Second edition of National Women’s Theatre Festival 2023 begins in Thiruvananthapuram on December 27

National Women’s Theatre Festival 2023 begins in Thiruvananthapuram on December 27

A young woman who goes to a veteran nautanki performer to learn how to act like the women that the senior actor enacts on stage is one of the interesting plays (Roop Aroop) that explores the many facets of gender and theatre in the three-day National Women’s Theatre Festival 2023, which begins in the city on December 27.

Organised by 24-year-old Nireeksha Women’s Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram, the fete includes eight plays from women directors all across India and three street plays.

The curtain goes up on the second edition of the Festival at 9.30am with a flag-off at the Connemara Market in Palayam, followed by a street play Ith Engala Kadalu (This is Our Sea) staged by Valiyathura Women’s Collective, who were trained by Nireeksha.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan theatre director Ruwanthie de Chickera will lead a theatre workshop for women at The Swathi Thirunal College of Music.

In the evening, Ruwanthie will inaugurate the festival and a huge canvas will be put up at Bharat Bhavan where artists led by Anupama Ramachandran will paint their impressions of the festival. Later, the canvas will be shifted to the Music College.

Rajarajeswari E, one of the co-founders of Nireeksha, says such a festival was imperative to highlight the contributions of women in theatre and provide them a space to stage their works. 

She elaborates: “It is not easy for women to find a space in many of the celebrated theatre festivals in India. Even in the International Theatre Festival of Kerala, one can count on your fingers the number of plays directed by women over the years. The only time we found a place was in 2010.”