Bhubaneswar, April 24: As many as 20 young theatre enthusiasts from Koraput took part in a workshop that had aimed at honing their creative skills through lessons on the basics of theatre.

The workshop was organised by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, along with the Koraput cultural society and the district cultural council, in the rural district from April 3 to April 23.

The participants were taught about the various aspects of theatre production. They were given lessons on stage designing and their acting skills were further improved. Classes were also held on facial expressions and voice modulation.

The workshop was conducted under the aegis of theatre activist Subodh Patnaik. "In big cities, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about theatre, but very few people from the rural areas get that chance. The workshop is a platform to give these artistes an exposure to garner and showcase their skills. Besides, it would also help them overcome inhibitions and open up on stage," said Patnaik.

Manoj Bagh, an undergraduate student, who attended the workshop, said: "I have acted in a few plays but never got the opportunity to train under an expert. Here, I learnt how to analyse a character and about the right process of rehearsing. I also gathered a lot of knowledge about the history of theatre."

For Sarika Patra, another participant, the workshop proved to be a self-development process. "The workshop was helpful in developing my personality. Working as a group has also improved my endurance and concentration level," said Patra.

At the production-oriented programme, the artistes performed Abu Purusha, a play based on a story written by Manoj Das. It deals with the ill effects of greed for money and fame among the people. The play was staged on the last day of the workshop.

"The play was presented on a small scale due to the death of J.B. Patnaik. Plans are on to stage it at a theatre festival in the city soon," said Patnaik.

The akademi has plans to conduct more such workshops across the state.

"In our state, theatre has become limited to only a few cities. We are planning to organise theatre festivals in the rural areas on a regular basis. We will also invite the local theatre troupes to represent the state at various cultural festivals across the country," said akademi secretary Dhira Mallick.