Palpasa Cafe Drama Book
A drama adaptation of best selling Nepali novel Palpasa Cafe is coming out in book form as Palpasa Cafe Play. The book is published by Nepalaya Publication Nepal, which is the same publication that published the original novel. The adapted play was produced by Theatre Village Nepal under the directorial of Bimal Subedi, a NSD graduate, and was performed in Mandala Theatre Nepal from 22 April - 8 May with houseful of audiences. A discussion entitled ‘From text to stage: practices of theatrical adaptation’ will follow after the book launch.
From text to stage: practices of the theatrical adaptation
Panelists Narayan Wagle, Nayan Raj Pandey, Upendra Subba, writers whose work has been adapted into drama, and Bimal Subedi and Deeya Maskey, two directors who recently adapted one of the panelist’s stories into play will sit together and discuss the metamorphosis of text. Writer/journalist Basanta Basnet will moderate their coming of age in terms of adaptation practice.
Naatak Palpasa Cafe Book Launch followed by Panel Discussion- Theatre and Literature
नाटकमा शब्दको आकृतिः के लेखिदैंछ, कस्तो देखिदैंछ?
We believe that theatre in Nepal has a lot of potential and can be a very powerful tool for social change. So we are organizing this panel discussion with some of the leading theatre practitioners in Nepal. The panelists will discuss the challenges that theatre outiside Kathmandu faces, ranging from a lack of infrastructure and support, to a lack of audience engagement. They will discuss the need for more government support for the arts, and for more training and support for theatre artists.
Theatre lovers rejoice! The much-anticipated theatre festival is back, and this year, we have the pleasure of hosting the one and only Shabna Azmi. Join us for a master class with the legendary actress, as she shares her insights and experiences in the world of theatre. This is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greats, so don't miss out!
Shabana Azmi is a five-time National Film Award- and Padma Shri-winning Indian actress of film, television and theatre. The daughter of poet Kaifi Azmi and stage actress Shaukat Azmi, she is an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India. She has also received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, in 2020.
Tells the story of a factory worker closed in an alienating production system, a post-modern landscape in which the human being is imprisoned in a mechanic and repetitive existence and his body reduced to an artificial machine.
With the support of: MIC Ministero della cultura, Istituto Italiano di cultura in New Delhi, ATER Fondazione
Tells the story of a factory worker closed in an alienating production system, a post-modern landscape in which the human being is imprisoned in a mechanic and repetitive existence and his body reduced to an artificial machine.
With the support of: MIC Ministero della cultura, Istituto Italiano di cultura in New Delhi, ATER Fondazione
Revolves around three people who are caught in an isolated place at the peripheries of war in India. As the story progresses, the growing differences fuel the conflict that leads to physical violence.
Revolves around three people who are caught in an isolated place at the peripheries of war in India. As the story progresses, the growing differences fuel the conflict that leads to physical violence.
About the play
Set in Western Nepal’s Kham Magar community, “Kubhindoko Katha (Story of Ash Gourd), a folklore-based play takes us close to the ultimate truth of mother nature. It celebrates the fact that nature has made us different from one another with our strengths and weaknesses and emphasizes the need to accept each other’s existence. It acknowledges the difference in our appearances with different abilities and roles in family and society. It regards such diversities as nature's plan to complement one's weakness with another's strength to ensure everyone's role is vital, be it small or big for the smooth functioning of this world. It also advocates that diversity and coexistence is something that makes our society resilient and vibrant where the needs and existence of all are cared for and respected. It is one of the seven plays developed through the five monthly long playwriting projects organized by Mandala Theatre-Nepal in 2022.
Play Synopsis
Khima, the main character of this play, is a folk tale-based character who is rejected in many ways by everyone because of her physical appearance. She is compared with others and mocked and questioned frequently due to her abilities. Consequently, a sense of inferiority develops in her that does not allow her to open up among her friends and society. This play takes us through how the central character overcomes her fear and inferiority and saves the people from the greatest crisis of drought in her village. In nutshell, this folk drama is a perfect blend of nature's grandeur with human relations and emotions and gives a strong message that all the things that coexist in nature have their own essence .
About the Director
Dayahang Rai is the founding chairperson of Mandala Theatre-Nepal. Rai, one of the most popular Nepali film actors, has been working in theatre as an actor, director and playwright since 2002. Born in the Bhojpur district of Province 1 of eastern Nepal, Rai started his theatre career as an actor and later explored his interest in playwriting and direction. He has written around a half dozen contemporary Nepali plays and directed around a dozen.
Director’s Note
Directing this play was a challenging task for me. The plays that I have directed before were related to my own culture and traditions mainly from the eastern part of Nepal. That’s why, I had a good understanding of the dramatic elements used in the play. But, as Kubhindoko Katha is based on Kham Magar culture of western Nepal, different from my own culture and experiences, Being new to this culture, I had to do my research to preserve the authenticity of the culture , which was quite a stimulating and exciting artistic journey for me. I have tried my best to use the right and meaningful dramatic elements to make the play worthy to watch by using dance and musical forms from the same culture and folklore practices. I hope this play hopefully conveys the importance of diversity in nature. I am very thankful to the entire cast and crew of this production who believed in me to work on this.
About the Playwright / Translator / Adaptor
Born in Dhangadhi of Kailali of Sudurpaschim Province, Pranish Magar has been active in Nepali theatre for the last few years. He is currently doing his graduation in Nepali literature and journalism at Pashupati Campus, Kathmandu. Besides writing, he has a special interest in music, acting, travel, and photography. He has been actively writing, acting, singing, and playing musical instruments for a number of plays.
About the Group
Mandala Theatre - Nepal is a group of young, enthusiastic, and dedicated theatre workers of Nepal. After long training and individual involvement in this field, in 2008 a group was formed to keep working in this field. It has devoted itself to explore, popularize, and preserve the varieties of traditional and indigenous theatrical forms of Nepali society, and looks forward to work even more actively in the days ahead. Mandala Theatre Nepal is a registered company that delivers theatre productions and related services. It is also registered as a non-profit organization to serve its respective vision and mission for social responsibilities.
Desdemona Roopakam is a concert theatre piece that examines feminist narratives within Shakespeare’s Othello and traditional Indian mythologies. The play is composed of Hindustani ,Carnatic and folk music.
A folk tradition of Mid- western region of Nepal, gets mixed into several social and political situations as the plot progresses. Presents a strong critique of capitalism, corrupt politics, political establishment, greed and patriarchy.
