Drama students of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya stage the play Jadughara at the annual theatre festival of the institute. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Young dramatists are showcasing their skills at the weeklong Natya Saptah theatre festival going on at the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.

The students of the drama department of the institute are winning hearts of the audience with some interesting performances at the mini-auditorium of the institute.

The annual festival began on February 7 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the legendary Bharatmuni, considered the father of Indian performing arts. The first drama to be staged was Marga, written and directed by Pragyan Ranjan Khatua that reflected social and philosophical aspects of life. The two dramas staged on the following days were based on western classics.

The famous Norwegian play by Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, was staged on Wednesday. The touching play that criticises social marriage norms was well-depicted by the young artists in its Odia version, Kandhei ghara. The three-act play was translated into Odia and directed by Bhaswati Basu.

It was O’ Henry’s renowned short story After Twenty Years that was depicted on stage on Thursday in Jadughara (meaning museum). Though there were many additions like the museum where the statues stage play on every full moon day.

In fact, in the play the statues were shown as staging the story of friendship and betrayal between the two friends who meet as per their pact after 20 years. This play was written and directed by Choudhury Jaiprakash Das.

“We organise the festival to let the young dramatists get a the feeling of staging plays for public viewing. The students have received great response,” said Nabin Kumar Parida, principal of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.

The students were also seen rehearsing with enthusiasm during the day for the plays that were performed in the evenings. “For us it is a great opportunity to showcase our talent on stage through the festival,” said Arpita Nanda, a drama student.

The upcoming dramas in the festival are Abartana written and directed by Nabin Kumar Parida’s, playwright Pramod Ranjan Mohanty and director Mihir Swain’s Chauki, Swapna-Prema-o-Pratibimba written by Nabin Kumar and directed by Subhranshu Kumar Parida and Apana Kuhantu written by Prahlad Mohanty and director Kumar Debu Patnaik. The festival concludes on February 14.