Shumang leela fest to start with workshop
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 25 2012:
The winter festival of Shumang Leela (courtyard play) which is usually held in November or December every year will be organised for one whole year this time.
Unlike past years, a competition for the plays based on history, culture and tradition of Manipur will also be held during this year.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference held in this regard, Manipur State Shumang Leela Council (MSSLC) secretary Sh Hemanta said, this year's festival would be held with an aim to uphold the age-old tradition of Shumang Leela left behind by past artistes through staging of plays based on patriotism, economy, unity and sacrifice.
The plays would be mainly based on the historic events occurred upto the reign of Maharaja Bhagyachandra, he added.
The secretary further said that MSSLC and Theatre Mirror Manipur would jointly organise a one-month Shumang Leela workshop for the budding artistes form June 1 .
The workshop which would be organised with a primary objective to train the budding artistes would also be attended by senior and young artistes of the State, he added.
Sh Hemanta said that young and budding artistes would get the chance to act with the senior artistes in a new play, Mareibak Ningba Koireng Sana, the production of the workshop.
Department of Art and Culture has sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for the workshop, he said and adding that Rs 1.5 lakh has been kept aside separately for the said workshop.
Taking part in the press conference, Theatre Mirror Manipur Director Wareppa Naba observed that this year's festival would act as a turning point to the trend of Shumang Leela and remain as a milestone for long.
This year's festival would mainly emphasise on the separation of outside alien elements which have already been injected into the indigenous art form, he added.
Wareppa Naba further said that the festival would put in effort to educate the audience about the history and tradition of Manipur and achievements and works of late kings.
Wareppa Naba observed that Shumang Leela must be included in the education curriculum in order to avoid separation of the indegenous art form from the lifestyle of Manipuris.
Opining that the current form of Shumang Leela that the people of Manipur is watching is not the exact form of Shumang Leela, MSSLC president Gunachandra said that the real form of shumang leela is diminishing like other art forms.