Akangjungla
In the words of the famous actress and acting teacher, Stella Adler, ‘The word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means ‘the seeing place.’ It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation. The theatre is a spiritual and social X-ray of its time. The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation.’ According to history accounts, the earliest records of theatrical performances traces back to over 2500 years ago. To study the significance and development of theatre, the Greek theater, Roman theatre and medieval theatre are referred in most cases. With the purpose of celebrating the value of the theatre art, the International Theatre Institute celebrated the first World Theatre Day on March 27, 1962. The goals of World Theatre Day, as with International Dance Day are to promote the art form across the world, to make people aware of the value of the art form, to enable the dance and theatre communities to promote their work on a broad scale so that opinion leaders are aware of the value of these forms and support them, and to enjoy the art form for its own sake.
This year, World Theatre Day was observed with the theme ‘Theatre and a Culture of Peace’. In Nagaland, educations institutions have been gradually commemorating the day as part of the curriculum. Showcasing the vibrant and exuberant cultural richness through folk song, folk drama and folk dance, the Department of History, Immanuel College observed World Theatre Day with the theme 'Revisiting the Roots 2.0' In alignment with the global theme, the literary club under the aegis of English Department, in collaboration with General Student’s Association of Yemhi Memorial College, Dimapur organised a drama competition to mark the occasion. The Mokokchung College of Teacher Education, Yimyu is another education institution in Nagaland which has been on the lead for promoting the art of theatre. Besides the annual World Theatre Day, Mokokchung College of Teacher Education explores the subject of Drama-Based Pedagogy under the initiative and facilitation of Temjenzungba Kechu, Assistant Professor, MCTE, who has an MA in Applied Theatre, University of London and PGD from Dramatic Arts, National School of Drama, New Delhi. Another educationist in the subject of theatre would be V Uto Chishi, alumnus of the National School of Drama, Delhi; Founder of Zoe Theatre School of Ministry; and Teacher Educator at Unity College of Teacher Education (UCTE). In the year 2017, a drama titled ‘Seek The Lost’ an adaptation from the book of Jonah in the Bible, directed by Chishi was staged at the Covenant Hall, Christian Higher Secondary School, Dimapur. It was an initiative of National School of Drama, New-Delhi in collaboration with UCTE and Nagaland Theater Fraternity. Taking up theatre as a full time career and achieving recognitions, Bendang Walling, an alumnus of the National School of Drama and also founder of the Hill Theatre, Nagaland is now going places and mentoring young people aspiring to follow his professional footsteps.
The year 2022 holds much significance for theatre in Nagaland as it hosted its first three-day, North East Theatre Festival 2022 from December 22 to 24 at Town Hall, Dimapur organised by National School of Drama Repertory Company. The next year it was followed by another milestone. With the aim to promote theatre arts in the state, the 1st Nagaland Theatre Festival powered by Task Force for Music & Arts in collaboration with Hill Theatre, Nagaland was held at the RCEMPA, Jotsoma on September 15 and 16, 2023. Interestingly, beyond the campus and stages, the world of theatre in Nagaland has also found entry points in various churches. With a substantial budget sanctioned annually, drama and theatre workshops are now component of the youth department/ministry.
Taking into consideration the slight openness towards the art of theatre in Nagaland, the hope for this field of profession is definitely growing. The audience in the educational institutions, church platforms and other stages are witnessing through this art, has the prospective of becoming a tool of social change as Stella Adler remarks, ‘It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.’
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