Participants at the theatre festival organised by Shishu Kishore Academy at Minerva theatre from June 7 to 9. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Participants at the theatre festival organised by Shishu Kishore Academy at Minerva theatre from June 7 to 9. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Tagore may not have visualised young children enacting Achalayatan or Rajorshi, plays with serious themes like religious dogma and conflicting faiths, but in a world torn by grown-up conflicts, it is perhaps natural.

Shishu Kishore Academy organised a two-part programme to mark the 149th year of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth. A theatre festival at Minerva from June 7 to 9 was preceded by the launch of a choir of 150 youngsters who performed from May 18 to 23 at Madhusudan Mancha.

The choir sang Rabindrasangeet, including Alo amar alo and Amra shobai raja. A hundred and fifty more danced to Tagore’s songs in a variety of styles.

“The theatre festival is in keeping with the core beliefs of the academy, that children must be taken seriously and their talents allowed to flourish,” said Shishu Kishore Academy director Tapan Bandyopadhyay.

Including 11 plays based on Tagore’s works, the festival saw groups from Calcutta and other districts putting up 20 to 55-minute plays.

The festival was kicked off by Tagore’s prose play Saradutsab that negates a worn-out, constricted and self-centred world view in favour of youthful celebration. The style of production and acting by Bandel Arohi, comprising students from Bandel Vidyamandir, was mature for a young cast. This was followed by two plays from the Hasyakautuk collection, Khyatir Birombona and Roger Chikitsha by Sukhchar Pancham and Kuhak, respectively. Short stories Chhuti and Ichhapuran were dramatised by city groups Silhouette Dream and Phulki. The students of Jalpaiguri Zilla School travelled the distance to present Rajorshi, the novel based on the life of Tripura king Govindamanikya, with added music.

Chetla Krishti Sangsad visualised the poems Birpurush and Kumor Parar Gorur Gari through masks and mime in their presentation Tomader Janya, while Barasat group Madhubhash evoked laughter with their take on Juto Abishkar.

Students of Natadha Mukti Nikai of Howrah presented a musical version of the play Achalayatan, directed by Arna Mukhopadhyay with several variations in costume and music.

Rounak Banerjee of Class V won hearts with his singing, as the misfit and inquisitive Panchak.

Shishu Kishore Akademi’s next project is a children’s Rabindra Rachanabali. It will have selections of Tagore’s writings for children with illustrations.