What does giving mean to you?  Are you a giver or taker?  Katha Ghera’s new production ‘Dayalu Rukh’ compels one to consider the aforementioned questions. Directed and conceptualized by Akanchha Karki, the play successfully captures the endless generosity of a tree on a boy until the end of his life. In the meantime, the play also symbolizes the how humans take Mother Nature for granted.

The initial plot shows the boy visiting the tree to eat its fruit, and the tree obliging to his needs. But, as he grows older, the boy becomes self-centered and increases his demands. Yet, the tree is shown providing selflessly. 

The play commenced at the Kausi Theatre, Teku from last Friday.

Nepali Adaptation of ‘The Giving Tree’
The play is based on ‘The Giving Tree’ originally penned by American writer Shel Silverstein 54 years back. It is considered among the best children's book of all time. 

According to Karki, also the owner of the theater, presenting the Nepali adaptation of ‘The Giving Tree’ was ideal while opening her new theatre. “It is a very special story which reminds me of all the generous people in my life, including my mother, father, love, colleagues, friends, or anyone who has shared the love in my life,” she shared.

Visual-auditory Expression  
Though the original play is only limited to ten minutes, the Nepali rendition lasts for about 45 minutes. Apart from the core meaning, the production has expressed the story through visual-auditory.  They show a scene of the play in an animation form in a white screen-projector. The scene depicting the construction of the boy’s house, by cutting the tree’s branches, is projected on the screen.  

A Musical Play 
The scenes of the play are enacted musically, based on the arrangement of Adhishree Dhungana. The powerful musical performance is enhanced with her melodious voice. She provides background score to the enactment with six-metre poems and two songs. 

Pleasing Spectacle 
The costume, props, scenery and special light and sound effects during production are the key elements as they beautify the play. Another best part of the play is its costume and set, designed by Mekh Limbu and Bikash Shrestha. They have provided an artistic blend to the costumes representing the portrayal of individual characters.  

The play is slated to run till July 8 except on Tuesdays.