Kanglai Mime Theatre
Description:
The Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory, Imphal, India was established in the year 1987, the only one professional Mime Theatre group in Manipur State, a centre for the art lovers and enthusiasts; the creative artistes and the educated youths.A leading mime theatre group in India.
To know the importance of Mime Theatre (Mime – regarded as the Indian rare art form, with reference to Indian Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni) and its development, the Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory was born. The Repertory is also an autonomous body, non-political with secular and universal outlook.
Regarding its outstanding achievements mention may be made of its first participation in the 1st National Mime Festival held at New Delhi in the year 1998.
The Repertory presented the play “Power’s Act”, based on a victim woman tortured by the Army. Then, in 2001, the Repertory participated in the 2nd National Mime Festival held at Kolkata and presented the mime play “Hanuba Hanubi Pan Thaba” based on a Manipuri Folk Tale.
In 2003, the Repertory participated in the 2nd and 3rd National Mime Festival held at Delhi and Guwahati respectively.
In 2006, the Repertory participated in the National Mime Festival; Shilpgram Festival organized by West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur, and participated in the Patliputra Festival, Patna in the same year. Besides giving performances in the various National Mime Festivals the Director of the organisation, Dr. Y. Sadananda Singh had taken classes on mime in many workshops and has as yet attended many seminars and conferences during the National Mime Festivals. Also, the Repertory has been implementing many projects on Culture and Education since its establishment.
In May 2006, the Repertory participated in the Chuncheon International Mime Festival held in South Korea representing India, presented the mime play “Cheitheng” (Agony).
Also, in 2007, the Repertory participated in the International Puppet and Mime Festival of Kilkis in Greece and recently in March 2009, the Repertory participated in the 2nd International Festival of Mime and Physical Theatre held at Macedonia.