The Department of Theatre Arts, S N School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad (UoH) in collaboration with the Centre for Ibsen Studies University of Oslo, held the International conference and theatre festival ‘IBSEN BETWEEN TRADITION AND CONTEMPORANITY : PEER GYNT CYCLE. The five-day event from 12 to 16 February was supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana.
The conference was inaugurated by Prof. E Haribabu, Vice-chancellor of UoH. Introductory notes were given by Prof. Ellen Rees, Associate Professor at Centre for Ibsen studies University of Oslo and Prof. B. Ananthakrishnan, Dean at the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, UoH.
Participants in the conference included well known theatre directors M.K. Raina, Bansi Kaul and Kamaluddin Neelu; and renowned academicians like Dr. Erika Fischer-Lichte, Dr. Ellen Reese and Dr. Frode Helland, among others.
In the keynote address Prof. Erika Fischer-Lichte spoke about the reception of Ibsen’s plays in Europe and Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. With reference to the history of Peer Gynt productions in India, she also spoke about the intercultural performance and, the relationship between local and the global not as two binary oppositions, but in terms of the interconnectedness.
The ‘Peer Gynt’ play in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil languages directed by Dr. Aruna Bhikhsu, Dr. Abhilash Pillai, Prasanna D and, Prof. S. Ramanijum respectively were staged at the S.N. School from 12 to 16 February.
‘Peer’ the Norwegian play directed by Yngue Marcusson & Niels Peter Underland was staged at the Ravindra Bharathi on 13 February.
By Priyanka Manikandan, MA-Communication