May 8: Last year, the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra proscenium morphed into Hamlet’s Denmark. This time, it will depict Sophocles’s Thebes.

After their Assamese adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet won rave reviews, theatre group Baa — the Creative Breeze are venturing into classical Greek tragedy with Richo Ekopai (King Ekopai). The play, to be enacted in Assamese and Karbi languages, will be based on Oedipus Rex, with strong elements of local culture thrown in.

Richo Ekopai will be staged for three days at the Kalakshetra from Friday, and will conclude a 45-day “production-oriented theatre workshop” conducted under the guidance of Baa in collaboration with National School of Drama, New Delhi.

“Though it is a Greek play, we have set it in the hills of Karbi Anglong. Through the classical tragedy, we have tried to bring in elements of the tradition and culture of Karbi people,” said theatre personality Pakiza Begum, also a member of Baa.

Based on the Assamese version of Oedipus Rex by late Satya Prasad Boruah, the play has been adapted, designed and directed by Anup Hazarika, founder member of Baa. All 30 participants in the workshop will be part of the play in different roles. Besides acting, the participants have assisted experts in all departments of theatre production, including music composition, costume design and property making.

To acquaint the aspiring actors about Karbi culture, Baa also conducted special classes under Karbi folklorist Dhon Singh Theron and artist Biren Singha.

“We invited experts to give the participants a detailed overview of Karbi culture and how those aspects could be incorporated into the play,” said Begum.

Baa plans to take Richo Ekopai to other stages across the country. “The play has a unique flavour because of its connection with Karbi culture — something that is hard to find in mainstream theatre. So, we are planning to take it to different parts of the country after staging it at the Kalakshetra,” Begum said.

Since its inception in 1995, Baa has staged quite a few successful productions, prominent among them being Agnigarh (1996) written by playwright Arun Sarma and directed by Anup Hazarika, Sinsa Paneer Maach (1998) penned by playwright Mahendra Borthakur and directed by Anup Hazarika, Menaka (1998) directed by Pakiza Begum and Charandas Chor (2000) directed by Anup Hazarika.

Some of the more recent ones are Rupaleem (2002) directed by Anup Hazarika, Saru Dhemali Bar Dhemali (2004) directed by Pakiza Begum, Bandar Aru Shiyal (2004) directed by Anup Hazarika and Moi Tuniye Tuntunalu written by Navakanta Barua and directed by Anup Hazarika.

Moi Tuniye Tuntunalu was staged at Jas-Ne Bachpan, NSD’s national children’s theatre festival, held in New Delhi in 2003.

Anup Hazarika also directed Baa’s last major production, the Assamese adaptation of Hamlet, titled Rajkumar Hemendrajit.