& 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

An innovative collage of Ibsen works

CAT premieres “The Communicator”

Jamil Mahmud
Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) premiered its latest production, "The Communicator", on November 14 at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The show was part of the ongoing International Ibsen Seminar and Theatre Festival '09.
Directed by Kamaluddin Nilu, the new play from CAT highlights contemporary world crises from various aspects and relates the crises with Ibsen's omnipresence in contemporary society through depicting the master playwright in an innovative way.
"The Communicator" does not follow any conventional storyline. It is a collage of various Ibsen works highlighted through different art forms. The play is an experimental work that appeals to those who are interested in global ideas.
"I have attempted to create a new artistic expression, which breaks every convention in theatre." said Nilu about his latest work.
"I do not regard 'The Communicator' as theatre. I would rather call it a performance, an experimental piece in which I have explored and merged different art forms-- dialogue, recitation, dance, rituals, body language, music, puppetry, circus, magic, visual art, installationsand multi-media."
Nilu, a visiting professor at the Centre for Ibsen Studies (University of Oslo) and also a Board member of the International Ibsen Committee, surprised the audience from the very beginning of the performance. In the opening act, a caravan-like vehicle entered the stage against the backdrop. The vehicle carried an individual. The individual introduced himself as the "Communicator", who travelled over lands in no time.
The communicator stepped down from the vehicle with a guitar in hand, played some notes and started to communicate with the audience in various ways. He was
the lone and decisive person throughout the play. Sometimes he acted like a musician, a politician, a performer, a civilian and others.
Dialogue and puppetry come together, as the play features an installation at a corner of the stage. The installation marked a puppet, which stands for Ibsen. The pup-pet/Ibsen converses (Kamaluddin Nilu gave the voice) with the communicator on different issues till the end of the play.
The director sees the play as a reflection of the condition of the human mind. That is why the play does not feature any certain acts and does not follow any chronological order. It was a performance without borders.
Md. Shahadat Hossain performed well as the communicator. Abul Kalam Azad Shetu played a role, termed by the director as meta-character'. Janminka Markovska is the playwright, translated and dramatised by Raihan Akhter. Kurt Hermansen is the light designer of the play. Shardar Aftabuddin is set designer.
On the same day, a dance performance, "Shamudro Swapno," an adaptation of Ibsen's "The Lady from the Sea" was staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall. Dance organisation Nritya Nandan staged the nearly hour-long performance. The production was directed, choreographed and designed by noted danseuse Sharmila Banerjee. Sudeshna Swayamprabha, Abul Hasan Tapan and Mehraj Haque Tushar, among others, performed on the stage.
Today, three plays will be staged. Aarshi Theatre, Kolkata will stage "Putuler Chithi" (adaptation of "A Doll's House" at the Studio Theatre Hall at 3:30pm. Palakar will stage "Norar Tin Konna" (adaptation of "A Doll's House" at the Experimen-talTheatre Hall at 5pm and Vivadi from Delhi will stage "John Gabriel Borkman" at the National Theatre Hall at 7pm.