The theater group unveiled Junkiri on Friday at their theater premises in Anamnagar. The audience was treated to the first play in the traveling truck as actors showcased 'Manchinte Firante' after performances by musician Deep Shrestha and other artistes.Junkiri, which is 32 feet wide and 24 feet in length, was provided to Mandala by the German organization GIZ.
Mandala's creative director Rajan Khatiwada said, "A few years ago when I was in Delhi, I saw a group of musicians put up a performance right on their small bus. That's when I got the idea for a traveling bus. The dream has come true now."
Culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi described the bus as a huge achievement and congratulated the group. "I'm extremely happy to see the theater culture that began in BS 1995 with Bal Krishna Sama's 'Mukunda Indira' has reached this stage."
Politician Raghuji Panta of CPN-UML was also present at the inauguration of the traveling bus. He stated that 'a city without theater and art is not alive,' emphasizing on the role of art in the development of a society.
Mandala plans to lend the truck to other theater groups and art activities.
Directed by Rajan Khatiwada and translated by Viplob Pratik and Somnath Khanal, 'Manchinte Firante' will be staged in 15 different places across Kathmandu this month.
The play is based on Italian writer Leo Lionni's 'Frederick' and its cast includes Ashanta Sharma, Srijana Subba, and Bijay Baral among others.
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