'Under the Sal Tree' theatre festival in Assam village spreading carbon-neutral concept turns 15

Chennai's Perch Theatre and Anuchintan Art Centre of Kolkata are among the attractions of this year's festival between December 15 and 17.

Guwahati: The spectators sit on straws strewn on the floor and on bamboo benches as artists perform on an earthen stage partly covered with bamboo barricades under sal trees.

There are no lights and electric sound system either. Barring chirping of the birds, the only sound that breaks the silence are the occasional claps as the artists stage play-after-play of different languages.

This has been the common sight at the "Under the Sal Tree," an open-air theatre festival at Rampur in Assam's Goalpara district, situated about 100km west of Guwahati, since 2010.

The festival, started by Sukracharjya Rabha, prominent playwright who died at just 41 in 2018, turns 15 this year. Rabha, who had founded the Badungduppa Kalakendra, a rural cultural organisation in 1998 and started organising the festival to promote the concept of carbon-neutral festival, died due to a sudden cardiac arrest. But the Kalakendra has kept the festival going.

"Shukracharya had pioneered a unique purpose of carbon-neutral festival and hygiene theatre. His purpose was to integrate art and sustainability. This attracted a lot of attention and love from the people. His sudden demise definitely came as a shock for all of us but we all decided that we must continue the journey," said Madan Rabha, who is now the managing director of Badungduppa Kalakendra.

"We follow everything eco-friendly, we have strictly restricted use of plastics and anything that is harmful to our environment. We want the visitors to enjoy the plays and at the same time carry the message of sustainability," he said.

Prominent theatre groups from across the country and even from Poland, South Korea, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh had performed at the Under the Sal Tree festival in the past.

"This year, the festival's theme revolves around retrospection and shared memories, as Badungduppa completes 25 years of theatre innovation and relentless experimentation. This 25-year journey has been one of challenges and triumphs. It is the love and support of our patrons that has kept us moving forward," Rabha said.

The 15th edition of the festival will be held between December 15 and 17.

The event will begin on December 15 with an inauguration by renowned painter Rabiram Brahma, followed by staging of a Rabha language play Dadan Raja, directed by Dhananjay Rabha and scripted by Madan Rabha. In the afternoon, Monglee, a play in Bodo language, directed by Pabitra Rabha and performed by Dapon the Mirror, will be staged.

On December 16, the Tamil play Kindhan Charithiram, directed by Rajiv Krishnan of Chennai's Perch Theatre, will be staged, followed by Hindi play Kisan Raj, directed by Gaurav Das of Anuchintan Art Centre of Kolkata.

The final day, December 17, will begin with a Rabha folk performance and conclude with an open session reflecting on the 25-year journey of Badungduppa Kalakendra. Each evening’s performances will be followed by discussions around a bonfire, fostering artistic exchange among audiences, artists, and scholars, the organisers said in a statement.

This year's festival is being supported by the Assam government's Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Bongaigaon Refinery, it said.