Bahurupi Theatre Festival

Date: Oct 28, 2005

Bahurupi Theatre Festival

Date: Oct 28, 2005

Dear GVK,

Rangayana has their own website and I am proud to say that it is updated with the information on Bahuroopi from 8th Dec to 13th Dec 2005.

http://rangayana.org/index.html

I am trying to do whatever I can do for the success of the event.... thank you

Date: Oct 28, 2005

GVK wrote:

Six-day annual festival starts Dec.8 Theme: ‘Desi culture’ Players: Rangayana director, Mr Chidambare Rao Jambe, reports confirmed participation of 25 troupes – from Karnataaka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal, Manipur, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi; And Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. Events: Plays, theatre posters exhibition, book exhibition, seminars, film shows and handicrafts exhibition Venue: Bhoomigeeta auditorium, Vanaranga open-air theatre, Sri Ranga studio-theatre for one-man shows, Janapada Ranga for folk performances, and Kalamandira . Here is an occasion for us to showcase Mysore. You don’t have to be a theatre man, or even be interested in performing arts, but needs to be someone who feels s/he is a stakeholder in building Brand Mysore to make a song and dance about Bahurupi. And what is Rangayana doing about 1) projecting the Mysore show among people in participant Indian cities, and neighbouring countries; 2) giving info.to interested public on participating theatre groups, their lead players and their track record; and 3) enabling out-of-towners to join in the festivities by updating their information on show timings, advance booking options for shows that are ticketed. I don’t know if Rangayana have set up a Bahurupi festival website. Now that there are five weeks for promotional work, a Mysore-bahurupi.com would help, if it is done and hosted by professionals in editing and packaging web content (Mr S Yerapathi, Mr Vijendra Rao, are you reading ?). Could anyone think of a better way to promote the Mysore theatre festival in other states and countries? One can understand Rangayana pleading cash-crunch. My plea to the organizers would be to say that it doesn’t cost the earth to set up a website (Mymysore.com is a case in point). Besides, Rangayna could find a benevolent local business house or a corporate sponsor to pick up the tab.

Date: Oct 28, 2005

Shame on me. I did not even know that there was something called Rangayana. I was thrilled to learn of the festival in our great city of Mysore. I wish I could be there. The performing arts of theatre, music and dance brings in so much of joy to everyone. During my brief trips to India I do visit schools for "differently able" children and all of them have embrased these art forms as potent therapy. Thank you GVK for bringing this to my attention. Good luck to Rangayana in their efforts. I am sure the best is yet to come.

B.R. Ramaprasaad, Millington, New Jersey, USA

Date: Oct 28, 2005

Suresh Yerapathi wrote:

Dear GVK, Rangayana has their own website and I am proud to say that it is updated with the information on Bahuroopi from 8th Dec to 13th Dec 2005. http://rangayana.org/index.html I am trying to do whatever I can do for the success of the event.... thank you

Thanks, Suresh, for the info. When I suggested the web idea I had in mind an event-specific website, designed to promote the festival in all its aspects. I had seen the promo websites on Eugene O’Neil festival in Danville and the Berkeley event - How Berkeley Can You be ?. As you must be well aware, the Internet holds out wider possibilities for promoting a multinational event such as Bahurupi

Date: Oct 29, 2005

I first wrote about Rangayana for Deccan Herald 15 years ago - it was a full-length feature article. Subsequently, my involvement with this theatre repertory has not been much, though I have occasionally reported on its activities. (For instance, I wrote a piece on Bahuroopi for a prominent local Kannada daily when it was first hosted about two years back). I also suggested to then Rangayana Director Prasanna that I would be keen to host any theatre production by Rangayana on my www.iouindia.com. (As far as I know, no Indian state at least has forayed into the web scene. I haven't heard of England or Germany either being into the new medium). Knowing Prasanna's commitment to theatre and having no idea to do anything that might remotely undermine theatre as a medium, I made it very clear that my "web theatre" concept will only be a promotional avenue to get international attention to Kannada theatre in general and Rangayana in particular. When I broached the topic with him after about three years recently, he said it would cost something like Rs.20 lakh to stage a good play. Meanwhile, I had put across the idea to the incumbent Director, Jagannatha Rao Jhambe, some months ago.

If Rangayana can think of having at least some of Bahuroopi plays on the net, I would still be keen to play host to them. Only, away-Kannadigas have to evince interest in the event and encourage it by paying (a nominal fee) to watch the plays. (I wrote to three Kannada associations on this issue about a year back, but didn't hear from one of them). Since groups from other parts of India and elsewhere are also taking part in Bahuroopi, even they can be invited to showcase their plays on the web. One could even consider having sub-titles in English for these plays and get global attention to the theatre festival. Time is just about perfect to get started. It is my desire that Mysore takes the lead and siezes the opportunity of webcasting the plays. Broadband proliferation can only make matters easy.