In a first of its kind in Nagaland, “Nagaland Theatre Festival”, has been scheduled to be held on September 15 and 16, at Regional Centre for Excellence in Music & Performing Arts (RCEMPA) in Jotsoma, Kohima. The event will be organized by TaFMA in collaboration with Hill Theatre Nagaland
This was announced during a press conference on Tuesday at Cafe Leon, Dimapur.
Mentioning about the event, Hill Theatre Nagaland, artistic director Bendang Walling informed that the two-day event will highlight presentation of a play title “The Case of Longti Village” based on the novel by Senti Ozukum on the first day which will commence from 4 pm onwards. The entry fee for the event will cost Rs. 50 per person.
The stage adaptation is designed to run for a duration of 1 hour and 10 minutes, featuring the participation of a cast comprising 15 talented performing artistes.
About the “The Case of Longti Village”, Walling revealed that he will be responsible for the adaptation and direction of the show, with Kilangtemsu Imsong serving as the assistant director, while the production design is the collaborative effort of Thoudam Victor Singh and Uto Chishi and the play will be performed in Nagamese. The play aimed to highlight the value of art and underscoring the notion that art isn’t without its worth and with it, an initiative to encourage a genuine appreciation for the artistic endeavours.
On the second day of the festival, it will witness an engaging workshop centered on acting, stage craft, and property making, with workshop expert Bendang Walling, an accomplished alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi, renowned for his roles as a theatre practitioner, actor, and filmmaker. Kilangtensu Imsong, an NSD Agartala alumnus, as well as Limanungdang, a recipient of the NEZCC Young Talent Artist Award in Theatre and adding to the roster will be V. Uto Chishi, an NSD alumnus who concurrently serves as an assistant professor at Unity College of Teacher Education in Dimapur.
It was informed that the workshop will be conducted free of cost making it accessible to all. Interested individuals aged 15 and above can register for the workshop by directly reaching out at 9774709190, the last date for registration will be September 11.
About Hill Theatre Nagaland, Walling mentioned that the domains of theatre and film were relatively new in the region, and highlighted the significant contribution of the church in embracing and introducing these art forms.
He said that church has played a pivotal role in recognizing and endorsing theatre and drama and added that over the span of the past 10 to 11 years, the team have successfully organised and conducted over 20 workshops.
Earlier, Walling also acknowledged advisor to TaFMA, Theja Meru for his visionary approach in integrating theatre into the realm of TaFMA and be a part of theatre movement in Nagaland and also expressed gratitude towards Theyie Keditsu, affectionately known as Mekhalamama, for providing valuable guidance that led to the inception of the inaugural Nagaland Theatre Festival.