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The third edition of the Nepal International Theatre Festival (NITFEST) kicked off on Wednesday.
The festival was officially inaugurated at the Mandala Theatre in Thapagaon by Nisha Sharma, the Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama, who played the damaha drum to mark the beginning of the event.
During the inauguration, she said, “When we opened the Aarohan Gurukul in 2000, we artists all dreamed of taking theater to a destination with awareness. Looking back at that day and seeing today, I am extremely happy. I proudly say that the way new-generation artists have taken charge of the current stage, it is going well.”
Chancellor Sharma also mentioned that foreigners come to Nepal not only to view the Himalayas but also to understand the local art and culture. However, she also acknowledged that despite holding a government position, she has not been able to do as much in this field as she would have liked, mainly due to budget constraints.
In his welcoming remarks at the festival, NITFEST President and actor Dayahang Rai said, “From the journey of yesterday’s stage to where we are today, the older generation has transferred their knowledge and experience to us. Today, our generation is in the process of transferring the knowledge and learning we gained to the new generation.
As we reach the third edition of the festival, we are practicing that transfer under the theme of the illumination of indigenous knowledge.”
During the formal inauguration ceremony, remarks were also made by Deepkaraj Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nepal Tourism Board, Li Hai Chi, the General Secretary of China Theatre Association, Japanese theatre director Irina Saji, and Malin Fetyat, a peace advisor at GIJET, among others.
The festival, which will run until Chaitra 12, will feature 17 plays from 12 countries. In addition to plays, the festival will include programs such as poetry readings, music, and dance exhibitions.
The festival’s first performance will be the play Umlido Kharani Ra Lemlema, directed by Pashupati Rai. Following that, 23 poets will present their poetry. The day’s program will conclude with a musical performance titled Fokatronix by Kiran Nepali and Deepson Putuwar.
