A six-day theatre festival titled ‘Sundori Natya Mela’ will begin today on the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) premises in the capital. Popular theatre troupe Natya Teertha has arranged the festival at the BSA’s National theatre Hall to celebrate its vivid journey of one decade.  
With the theme ‘Narir Srijane Wriddha Biswa Chorachor’, the festival will present six selected plays about women. The main attraction of the festival is all the plays, which will be staged at the festival, are under the name of ‘Sundori’. The festival will run till December 7.
Noted theatre personality Ferdousi Majumder will inaugurate the festival today, while eminent novelist Selina Hossain will be present as chief guest and Poet Rubi Rahman as special guest. Besides, every day a woman theatre personality will attend the programme as special guest. Tomorrow, eminent theatre personality Sara Zaker will attend the festival as a special guest, while Shimul Yousuf on December 4, Lucky Enam on December 5, Kristi Hefaz on December 6 and director-actress Nuna Afroz on December 7.
Today, after the inauguration of the festival, Mohakal Natya Sampraday will bring their production ‘Shibani Sundori’ on stage at the National Theatre Hall.
Tomorrow, Kishoreganj-based troupe Bongolok will stage ‘Rupchand Sundori’, while host troupe Natya Teertha will stage ‘Komola Sundori’ on December 4, Ekota Natya Gosthi will stage ‘Mohua Sundori’ on December 5, Theatre Art Unit will stage ‘Amina Sundori’ on December 6 and Anwesha Theatre will bring their production ‘Bhanu Sundori’ on stage on the closing day of the festival on December 7.
On the other hand, a seminar on ‘Bangladesher Natoke Nareer Bhumika and Bhabishyat’ (Women’s role in Bangladeshi Theatre and Future) will be held at 4pm at the Seminar Room of BSA tomorrow.  Dr Mahfuza Hilali will present the keynote paper in the seminar. Presided over by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, director of the host troupe Tapan Hafiz will moderate the seminar.
Besides staging the play every day, ‘Natyateertha Natyabondhu Sommanona Padak’ and ‘Doliya Sorbochcha Uposthiti Sommanona Padak’ will be handed over to a woman theatre personality in recognition of their contribution to theatre.