City-based theatre troupe the Young Men’s Happy Club is celebrating its centenary at the newly built Dantu Kalakshetram Auditorium here on December 20.

The troupe, in association with the State government’s Department of Culture, is conducting daylong programmes on theatre. Veteran playwright, theatre and cinema artiste Gollapudi Maruti Rao will convene a roundtable on the contributions of the club to the fields of theatre and cinema. Veteran theatre artiste Burra Subrahmanya Sastry, retired professor in theatre arts from the Hyderabad Central University, Modali Nagabhushana Sarma, playwright, director and critic Pativada Satyanarayana, writers C.S. Rao and Akella and K. Santha Rao of the Praja Natya Mandali will participate in the programme, which will be followed by quiz and elocution on theatre for college students.

Club president Dantu Surya Rao, at a press conference here on Sunday, said a good number of artistes and technicians trained by the club proved their mettle in the film world. “Prominent among them are Anjali Devi, S.V. Ranga Rao, Relangi, Suryakantham, music directors Adinarayana Rao and Satyam. Even today, artistes and technicians from the club are participating in theatre competitions and winning prizes,” he said.

The legacy would be continued and the Dantu Kalakshetram Auditorium that was built with financial support from the government and corporate firms would become the perfect stage to perform the plays and playlets.

Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad is to be the chief guest at the public meeting to be held on the occasion of the centenary from 3 p.m.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Kakinada – December 18th, 2016