Ranga Shankara kids’ theatre festival opens online on July 20

Ranga Shankara’s AHA! International Festival of Theatre for Children is going virtual this year. It will be held from July 20 to 31. The 11th edition will include national and international plays, talks, and workshops.

Malavika P C, who works with Ranga Shankara, says each play offers something unique for children. “‘Golla’, a non-verbal piece, is for toddlers. Sananda Mukhopadhyaya, who has conceptualised and performs the work, has evolved a special approach towards children’s theatre," she says.

‘The Water Seed’, directed by Swati Singh and Barkha Fatnani, and produced by Gillo Repertory Theatre, is about a village hit by drought. “The aesthetics are striking and the play is shown on a 2 by 2 ft table,” Malavika explains.

‘When the Colours Ran Away’, written and directed by C G Salamander, and produced by ThinkArts in Kolkata, was commissioned by the Vancouver International Children’s Festival for its 2021 edition.

‘The Applewood’, directed by Daniel Gol, looks at three distinct characters and the paths they take. “Produced by Schauburg Theater for Young Audiences in Germany, the piece includes ideas of abstraction,” notes Malavika.

‘Aouuuu’, a work directed by Anna Papst and produced by Chamarbellclochette, Geneve, deals with overcoming fear. “A beautiful puppet piece, the play is about a rabbit who decides to cloak itself as a wolf in order to be fearless, and goes on to see if this strategy works,” says Malavika.

Tickets are available on www.insider.in. Plays will be available for viewing for one week from their individual premiere dates.

Plays

Golla (20 min): July 20

When the Colours Ran Away (20 min): July 21

Der Apfelwald/The Applewood (50 min): July 22

Aouuuu (45 min): July 23

The Water Seed/ Pani ka Beej (36 min): July 24

Workshop

*Theatre appreciation workshop for children by theatre practitioner Sujay Saple from July 19. He will also conduct a fun scavenger hunt for parents and children on July 30.

*‘Tabletop Stories’ by Shaili Sathyu, from July 26 to 29.

Talks

*Making theatre for toddlers by Sananda Mukhopadhyaya and Shaili Sathyu of Gillo Repertory. July 20, 5.30 pm

*Impacts and challenges of ‘screen time’ on children by Dr Shekhar Seshadri (senior psychiatrist, NIMHANS), Anupama Ramachandra (Principal, DPS Electronic City) and Ruchira Das (founder of ThinkArts). July 25, 11 am

Will be conducted over Zoom. For details, email to [e-mail]