Prachyanat

Prachyanat is a theatre group of Bangladesh. It is very famous in Bangladesh. It was founded in 1997.^[1]

An Introduction

In 1997, a group of young theatre enthusiasts realized that, in order to express their common ideas about art and theatre, they must work from a common platform. The result was generated by opening a new theatre group in February 1997 with the name Prachyanat.^[2]

Prachyanat Productions

In the last eighteen years Prachyanat had eleven full length productions. Among these, two plays are written by the members of Prachyanat. One play of Prachyanat is a translated version of "A Man for All Seasons", by the British playwright Robert Bolt.^[3] Another play of Prachyanat is "Gondar" (The Rhinoceros) from playwright Eugene Ionesco.^[4] In 2009 Prachyanat brought out a modernist version of Rabindranath’s symbolic play Raja ebong Onnanno.^[5] In 2009, Ibsen’s play "Punarjonmo" was made.^[6] Another is "The Hairy Ape", which is written by Eugene O'Neill and directed by Barker Bakul.^[7] Koinna, a play which is directed by Azad Abul Kalam, Murad Khan’s script is based on a myth from the north-west of Bangladesh about ‘Koinnapir’.^[8] A play titled "Kinu Kaharer Thetar" is performed which is written by Manoj Mitra and directed by Kaji Taufiqul Islam Imon.^[9] In 2010, Prachyanat staged titled "Mayer Mukh", a translation of Arnold Wesker’s play.^[10] In the year of 2014, Prachyanat produced a play titled "Tragedy of Polashbari", script and directed by Azad Abul Kalam.^[11]

Prachyanat Musical Ensemble

Prachyanat Musical Ensemble grew out of a high demand from the audiences who fascinated to the songs and music used in the plays of Prachyanat. The Musical Ensemble consists of a number of hands who are quite good in playing a various kinds of instruments, both local and foreign. Prachyanat plans to create a music lab for researching and developing related to music.^[12][13][14]

Theatre-lab Productions

Prachyanat runs a laboratory theatre where different theatre can experiment their ideas. In fact, regular exercises of the members of the group make to grow up the plays such as Bom Boma Bum Bum, Fouzholt, Vomra (The Wasp), 2×2, Lal Jatra ^[15] and so on. A few plays already produced in the Prachyanat theatre-lab and some plays are theatrical adaptations of western theatre canon.^[16]

Prachyanat for the Children

There are some plays which are written for the children by some of our creative minds. It introduces our children to this wonderful world of theatre. The unique character of the programme is that to approach different schools and educational institutions for an offer to invite to perform in the plays for the children, specially 8 – 15 years children. The performances are designed in classrooms or common rooms little demand for light and set design. Some plays are: Drighanchu (The Magic Crow); Tota Kahini (Educating the Parrot); Kupokat; Bagher Shaja; Tuni o Raja and so on.^[17]

Theater in the Open

These plays are highly appreciated and have made success in terms of audience response and general demand. These performances are designed to be performed on any makeshift stage and the structural preparations so that the arrangement at the easiest possible time keeping the cost at a minimum. The short duration of these plays makes it happened that they are produced with economy of performance, dialogue, plot development and so on. There are so many plays done by Prachyanat such as Kandte Mana (Never say Cry); Dui Boloder Golpo (Two Oxen); Dorir Khela (A Game of Ropes); Bish Panchali (A Tale of Poison); No Man’s Land; Mandar (the tree) and so on.^[18]

References