Eight female theatre personalities to be felicitated

Kanchkhela Repertory Theatre has organised a theatre festival and an awarding ceremony to honour the most promising female thespians and actors to commemorate International Women's Day every year.

The event, titled "Teer-Kanchkhela Natya Utsab O Nari Natya Sommanona", will award four female playwrights and four female directors were honoured in the field of drama of the year 2022. Through a comprehensive evaluation of their contributions to theatre, eight female theatre personalities in eight categories will be awarded as well.

The theatre festival and award ceremony will be held on the eve of International Women's Day at the Mahila Samity's Nilima Ibrahim Milanayatan, said Sayem Samad, lead artiste of  Kanchkhela Repertory Theatre. 

This year, eight most promising theatre personalities of 2023 –Rosey Siddiqui (Dhaka Theatre), Momena Chowdhury (Shunyon Repertory Theatre), Nazneen Hasan Chumki (Desh Natok), Shamsi Ara Sayeka (Padatik Natya Sangsad), Tonima Hamid (Natyachakra), Hasina Safina Banu Urmi (Saptarshi Theatre), Juyena Shabnam (Swapnadal), Nowshin Islam Disha (Byatikrom Natyagosthi) will be awarded later in the evening.

The chief guest of the ceremony, Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, will hand over the awards while renowned actress Tarana Halim, Afroza Parveen, Falguni Hamid, and Jafar Uddin Siddiqui, the Managing Director of City Group, will be present as special guests.

Veteran actress Dolly Zahur will inaugurate the three-day drama festival. Each day, at 7 PM, a play will be showcased under the festival. 

The Theatre Factory will showcase the play "Asharrshy Pratham Dibose" on the first day. On March 9, Prachyanat will stage "Agunjatra". The festival will conclude with Anuswar's "Harmachis Cleopatra" on March 10.