Swapnadal to stage ‘Helen Keller’

To mark International Women’s Day, theatre troupe Swapnadal is bringing its mono-drama ‘Helen Keller’ on stage followed by an award ceremony on March 8 at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segun Bagicha of the capital.

At the event, Swapnadal will also honour promising theatre artiste Asma Akter Liza with ‘International Women’s Day Award 2022’. Besides, Swapnadal will also honour all the female artistes of the troupe.

Presided over by Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Golam Kuddus, director-general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Prof Nehal Ahmed will attend the award ceremony as chief guest, while Government Titumir College Professor Talat Sultana and cultural personality Jewel Ahsan Qumrul will be special guests among others.

Swapnadal has been celebrating International Women’s Day since 2012. Earlier the International Women’s Award was given to Ferdousi Majumder, Shimul Yusuf, Lucky Enam, Nuna Afroz and Airin Parveen Lopa, Sadhona Ahmed, Tropa Majumder, Rokeya Rafique Baby and Momena Chowdhury.

‘Helen Keller’ is the 17th production of Swapnadal, written by Apurba Kumar Kundu and directed by Zahid Repon. The cast is Juana Sobnom, while the production manager is Shakhawat Shamol.

The production depicts the life, works, dreams, struggle and philosophy of the legend and ‘Wonder of the World’ Helen Keller. Despite having multiple disabilities, Helen was able to overcome all obstacles by her extreme self-confidence and also by the extraordinary support of her teacher Anne Sullivan.

Hellen Keller was highly influenced by the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore and also by the thoughts of Charlie Chaplin, Mark Twain, John F Kennedy, and Einstein. In ‘Hellen Keller’ when she expresses gratitude to her teacher, the influences of those great masters on her become alive.

‘Helen Keller’ also speaks about her expectations of women empowerment and humanism, strong stand against racism, war, destruction and abuse of nuclear weapons. Besides that, the experience of satisfactions and dissatisfactions in her personal life is also depicted in the ‘Helen Keller’.

She also expresses her own philosophy and that is to be able to dedicate someone to human welfare despite all obstacles or struggles, and that is called true humanity. Finally, this philosophy becomes the prime lesson of the production ‘Helen Keller’.