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Kolkata|
Shakespeare has lived through 400 years cupping ambrosia at youth’s fount. The favor is reciprocal. To continue such propagation Ahava Communications with South City International School organized Inter-School Shakespeare Festival on May 9, 10 and 11 at the South City International School auditorium.
Starmark, which had earlier hosted the inaugural ceremony supported by Education Trust for All, on May 6,– John Bagul, school Principal, doing the honors and guested by Miss Universe India (2010), Ushoshi Sengupta also entailed a panel discussion titled, ‘Is Shakespeare Contemporary?’, before a sizable gathering including educationists, eminent personalities, media, and students. The speakers – actor Barun Chanda; Prof. Anand Lal; Ramanjit Kaur (of Deepa Mehta’s Videsh-Heaven on Earth and Fire fame), Nivedita Bhattacharjee, dancer, Vikram Iyengar were moderated by the Co-Director of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF), Anjum Katyal.
Day 1
Two schools – Sushila Birla girl’s school and Delhi public school, both attempted Mcbeth to be judged by Anjana Basu and Suktara Lal.
While the former school was elaborate in dramatization, the later showed constraint moving the play forward via oration. Noteworthy performers from girl’s school were Abhilasha Ghosh (title role), Richa Borthakur (Lady Macbeth) and Mitushi Mukherjee, Ankhi Poddar & Rajika Ghosh (Three Witches). DPS matched them through Simonto Halder, Ivana Das Choudhuri and Medha Mukherjee, Indira Dey & Sampurna Roy Choudhury for corresponding portrayals in that order.
Day 2
On second day St. James stuck to Mc, Loreto house taking on Merchant of Venice.
Theatre personality and actor Biplab Dasgupta and Antara Banerjee sat on judging chairs.
Loreto surprised with a dramatic monologue by Atreyee Chanda (Shylock) and St. James with energy.
Morning session, thus gave way to a quiz show by Theatrician’s Tathagata Chowdhury that had seven schools- Akshar, Loreto House, Calcutta international school, Sushila Birla girl’s school, south city international school, St. James School, Delhi public school (new town) participating in it.
Loreto house won the quiz competition with south city international school and st. James school being declared the runners – up.
Day 3
Third day tete-a-tete between, Sri–Sri Academy and South City International School – performing Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar respectively, judged by Nivedita Bhattacharya and Sanchaita Banerjee, extracted modern rendition by the Academy, the other displaying original techniques.
Verbal storms brewed the following session- a debate competition participated by seven schools, moderated by Deb Kumar Mitra, judged by Kalpita Sarkar and Neel Adhikari, incidental on whether ‘Did Shakespeare really write his plays?’ was won by La Martiniere for girls followed by DPS (New Town) and St. James School as the runner’s up.
The evening concluded with a prize distribution ceremony – Bagul giving away prizes – drama competish to St. James School, best script and costume awards to Sri Sri Academy and St. James School respectively, best actor to Varij Khanna of South City International, art competition to Arini Anand from Loreto house and the overall championship to St. James School.
