspects and technicalities of drama.

Head of the English department, Handique College, Geeta Barua, said the dramatics society was a long-felt need of the department as it would bridge the gap between the course study materials and its actual practice.

Barua said three faculty members, Aditi Bhattacharjee, Tasrina Iqbal and Tandra Das, had helped in turning the long-cherished dream into reality.

She said the society would help not only the department but also the theatre scenario of state and the region.

Theatre personality Sattyakee D?com Bhuyan spoke at the inaugural function dwelling on details of the different aspects and technicalities of drama.

?There should be dedication and commitment towards the theatre movement and there should be regular interaction and dialogue for sustaining the forum,? he said.

Barua said the students would also get to know the importance of the production team while staging a play. They were encouraged to start reading plays besides those prescribed in the course. There was a lively interactive session after the inauguration.

Speakers at the session also called upon the students to enhance their creativity by writing their own scripts.

English drama, they felt, was a fading art in the region and needed young talents to revive and sustain it.

Students were encouraged to think of original plays.

Barua said the possibilities of staging a bilingual play in the college besides translated vernacular plays were also being considered.

A drama workshop has also been planned in the college with D?rama, the Passion Players, a drama group.