Three-day theatre festival opens at Jagannath University

Jagannath University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies opens its third annual theatre festival today, launching a three-day programme that runs until February 3 at the Bangladesh Mahila Samity auditorium on Natok Sarani (New Bailey Road).
Six plays will be staged across the festival, held under the theme “Andhar Katuk Monchaloke” (Let the stage light cut through the darkness), framing theatre as both artistic practice and social inquiry.
The opening ceremony begins at 6:30pm today, with Professor Abdus Selim, president of the International Theatre Institute Bangladesh Centre, attending as chief guest. Veteran actor Ferdousi Majumdar will receive a theatre honour at the inaugural event. Actor-director Tariq Anam Khan will attend the closing ceremony as special guest.
The festival opens at 7:30pm with “Mulluk”, written by Bakar Bakul and directed by Muntashrin Rahman, Rashed Hossain and Jerin Chakma.

Three productions will be staged on the second day. At 4:30pm, audiences will see “Fugue”, written by Elizabeth Nelson and directed by Nisha Chowdhury and Ishita Akhtar. This will be followed at 6:00pm by Ratan Siddiqui’s “Kosbi”, directed by Alam Hossain and Rituparna Nodi. The day concludes at 7:30pm with Osvaldo Dragún’s “The Story of a Man Who Turned into a Dog”, translated by Abdus Selim and directed by Miraj Hossain.
The final day opens at 4:30pm with Badal Sircar’s “Suitcase”, directed by Meshkat Sharif, Nazmul Haque and S M Tasin. At 6 pm, Franca Rame’s “The Rape” will be staged, translated by Tandra Chakraborty and directed by Shomali Dutta, Brishti Akhtar and Arghya Shreshtha Das. The festival concludes at 7:30pm with “Knock Knock Heaven”, inspired by Manoj Mitra’s “Chokhe Angul Dada” and directed by Soumik Bosu.
Organisers said a single ticket will grant access to all performances scheduled for the day, underscoring the festival’s aim to make theatre accessible to a wider audience.