<p class="bodytext">Caste prejudice, life after death and uncomfortable truths are some of the themes that will be explored during Ranga Shankara’s annual theatre festival, which kicks off on October 24. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Currently in its 21st edition, the festival will feature five plays, staged over five days — October 24-26, and October 31 and November 1. “There is no specific theme because we did not want to restrict ourselves while curating the festival. We wanted each play to be unique and picked plays that would otherwise be difficult to bring to Bengaluru. We chose cutting-edge productions, plays by young directors who take more risks and plays that have an offbeat way of storytelling,” says Arundhati Nag, founder, adding, “These stories hit you in the gut.” </p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Kavan, an Ambedkarite Opera’, is the first play in the line-up. The Hindi play is directed by Abhishek Majumdar and seeks to capture the India of today — one that is rapidly changing. It addresses the question of what the common man does when lines between right and wrong, sacred and profane, and personal and universal are blurred. The protagonist, Bejul, navigates life with all its ups and downs against the backdrop of caste discrimination.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the last day of the festival, November 1, Bangalore Theatre Collective will stage the premiere show of ‘Kattale Neralu’ directed by Venkatesh Prasad. The Kannada production, an adaptation of the play ‘Blackbird’ by Scottish playwright David Harrower, is based on the physical relationship between a man and a girl 28 years his junior. “It also tackles themes like trust, betrayal and coming to terms with the past,” Arundhati shares. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The other plays in the lineup include ‘Something Like Truth’ (Hindi and English), ‘Aakhirkaar’ (Hindi, English and Punjabi) and ‘Naam Mein ka Rakhwo Hai?’ (Hindi and gibberish). “For the rest of the year, we ensure our programming is 70% Kannada. During the festival, we wanted to give equal space to plays in other languages,” she explains. </p>.<p class="bodytext">October 24, 25, 26, 31 and <br />November 1. At Ranga Shankara, <br />J P Nagar. Tickets available online.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Caste prejudice, life after death and uncomfortable truths are some of the themes that will be explored during Ranga Shankara’s annual theatre festival, which kicks off on October 24. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Currently in its 21st edition, the festival will feature five plays, staged over five days — October 24-26, and October 31 and November 1. “There is no specific theme because we did not want to restrict ourselves while curating the festival. We wanted each play to be unique and picked plays that would otherwise be difficult to bring to Bengaluru. We chose cutting-edge productions, plays by young directors who take more risks and plays that have an offbeat way of storytelling,” says Arundhati Nag, founder, adding, “These stories hit you in the gut.” </p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Kavan, an Ambedkarite Opera’, is the first play in the line-up. The Hindi play is directed by Abhishek Majumdar and seeks to capture the India of today — one that is rapidly changing. It addresses the question of what the common man does when lines between right and wrong, sacred and profane, and personal and universal are blurred. The protagonist, Bejul, navigates life with all its ups and downs against the backdrop of caste discrimination.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the last day of the festival, November 1, Bangalore Theatre Collective will stage the premiere show of ‘Kattale Neralu’ directed by Venkatesh Prasad. The Kannada production, an adaptation of the play ‘Blackbird’ by Scottish playwright David Harrower, is based on the physical relationship between a man and a girl 28 years his junior. “It also tackles themes like trust, betrayal and coming to terms with the past,” Arundhati shares. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The other plays in the lineup include ‘Something Like Truth’ (Hindi and English), ‘Aakhirkaar’ (Hindi, English and Punjabi) and ‘Naam Mein ka Rakhwo Hai?’ (Hindi and gibberish). “For the rest of the year, we ensure our programming is 70% Kannada. During the festival, we wanted to give equal space to plays in other languages,” she explains. </p>.<p class="bodytext">October 24, 25, 26, 31 and <br />November 1. At Ranga Shankara, <br />J P Nagar. Tickets available online.</p>