Thespians share experience at the workshop in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 24: The two-week workshop for theatre directors that aims to develop the standard of Odia plays seems to have benefited the 20-odd handpicked participants.

Samir Mohapatra from Koraput who has directed 10 plays and has been associated with theatre for the past 15 years thought he knew a lot of the art form till he attended the workshop. “I have been directing plays without really understanding what scripts to work on. I learnt about the proper process of rehearsals that included identifying the merits and demerits of a particular character and script,” he said.

Apart from many local artistes such as Asim Basu, Dolagobindo Rath, Sadashiv Pradhan and Simanta Mohanty, who touched upon various aspects of theatre, Probir Guha, Bengal’s acclaimed playwright and director and Assam’s well-known artiste Gunakar Dev Goswami were two main mentors. While Guha worked on the technical aspect of alternative theatre, Goswami tried to make the participants think out of the box.

“If Guha sir taught us about building up a character further, Goswami sir told us how to get inside it,” said Deepak Ranjan, an artiste associated with the AJIT theatre troupe in the city.

Goswami appreciated the efforts of the artistes. “They all exude honesty and dedication. It just taught them how to use their creativity and make sure that their craft and production reflect their tradition,” he said.

Further talking about the difference between Assamese and Odia theatre, he said that at least 10 girls would have taken part if a similar workshop were to be held in Assam compared to only two girls here.

“We have extreme respect for the artiste especially the females,” said 48-year-old ninth generation theatre director, who has devoted 35 years of his life to the stage. Moreover, he added, the efforts of the Odisha Natya Sangha were commendable as it managed to keep troupes of distinct styles together. All such efforts of forming a theatre union have never worked out in his homeland, he said.

The Assamese proscenium theatre takes a lot of elements from Jatra, includes dance forms such as Sattriya which is also commercially viable. Goswami, who is visiting Odisha after 13 years, has directed 55-odd plays.

The workshop has been organised by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi under the aegis of the tourism and culture department in collaboration with the Calcutta-based Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the Odisha Natya Sangha at Bhaja Kala Mandap.

The workshop that began on July 12 will conclude on Saturday.