Artistes of Shatabdira Kalakar stage Kharvela

Bhubaneswar, Aug 5: This September, when theatre groups from all over the state meet at Paradip, Dhira Mallick, president of Odisha Natya Sangha will ask the dramatists to create Facebook and Twitter accounts of their groups.

Odia theatre groups have realised the necessity to connect with youngsters through the medium of social networking and video sharing sites.

City-based theatre group Shatabdira Kalakar got its opening play Kharvela uploaded on Youtube so that youngsters who missed the performance at the group’s annual festival could watch the play online. Initially, the idea was to preserve a play that records the life of one of the most important rulers of ancient Odisha, but with time they realised that it was also a way to attract youngsters who show very little interest in Odia theatre.

The group has also been regularly updating its Facebook page about the progress of their upcoming play titled Mother. Heading the groups is Mallick, who understands the power of the new medium.

“Our website is four years old. But it was rarely updated. Though I hardly get time to be online, I try to keep the Facebook page going. It is a great medium to get instant feedback,” said the veteran theatre artiste, who is also an avid blogger.

“Theatre groups can also make the viewers aware of their upcoming productions. Dramatists have to overcome their technology handicaps. It bothers me that youngsters hardly turn up to watch stage plays in the city. But I’m sure they will watch the plays once they come across the online videos,” he added.

After Shatabdira Kalakar, many other active theatre groups have lined up to post their best plays on Youtube and create websites. Of the 75-odd member groups of Odisha Natya Sangha, only 35 theatre groups are actively stage shows. Natya Chetana based on the outskirts of the city is probably the only group to have a website that is regularly updated, is well designed and has been in place for the past seven years.

“Since we are associated with a lot of international groups, having an updated website facilitates the exchange of information. Earlier we had Orkut and now Facebook. Having an account on the social media is an option, but a website is a must. A volunteer maintains our website that costs us very little,” said Subodh Patnaik, founder of Natya Chetana. His group regularly conducts shows on college campuses across Odisha.

All these efforts are aimed at attracting the youths, most of who have very little interest in Odia theatre. One of the prime reasons is the lack of contemporary stories.

The rabble-rouser of Odia theatre circuit Surya Mohanty said there were groups that hardly had members who were less than 35 years of age and thus stories are spun keeping their age group in mind.

“As far as the medium of social networking is concerned, it can only help the process of information and nothing more. The association should look for conducting more acting workshops for youngsters rather than concentrating heavily on organising festivals,” said Mohanty.

A 25-year-old budding actor, Deepak Ranjan, associated with AJIT theatre group, said: “Most directors and actors don’t keep themselves abreast of how the modern society is shaping up. If young people start coming to watch the plays, the themes will change automatically.”

“Since Odisha Natya Sangha is an association of almost 90 per cent of the theatre groups in the state, we have decided that at the upcoming meet in Paradip we will find out how theatre activists can use social networking and online media effectively. Many groups across the state are keen to learn the online mantra,” said Mallick.