B'lore Little Theatre's Golden Jubilee

Bangalore Little Theatre Foundation, the city's oldest and most widely respected theatre society has maintained a long track record of outreach activity, positioning itself as Community Theatre. In preparation for the Golden Jubilee year starting in September 2009, the group has announced its strategic planning exercise and 'The History of Ideas Programme' for its golden jubilee celebration at its press meet which was followed by a play "The Prophet and the Poet", a small part of a larger programme at BLT called The History of Ideas - a series of biographic-historical plays of inspirational quality.
BLT shared the strategic planning exercise to see how best to make Theatre Development activity a success in the Indian societal environment. In association with The Academy of Theatre Arts (a creation by BLT Foundation in 2006), BLT has been following varied planning processes including programmes on Theatre Education, Theatre Appreciation and Theatre Networking. BLT has successfully been following their strategies and plans and today, they moved ahead considerably to make it a celebration in preparation for its 50th year. The Golden Jubilee Celebration will include the long term programme called 'The History of Ideas' showcasing a series of biographical plays of great inspirational quality.
Prof. Vijay Padaki, a founder member of BLT said, "From its inception in1960, BLT has been a theatre group with a difference. We are all proud to enter the grand Golden Jubilee Year. We aim to set a unique theatre development programme to build an entire theatre environment through regular training, educative programmes and relevant curricula".
The fourth play in the series of 'The History of Ideas' called "The Prophet and the Poet" was played today at the Alliance Française auditorium. It is based on an original script from a compilation of letters and articles exchanged between Mahatma Gandhi
and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore over 25 years, with the Indian freedom struggle as the backdrop. It has a highly educational content, combining it effectively with entertainment. The play is designed and directed by Prof. Padaki, who is also currently Honorary President of the Academy of Theatre Arts.

BLT has done 12 shows of the play so far. It opened with a very successful premiere at Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram on January 30.  Subsequently BLT was invited by both Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan and Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata to perform at their institutions.
BLT is a mother of all theatres and some of the Presidents of Kannada Nataka Theatres presidents are also a life time members of BLT have plans to reconstruct the past productions and planning to have this celebration 12 months said Vijay Padaki.
The long track record of outreach activity at BLT makes this institution eminently qualified to undertake the responsibility of such developmental activity. This may be done through a truly alternative Theatre Academy.
The Academy of Theatre Arts has been created in 2006 by BLT Foundation: a unique case in history of a 46-year old amateur theatre society parenting a Foundation.