If Theatre Can be the Food of Love – ‘Play On’

Rithu Dravid | NT: The Performing Arts teach children teamwork through the theatre related activities such as acting, singing, performing, or even just playing pretend and reading books aloud.

These are the avenues a child’s mind can undertake an exercise for imagination. Performances in a show inculcate confidence and allow kids to work as a team without competing against anyone else.

The entire cast works together with a common goal to put something out into the world. This kind of participation can have a positive impact on the child’s development in many ways.

When a group of children come together, it also allows them to explore more ways of connecting with ideas and themselves.

However, several popular theatre groups like the ‘AHA’ theatre for children at Ranga Shankara, Beng aluru are committed to making and presenting plays, workshops, and storytelling on a sustained basis to children belonging to 2-12 age group.

The theatre group, currently in its 14th year, popular with parents atre artist, the eminent multilingual actress Arundhati Nag, Director of Ranga Shankara says, “A network of people pursuing the objective of presenting ‘what Art is’ will be in Bengaluru.

The artistes who are mentors will be undertaking training of child artistes in the city as well as in other places. A clutch of talented theatre artistes believe that the early years are the time of maximum absorption of the power of ideas and imagination.

Such ideas need to be kindled in children to inspire age-specific work. The festival is a melange of storytelling that talks of Earth stories, theatre games and clowning workshops that allow children to delve with fascinating ideas and interactive ways of connecting with the audience.

The other plays include, ‘Just Hiss’- is about a snake that delves into the predicSuch plays are among other fascinating performances and events that would be staged at Ranga Shankara.

“I would like parents and teachers to give their children the gift of a good theatre experience and reiterate that, ‘Life is Beautiful’, Arundhati exclaims.