Bangalore Children's Theater Workshops

The Bangalore theater scene has always been vibrant, but the buzz has steadily increased over the last few years with the opening of Rangashankara, Arundhati Nag's theater space in South Bangalore and with the impending opening of Jagriti, an enterprise of Jagdish and Arundhati Raja in Whitefield.

Along with these increase in theater activity also comes a myriad opportunities for children to learn basic drama skills. In some of the camps, the training culminates in a production to be put up by the children and directed by the workshop organizers.

If your child is interested in theater, then do investigate these four options I've come across. One of them might be right for your child.

I. Logos Theater:

What: Logos Theatre's "Let's Play," a theatre workshop
Children's Age Limit: Eight to thirteen years
Where: Pitter Patter Preschool, 9th Main, 3rd Cross, Koramangala 3rd Block
When: From 16 April to 30 April, between four and six in the evening

An e-mail from Logos Theater says that the workshop "will explore and foster creativity through playful means such as gestures, movement, voice-work, mime, working with objects, etc. It is aimed at improving the child's narrative, communication and interpersonal skills."

For more information, and registration, you can contact Logos Theatre at No. 126, 3rd Main Road, Jayamahal Extension, Bangalore - 560046. Tel: 9880966313, or e-mail: logos.theword@gmail.com.

II. Artistes' Repertory Theatre (ART):

ART's Jagriti-Kids and Jagriti-Youth are conducting two separate summer workshops in the theater arts in April and May this year.

What: Jagriti Kids
Children's Age Limit: Seven to twelve years;
Where: Neev Playschool, Whitefield Main Road
When: 16 April to 01 May (excluding Sundays)
Fee: Rs. 1,200

What: Jagriti Youth
Children's Age Limit: Thirteen to eighteen years
Where: Neev Playschool, Whitefield Main Road
When: 14 May to 29 May (excluding Sundays)
Fee: Rs. 1,500

For more information, visit ART's blog or e-mail edu@jagrititheatre.com for a registration form.

III. Benaka Makkala Nataka Kendra:

Mrs. Prema Karanth, a well-known theater artiste, will conduct a month and a half-long theater workshop for children that will put up a Kannada musical based on The Merchant of Venice with elements drawn from Nagananda and Jimutha Vahana among others.

Children's Age Limit: Ten to eighteen years
When: 20 April to 08 June
Fee: Rs. 500
Register by: April 15

For further information and for registering, you can contact Mrs. Karanth on 26720672.

IV. Rangashankara:

Rangashankara's worshop has already begun! Hurry up if you are interested and give them a call at 2659 2777.

Children's Age Limit: Nine to twelve years (as of 1 April 2007)
When: 02 April to 11 April (both days inclusive); two batches - 8:30 am to 10:30 am and 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Where: Rangashankara, J.P. Nagar
Fee: Rs. 1,000

If there are other summer theater workshops you know about in Bangalore, please do leave a comment and I'll update this post to include that information.