But now we realize that theater also means a piece of land where we could erect a theater building to give some greater dimensions to our zeal of creating and performing modern cultures. Like the characters caught in the conundrum of life, many of us individually or in theater groups have been tirelessly searching for some pieces of land where we can anchor our professional works. Almost all the theater groups based in Kathmandu and elsewhere share a common anxiety of not having or owning any venues for showcasing our performances. This has made us realize that we were always and are caught in our careers. But we know that this time we must not remain stuck here at this point as it is the right time to solve this problem not only for us but also for the artists of the future generations.
Gurukul has now come to realize that it does not have a piece of land of its own. The landlord wants to start his own business center in the land where Gurukul is currently situated.
Gurukul theater center has come to fully function from 2003. With the help of many theater creators and lovers, it has become very popular among the audiences in Kathmandu. Under the leadership of Sunil Pokharel, the artistic director of Gurukul, this theater center has brought out great many fresh words, voices, movements and aspirations of the new times that we have been living with in this nation in the present times. Gurukul now has everything required for producing plays on a regular basis. It has got two theater halls named after two famous Nepali playwrights and theater creators of the past. It has produced over a dozen and a half performances to this date. It has trained great many theater artists who are currently working in different theater stations scattered throughout the country and are busy producing plays or creating performances of one or the other type. It has introduced several playwrights, theater artists and critics and, very importantly, it has created a community of thousands of audiences. It has also organized theater festivals of both national and international stature and introduced Nepali theater art and culture outside the world. Moreover, it is going to run a theater center in Biratanagar, the eastern city of Nepal.
But Gurukul has now come to realize that it does not have a piece of land of its own. The landlord wants to start his own business center in the land where Gurukul is currently situated. Now, where should Gurukul go? This has troubled us collectively and made us feel that we are in some grave situation. We simply cannot vanish into thin air and choose only to live in the memories of audiences, artists and critics of this country. But the reality is that we still have miles to go. This predicament of Gurukul evokes an uncertain future and also the futility of theater groups, which want to emerge as independent art centers and force in this city and elsewhere in Nepal. Therefore, it is the right time for all of us to come together and fight a common battle to continue our journey further.
One might draw our attention to a stark reality and a question: Since the Naachghar, the Academy and the City Hall theaters are located in the central parts of the city, why cannot Nepali theater artists use such lucrative theater resources to secure a safe future for modern theater performance culture in Kathmandu? We would like to state here that the theater centers mentioned above are run by the government. Therefore, successive political and bureaucratic interventions have paralyzed them. Artists working in these centers for over 20 years share a common experience that they have not yet been able to make any significant contribution to the performance cultures of this nation. Deep down they realize that the enemies of theater in this country are none other than those who own these theater centers.
Theater groups all over this nation narrate a common experience: They spend several months in rehearsing a play and sometimes even manage to collect money to stage their performances for a couple of evenings. As they find it hard to pay the rent for the hall, they pack up their accouterments sometimes for ever. They, for ages, have realized that they miserably lack land or venues where they can stage or showcase their performances on a regular basis.
Now the question comes: Who is going to provide us land and theater halls in the city? Entrepreneurs are not going to invest on theater culture as it does not bring them any profit and gone are the days of acquiring patronage. The banks do not want to take risk of investment in theater and art and create a liability for their business. Even influential or richer INGOs and NGOs do not grant any financial support to buy land for any theater groups. Theater artists who want to work freely do not want to depend on theater centers run by the government. Therefore, what should the theater groups do to break themselves free from this impasse?
I think the government or municipality offices are the only hope for us. By providing some pieces of land on lease to theater or to other art groups for a certain number of years, they can make a significant contribution for the arts and cultures of this nation. This will surely help artists to inculcate a sense of belongingness to their profession.
Therefore, theater and other art groups in Kathmandu and elsewhere need to come together to convince the central as well as the local governmental bodies about the need to have venues for creating, showcasing and promoting art and culture of the modern times and thereby the very spirit of this country. All that we lack is a piece of land. Once we have it, we can grow many great art forms in it. Such crops will surely help us heal wounds and feed many great souls and minds and finally nurture the very performance cultures that we are so proud of.
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