Kathmandu, March 19
The third edition of the Nepal International Theatre Festival (NITFest) began on Wednesday. The festival was officially inaugurated at the Mandala Theatre premises in Thapagaun by Nisha Sharma, the Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama, by playing the Damaha drum.
During the inauguration, Sharma remarked, “When we established Aarohan Gurukul in 2000, all of us artists dreamt of taking theatre to new heights. Looking back at that time and seeing today’s progress fills me with immense happiness. The way the new generation of artists has upheld theatre is commendable, and I say this with pride.”
She further stated that foreigners do not visit Nepal only to see the Himalayas but also to understand its rich arts and culture. However, despite holding a government position, she acknowledged that the sector has not received the necessary support, mainly due to budget constraints.
Welcoming the audience, NITFest Director and actor Dayahang Rai said, “From the journey of theatre in the past to where we stand today, the older generation has passed down their knowledge and experience to us. Now, our generation is in the process of transferring this knowledge to the next. Reaching the third edition of the festival, we are practicing this transfer under the theme of Light of Indigenous Wisdom.
The official inauguration ceremony featured speeches from Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board; Li Hai Chi, Secretary-General of the China Theatre Association; Irina Saji, a theatre director from Japan; and Malin Fetjat, Peace Advisor from GIZ, among others.
The festival, running 12 (March 25), will showcase 17 plays from 12 countries. Alongside theatre performances, the festival will include poetry recitals, music, dance exhibitions, and other events.
The festival opened with a play “Umlido Kharani ra Lemlema,” directed by Pashupati Rai. Following this, 23 poets presented their poetry. The first day of the festival concluded with a musical performance titled “Folktronics” by Kiran Nepali and Deepson Patuwar.
