& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Featureless stage, faulty design

National Theatre Stage faces a barrage of criticism 4 years into its opening

Erskad Mmol
The modem light and sound systems installed only four years ago at the National Theatre Stage on Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) premises at Shegunbagicha are not working properly, theatre activists alleged.
Now the theatre groups have to hire lighting system from outside to stage a drama although around Tk 9 crorc has been spent on installing modern light, sound and raging system at the stage, which opened in December 2004.
Around 100 of the 309 lights at the National Theatre Stage and 50 of the 173 lights at the Experimental Theatre Stage do not work. Dimmer control panels of both the halls do not function, resulting in fluctuation of lights during performance.
Theatre activists said they sometimes experience annoying, static sound during a show. No skilled hand is available at BSA to handle the sound system. For over four months air-conditioning system of the halls do network.
Considering the problems, the BSA closed both the halls for 20 days from June 1.
When Director General of BSA Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam was asked for comments, he called the people concerned at his office for explanation.
The maintenance engineer of the National Theatre Stage claimed that the halls have been closed for installation of a new air-conditioning system and regular servicing of the light and sound equipment.
However, from the beginning 'theatre activists were critical about the design and light and sound system of the stage built under aTk38 crore project.
’Over the years we have to hire lights from outside, though BSA has spent crores of taka to Install lighting system at these halls,"
said chief of Shubachan Natya Sangsad Ahmed Gias, who is also the organising secretary of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation.
The National Theatre Stage is expected to impress anyone, but the excitement gradually evaporates as soon as a show starts.
Because of the faulty opening of tire proscenium arch stage, the audience on the first floor of the gallery' can see only half of the cyclorama (the curtain used at the back of the stage). As a result, they miss the lighting effects on the cyclorama.
“This situation has occurred because of the inappropriate height and width ratio of the opening, complained a theatre activist.
Light and set designers complained that BSA has installed
many unnecessary but expensive lights at the National Theatre Stage without taking opinion of the experts.
Light designer Faiz Zahir said, "We have never used special effect lights each costing over 4 lakh taka, as these lights are not Ideal for theatre performances. And the dimmer controller panels of both the halls are not easy to operate."
"The last bar that should be about five feet from the cyclorama is only one and a half feet away, destroying the colour effect on the cyclorama. The light distribution of the dimmer controller is not proper too, Only 120 lights among the 309 can be operated by the dimmer controllerpanel," he added.
Theatre director Tariq Anam Khan said the acoustic system of
the hall is excellent but the other systems are not up to the mark. "Front-of-house (FoH) bar is so far from the stage that it is really tough to set a general light wash at this hall. Moreover, lights fluctuate every now and then," he complained.
"Masking of the stage is not proper too. Instead of the angular wings setting, it has been set straight. Because of that a back-stage activity during a play is visible to the audience sitting at the corners. The droplights of the light batons act as obstacle to the viewers because of the faulty masking," Khan added.
The high officials of BSA also admit the design problems.
"An ideal set-up would have the light source at a 45-dcgree angle facing the performers. But at present none of the light bars
toiiow mat oasic requirement. Excess number of raging has been used. As a result, the FoH bar is too far from the stage while the last bar is too close to the cyclorama," said eminent director-playwright Golam Sarwar, also deputy director of Department Drama and Film at BSA.
"Installation of a Tk 38 lakh orchestra pit in front of the stage is of no use, rather it has increased the distance between the audience and the performing space?" he said. ? ■
Asked why the problems were not addressed during the construction period, Sarwar replied, "I was not allowed to enter the National Theatre Stage during construction, though I was a member of the technical committee."
He said the technical committee comprising theatre experts of the country was dissolved after BNP government took power In 2001.
When the then State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman was contacted to comment on the cancellation process, she said, "Most of the technical committee members were pro-Awami League, that Is why we formed a new committee."
On the irregularities in construction process, she said the then director general of BSA (Ahmed Nazir) knows everything.
Contacted, Ahmed Nazir blamed Public Works Department for the irregularities and said, "We were never happy with the construction work done by PWD. That's why we suggested forming an Engineering Cell at BSA."
He further said, "We totally depended on consultant for the construction of the theatre stage as well as installation of light and sound system."
Prakalpo Upadeshta Limited was the consultant firm, which also designed the National Theatre Stage. However, Engineer Maniruzzaman of the firm claimed that they maintained international standard in the design and construction of the stage.
When the current DG was asked to comment on the current condition of the National Theatre Stage, he said, "There are many problems. Even the platform of the theatre hall has been damaged due to use of low-qualitywood."
"Besides, the burners of the Chinese restaurant under the theatre hall constructed undfr an agreement’ wYth Shilpakhla * Academy in 2004 generate high temperature, which is harmful also to the air-conditioning system. We can't take any action against the restaurant owner as a case has been pending with court, " he added.