With the monsoon ends the heat and dust of summer. So does the summer theatre festival organised by Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre. The festival, that toured the whole of Kerala successfully staging four women-oriented plays in Kannur, Thrissur, Kattappana, Kottayam and Kollam over the past month, has finally returned to the capital city.
The first of the three-day concluding leg of the programme was held at Co-Bank Towers on Monday, with the staging of Vijay Tendulkar’s acclaimed play, ‘Sakharam Binder.’
The travelling theatre had four major productions that were supported by as many as 65 people, comprising the cast, crew and technicians. The main theme of the Summer Festival was women’s issues and the four productions, in one way or the other, dealt with atrocities committed against women.
The final leg of the programme will conclude on June 12 with the staging of the much-acclaimed play ‘Irakalodu Mathramalla Samsarikkendathu.’ But just before the conclusion, on June 11, two plays, titled ‘Savithrikutty’ and ‘Thirinjeduppu’ will be staged. The performances start at 7 pm at Co-bank Towers.
The actors include META award winners, Sangeetha Nataka Academy award-winning actors and professionals, considered the best in Indian theatre.
Abhinaya also plans to donate the profits gained from the Summer Festival towards theatre therapy of autistic children, the initiative being taken up in association with the Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences, Shoranur.