Theatre Festival 2024

“The view of myself that the world and I hold is not the reality. The reflection of myself that is visible in one’s eyes is the true me.”

The Bhawanipur Theatre Festival is the only 3-day college fest in West Bengal dedicated entirely to drama and performing arts with 8 separate events showcasing different aspects of theatre. The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised the 7th edition of this annual event from the 7th to the 9th of May 2024, with the theme “ENIGMA: ACT I, SCENE VII” on the college premises. With 14 different colleges from Kolkata participating in the festival, the events that were showcased were Radio Play, Street Play, Monoact, Impromptu, Comedy Drama, Ad-Spoof, Boardroom, and Stage Play.

To justify the theme, the thespians aimed to celebrate emotions that go beyond traditions to celebrate the grey areas of the spectrum.
The Theatre Festival kicked off its 3-day journey with a grand inauguration ceremony on Day 1, i.e., 7th of May at 10 A.M. in the Jubilee Hall where distinguished guests from the entertainment industry, faculty members, and eager students graced the occasion. The inaugural ceremony began with the elucidation about the Theatre Fest and its theme by the anchor after which the stage was taken over by the Rector and Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah. He addressed the audience and acknowledged the efforts of the faculty members in making this much-awaited event commence. He also explored the sentiment behind the theme “ENIGMA: ACT I SCENE VII”. He also acknowledged the efforts and hard work of the main person behind the shaping of the team of Enact which was Argha Banerjee. This was followed by a performance by the Western team of the Flames Collective of BESC. Later on, RJ Aritra was felicitated by the Rector and Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah.
The following activities transpired in the 8 events over a span of 3 days that left a happening impact on the minds of the participants as well as the audience.

Radio Play:
The first event that kickstarted the Bhawanipur Theatre Festival 2024 was the Audio Drama or Radio Play. This event took place on 7th May in the Society Hall of the college campus at 10 A.M. and saw the participation of 11 colleges who explored the realm of audio storytelling and gave the audience a glimpse into the era when radios were one of the major sources of entertainment and solace for people. The judge for the event was renowned RJ Aritra who witnessed the participants delve into a wide array of themes including complicated family dynamics, the impermanence of life, dwindling relationships during adulthood amidst the prevailing hustle culture, and the truth behind freedom and safety of women in the modern world. Among these vehement topics, some participants also presented hints of comedic relief that resulted in an engaging listening experience. The participants also utilized voice modulations and subtle changes in their tone and pitch to bring characters to life and add dimensions to their narrative. The 2nd Runner-up was the BESC OTSE team 1 & 2 while the Shri Shikshayatan College stood as the 1st Runner-up. The BESC main team emerged as the winning team who were well deserving because they not only excelled in the art of storytelling but also managed to evoke various emotions in the hearts of the audience who left the hall with glassy eyes and a warm heart.

Street Play:
Following the Radio Play, the spotlight shifted to the main attraction of the day which was the event of Street Play. Taking place on the college Turf, the event commenced at 4 P.M. where six colleges showcased their talent and creativity through powerful and raging performances, captivating the audience’s attention, and leaving a lasting impact. The rules were that the teams shall consist of a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 18 people including musicians with the time limit being 15+2 minutes. The judges for this event were Suprovo Tagore, Anirudh Sarkar and Gautam Bajoria. The college Turf came alive with vibrant energy as actors navigated through the crowds, using innovative props and captivating slogans to convey their messages. Each play delved into diverse themes, ranging from social issues to personal struggles, with actors displaying exceptional skills and dedication. The diversity of styles and themes kept the audience engaged throughout the competition. The 2nd Runner-up was the Seth Anandram Jaipuria College and the 1st Runner-up was the Shri Shikshayatan College. The winner was once again BESC Main team. Special prizes for Best Actor and Actress were awarded to Vineet Kumar and Arunima Adhikari respectively.

Mono-Act:
“One person on a stage can fill the theatre with a universe of people, ideas, and emotions.” keeping this enlightening thought of Elia Kazan in mind, participants from 12 colleges took centre stage in the event of Mono-Act where a single person enacts numerous roles in an alternative manner presenting an engaging viewing experience to deliver compelling narratives that took the audience on a journey of emotions and depth. This event was held in the Jubilee Hall of the college campus on Day 2,i.e, May 8th 2024 at 10:30 A.M. The participants explored various themes ranging from psychological turmoil to political satires where some also took inspiration from ancient Indian history and Shakespeare; transporting the audience to a surreal world of unforgettable characters. The 2nd Runner-up was Aman Sinha from the St. Xaviers College while the 1st Runner-up for the event was Damini Sharma from BESC. Agnik Dey from BESC emerged as the winner of the event. Overall, the Mono Act event was a resounding success that left a lasting impact on the minds of the audience.

Impromptu:
The second event of Day 2 was Impromptu which was held in the Jubilee Hall of the College Campus from 12:30 P.M. onwards. This event saw the participants take the stage and dive headfirst into the world of unscripted comedy and spontaneous thinking. The event was majorly dependent on the suggestions from the audience making it an engaging and inclusive experience. A total number of 28 participants were divided into 7 groups of 4 participants each. The event was divided into two rounds, the first round expected the participants to deliver every dialogue as a question and the time limit for the act was 1+3 minutes adding layers to this already challenging round. The participants were judged based on their acting, presence of mind and teamwork. The acts were hilarious and filled the room with giggles while some, though rusty, proved to be a learning experience. The participants were also given much needed feedback after the first round, one of them being that participants should wait and resume their act after the audience has finished their laughs. The second round proved to be even more challenging when the contestants were asked to deliver each dialogue in a way that rhymes with the previous one; in a time, frame of 2 minutes where everyone was judged solely based on individual performances. Some of the participants left the audience awe-inspired with their presence of mind while some received important feedback like not facing their backs to the audience during the act. These inputs definitely helped the participants get their performances into perspectives and make suitable progress. The 2nd Runner-up and 1st Runner-up for the event were Devang Nagar and Raunak Tater from BESC respectively while the winner was Sachin Kumar Jha from Seth Anandram Jaipuria College. The Impromptu event was successful in maintaining astounding energy in the audience for the rest of the day as well.

Comedy Drama:
They say that laughter is the shortest distance between two people and this proved to be credible when the audience witnessed the Comedy Drama showcase that took place on the Day 2 of the Theatre Festival 2024 in the Concept Hall of the college campus from 2:00 P.M. onwards. With a total of 4 teams participating, the afternoon was filled with laughter, tears, and everything in between. Each college presented its acts with an ensemble cast that delivered witty dialogues and took the audience on a journey filled with chaos, stomach-aching laughter, and amusement. This event also celebrated and acknowledged the versatility of the world of theatre which is not only a place of intensity and political correctness but can also prove to be a solace for light-hearted experiences. The winner of the event was the BESC Main team which enabled the audience to leave the hall with gleeful eyes and a heart that craved more such acts.

Ad-Spoof:
Ad-Spoof was the fourth event of Day 2 which started at 5:30 P.M. in the Concept Hall where 4 colleges participated in total. The audience buzzed with anticipation as the lights dimmed and the first team took to the stage, armed with their allotted props, costumes, and an abundance of humour. The judges for the event were Palash Chaturvedi & Apratim Chatterjee who declared the rules of this event such that a team should have a minimum of 3 members and a maximum of 8 and the time limit being 4+2 minutes all-inclusive. Each college was given an object with which they had to showcase their creativity, wit, and talent by parodying popular advertisements with a humorous twist. With clever wordplay and exaggerated gestures, the actors brought new life to familiar advertisements and turned them into masterpieces. The audience was treated with a blast of laughter-inducing skits exhibiting the participants’ comedic timing. The winning colleges of this event were BESC Main as the 2nd Runner-up and the Shri Shikshayatan College as the 1st Runner-Up. The BESC OTSE team 2 emerged as the winner amongst all.

Boardroom:
Following the Ad-Spoof competition, the attention turned to the intense Boardroom drama which unlike other events took place in multiple venues all over the college campus from 7 P.M. onwards in the evening. The judges for this event were Apratim Chatterjee, Zahid Hossain & Palash Chaturvedi and the rules for this event were that a team required a minimum of 3 and maximum of 10 participants having a time limit of 10 minutes (8+2). Each college was allotted a venue where the teams displayed their impressive theatrical skills as they navigated through complex scenarios with unexpected plot twists, keeping the surrounding audience on the edge of their seats. What truly set this event apart from others was the improvisational skills and quick thinking displayed by the participating teams. The actors were on their feet ready to adapt to ever-changing circumstances while making split-second decisions. The 2nd Runner-Up was the Goenka College, 1st Runner-Up was the BESC Main team with the Shri Shikshayatan College emerging as the winner.

Stage Play:
Day 3, i.e, the 9th of May saw the culmination of a spectacular showcase of skill and creativity of all the performers as well as their passion for Theatre. As the anticipation reached its peak, all eyes were on the final event of the 3-day fest which was the Stage Play. The stage was transformed into a canvas of storytelling as soon as the event started at 11 A.M. in the Jubilee Hall. The judges for this event were Palash Chaturvedi & Adrija Das. With months of practice and dedication behind these plays, the actors from 7 participating teams left a lasting impression on the audience through their 45 minute acts. From Shakespearean tragedies to heart-rending love stories; the diversity of themes showcased the depth of talent of each performer. Every line, every gesture, and emotion conveyed on stage resonated with the spectators, drawing them into the world of theatre plays and ranging their emotions from laughter to tears. Applause thundered through the air after each scene which was a testament to the skill and dedication of performers who poured their heart and soul into their craft. As the final curtain fell and the last echoes of applause faded away, the Stage Play event concluded, marking the end of three days of exhilarating performances and unforgettable memories. The winning colleges for this event were the BESC Main team as the winner, the 1st Runner-Up being BESC OTSE team and the 2nd Runner-Up being the Heritage College. Also, special mentions were handed out to the Best performer male namely Agnik Dey while the Best performer female was Damini Sharma.

The closing ceremony marked the end of the three-day extravaganza that was the Bhawanipur Theatre Festival 2024 which was a home to a number of talented artists who successfully showcased their love for the stage, storytelling, and expression. The Rector and Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah, and the Co-ordinator of the Department of Commerce (Morning) Prof. Minakshi Chaturvedi addressed the audience and acknowledged the efforts of all the participants and volunteers who made this event a grand success. This was followed by the announcement of winners of the Theatre Fest 2024 who were the SivanathShastri College as the 2nd Runner-up and the Shri Shikshayatan College as the 1st Runner-up. Turning up as the winner was the BESC college who rightfully justified the theme of Enigma. BESC looks forward to hosting future editions of Theatre Festival with the same effervescence and hospitality.

Reporters – Jiya Tanna, Mahi Bosmia
Photographers – Sagnik Ghosh, Agrag Ghosh, Ankit Maji, Nishchay Alokit Lakra, Arpita Biswas, Arka Mukherjee.