Bhubaneswar, Sept. 13: The fourth edition of Ekaa, a festival of solo theatre performances, concluded today with the play Borda (Elder Brother), a stage adaptation of Premchand's classic short story Bade Bhaisahab.

Film director and theatre actor-director Gautam Halder portrayed the characters of two brothers through voice modulations and facial expressions. The play focused on human emotions and life.

Another play Chenae Hasa (The Smile) that was staged during the evening was an adaptation of a short story by C.S. Dasburma. It was directed by Kailash Mohapatra and staged by Nirod Parida.

Eight plays were staged in the four-day festival organised by the Mirror Theatre Group at Bhanja Kala Mandap here.

The festival started with a play by Dharitri Khanduala titled Chadhei (Bird). It was based on an Odia story penned by Paramita Satapathy and directed by Anant Mahapatra.

"The play portrayed the turmoil that a woman faces during the last stages of her life. All through her life she takes care of her family but when she grows old she is left alone with everyone in the family busy with their lives. She feels like a caged bird," said Khanduala.

She said solo theatre performances were difficult as the entire focus was on the actor. "There is no second chance in theatre. When you are performing solo you just cannot go wrong at any step because it will strike the audience immediately," she added.

The second play, Pabitra Papa (Pure Sin), was a stage adaptation of a short story by Ajay Mohapatra. Prasant Mohapatra is the director and the actor of the play.

The actor said solo theatre performances had been prevalent in Odisha from the time rare art forms such as Daskathia and Pala evolved.

"At a time when group acts are ruling the roost, such initiatives create variety in Odia theatre," said Mohapatra.

The two productions staged on the second evening were Darpanare (In The Mirror) and Priya Vidushaka (The Beloved Joker).

Darpanare was scripted by noted playwright Simanta Mohanty while Siba Sankar Tripathy was the director and actor. Priya Vidushaka is based on a story by eminent writer Jagannath Prasad Das and staged by Subhransu Parida, who was also the actor and director of the play.

On the following evening, Sukumar Tudu, a New Delhi theatre director, adapted a story by legendary Russian writer Anton Chekov in his play Vidushak. Another play, Nisanga Nayaka (The Lonely Hero) written by Rabindranath Das, was staged by director-actor Jyoti Panda.

"The storyline of the plays were interesting and the way the actors presented them was praiseworthy. I had the chance to talk to the artistes and get expert tips during the interactive session," said Anshuman Patnaik, a student of a private acting school.

In another development, the second Asim Basu Samman was conferred on Badal Sikdar who is considered the doyen of Mughal Tamasha in Odisha.