Buddha Drama Festival from March 27

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 24: The 3rd edition of Buddha Drama Festival is scheduled from March 27 in Kathmandu.

 Altogether, seven plays will be staged in the festival.

According to Ashok Pyasi Rai, General Manager of the Cultural Institute, a five-day Buddhist Drama Festival will be organised from March 27 to March 31 at Rastriya Naach Ghar.

Among the plays that will be staged at the festival are ‘Chandalika’ directed by Maya Thapa, ‘Three Laughing Monks’ directed by Prashant Bagale, ‘Pratibimba’ directed by Nikita Gurung, Pattachar directed by Geeta Thapa, Paschatap directed by Barsha Bhandari, ‘Amrapali’ directed by Sasmila Magar and ‘Chakshu’ directed by Birendra Hamal.

All these plays will be performed by the artistes of the Cultural Institute and the students who are studying acting, dancing, singing, and dance there.

The final preparations for the festival are going on, informed the organiser.  

The rehearsals of all the plays have been completed and the actors are eager to present their plays, informed Rai.

Jointly organised by Cultural Institute and Dabali Theatre, the purpose of the festival is to convey a positive message to the society by staging a play on Gautama Buddha, the symbol of peace,  said Pushkar Gurung, president of Dabali Theatre.

Giving information about the plays selected for the festival, festival creative director Birendra Hamal said, “We organised a 15-day Buddhist drama writing workshop for this festival a few months ago. Most of the women and few male participated in the workshop.”

Hamal also said that they had selected seven plays for this festival from about a dozen plays written in the same playwriting workshop.