Bengaluru-based theatre group, Samashti, celebrates 25 years with a three-day theatre festival

Bengaluru-based theatre group, Samasthi, celebrates 25 years with a three-day theatre festival

Samashti, a Bengaluru-based theatre group celebrates its silver jubilee with a three-day theatre festival in Bengaluru, between June 3 and 5. It will stage three of its popular comedies at Rangashankara.

The three plays to be staged are Neeru Kudisida Neereyaru, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi and Miss Sadarame.

The first play is based on Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor. “This play weaves together hilarious situations and we have adapted it to our language and culture,” says Manjunath L Badiger, a senior member of Samashti and director of the play. “The events play out in a town called Terakanambi in the Mysuru region.”

The other play directed by Manjunath, to be staged at the festival is Miss Sadarame. “Eminent theatre personality KV Subbanna improvised the story of Sadarame as Miss Sadarame. The original was scripted by Bellave Narahari Shastry. Our experiment with Sadarame is a bit different from the original.”

Mukkam Post Bombilwadi will be staged on June 5. This play is directed by Ravindra Poojary, who founded Samashti with theatre and film director Jayateertha in 2000. “It is a work of fiction, where Hitler, having travelled to Japan to acquire the formula to make an atomic bomb, reaches Bombilwadi instead of his home,” says Ravindra. “He goes to a police station in the hopes of using a wireless transmitter, and is dispatched to a drama company.”

An emotional Manjunath, who studied theatre at Ninasam, reveals that his theatre journey took wings with Samashti and that he completes 25 years in group. “Way before we formed Samashti, the three of us were actively involved in street plays. Ravindra and Jayateertha are trained at Abhinaya Taranga. Once they passed out, we decided to start Samashti. We always direct our plays and try to encourage our members. We also organise free theatre workshops for schools and colleges. Our workshops cover acting, mime, rhythm, mime, yakshagana, intonation and, make-up etc.”

Samashti was started with the objective of discovering new aspirants, training them in all aspects of theatre and bringing them into the mainstream of Kannada Theatre, Ravindra says. “Once we passed out of Abhinaya Taranga, we wanted to start off on our own and till date we have staged 23 plays with Samashti. All our plays are based on published plays, novels and poetry. The basis of selecting plays is to take up a new production, one which has a concept that is new or rare. We also keep in mind the audience and choose plays that are humourous. We work with plays that give us the space to bring all theatrical elements to life on stage including music, costumes and sets.”