Onnyo Theater, Columbus

Presents

TTThhheee HHHooommmeeellleeessssss

Playwright:

Soumitra Basu

DDiirreeccttiioonn::

SSaauubbhhiikk SSeenngguuppttaa

22000099

India GrocersIndian & Pakistani Grocery

5843 Sawmill Road, Dublin, OH 43017

Phone: (614) 798-9331

Business Hours

Mon – Sun 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM

TOP BRAND PRODUCTS

Rimpy, Laxmi, Nirav, Deep Food

Available Items

Fresh Vegetables on Sundays,

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sarurdays

Fresh Samosa, Large Collection of

Frozen Foods, Audio, Video, CDs,

DVDs, Phone Cards & more

The Homeless:

Synopsis

Our dreams keep us going. But what

happens to those dreams, ideals, hopes

and expectations when we are caught

between the curious dichotomies of life?

Soumitra Basu’s masterpiece Nirbaash

(The Homeless) explores these questions

when we see Aditya/Nutu visiting his

village home in India after living in the U.S.

for 26 years. Nutu readily responds to his

sister’s (Trisha/Tunu) and brother’s (Putu)

repeated requests to spend the autumnal

festival of Durga Puja with them in the

village home. The festival that is so

meaningful to every person in Bengal, the

nostalgia of the old village neighborhoods,

the excitement of meeting his family and

his childhood friend Binti--- everything

makes Nutu envision an ideal reunion with

his roots. To surprise Binti, he reaches his

village a day before he is expected. Binti is

overwhelmed to see Nutu after all these

years and she realizes that Nutu is

unaware of the “real” reasons for his

siblings to ask him to visit them.

Gradually, Nutu learns that his trip to the

village is not meant to be simply an

innocent vacation. Reality is much uglier

than that! His siblings are bent on selling

off the old village home for want of money.

Binti, who is not part of their family, but

stays in the village home from her

childhood, strongly opposes the idea of

selling the house. For, in spite of all that

she has gone through, she calls this

village house her “home”. She is poor,

shattered with her husband physically

crippled and daughter dishonored by the

brutal political group in the village. But her

soul, her childhood, her entire past is

ingrained in the village home. How could

she quit her roots, the “home” that has

become part of her consciousness? Does

not that signify breaking herself from her

“self”? She keeps resisting till the end

with a dauntless spirit against Tunu, Putu,

the political group of Nitya, even her own

husband, Monu and daughter, Monty.

Nutu’s ideal dreams of his “homeland” are

shattered as one grim truth unravels

another. With a heavy heart Nutu returns

“home” in the U.S. to his Ameriacn wife,

Maggie. Finally we are all left gasping for

an answer to: what is a home and are we

all homeless? What does it feel to be at

home? Is it all in the mind (as Maggie puts

it), or is it inseparable from our ancestral

roots, heritage, bondage (as Nutu says), or

is it a conflation of memories, connections

and making of the “self” (as Binti

perceives it)?

The Homeless:

Playwright Soumitra Basu

Dr. Soumitra Basu, presently in Bengal, is

a living legend in the realm of drama. His

rich education in this art form starts with

celebrated personalities like Shambhu

Mitra, Tripti Mitra and Kumar Roy. Dr.

Basu spent his childhood and early youth

in closely studying the renowned drama

group “Bahurupi.” Mr. Basu has now

created his own drama troupe called “

Shandarva.” His dedication to drama is a

self-searching journey wherein he has

unconditionally poured in his philosophic

and aesthetic energies. He writes plays

and many genres allied to drama. Dr. Basu

has enjoyed many awards and titles as

best director and playwright. Of particular

mention is the West Bengal Drama

Academy award as best dramatist.

Rabindra Bharati University has endowed

him with the highly honored position of

“Sisir Bhaduri Professor”.

Direction Saubhik Sengupta

From the 1990s, Dr. Saubhik Sengupta

was an active television and radio artist in

Kolkata. He has worked closely with

reputed artists such as, Kumar Roy, Shaoli

Mitra, Basanta Choudhury, and Sabitri

Chatterjee. No gainsaying that this was a

great learning experience for Saubhik. And

his education clearly manifests itself in his

current directorial role. Mr. Sengupta

moved to the United States in 1999 to

pursue his profession as a scientist.

Directing plays is his primary artistic forte

and he has created his own drama group

here in the U.S. Since 2001, he has

directed numerous plays in at least 15

cities all over North America. Dr.

Sengupta’s avid research on the two

hundred years’ history of Bengali drama

was a successful Broadway production.

Saubhik’s intellectual depth is equally

evident in his direction of the research

based presentation of “Docu Theater.”

The Homeless

By

Soumitra Basu

Produced by Onnyo Theater Inc., Columbus, Ohio

Production

Direction Saubhik Sengupta

Playwright Soumitra Basu

Music Moushumi Sengupta

Light Sandipan Aditya

Sound Soumya Mitra

Set Design and

Construction

Santanu Lahiri

Super title Projection Kaniz Aditya

Super title & Editorial

Support

Srirupa Mazumder

Video Projection Santanu Lahiri

Cast

Nutu /Aditya Rehman Mehbubor

Margaret Lopamudra Basu- Kaul

Putu Kaushik Mazumdar

Tunu / Trisha Srirupa Mazumder

Mita Tanushree Dutta

Binti Sultana M Nahar (Shiuli)

Monu Goutam Malakar

Monti Moushumi Sengupta

Nitya Mohsin Khan

Nitya’s Assistant Tanzim Shams

Special Acknowledgement

Guitar Sandip Mazumder

Piano Avik Mazumder

1077 Old Henderson Road

Columbus, Ohio 43220

www.dosacornerrestaurant.com

Phone: 614-459-5515

Email: dosacorner@hotmail.com

Cast & Production Team

Rehman

Mehbubor

Lopamudra

(Sonali) Basu-

Kaul

Kaushik

Mazumdar

Tanushree

Dutta

Srirupa

Mazumder

Moushumi

Sengupta

Goutam

Malakar

Sultana M.

Nahar (Shiuli)

Mohsin Khan Tanzim Shams

Sandipan

Aditya

Soumya Mitra Santanu Lahiri Kaniz Aditya

Who’s who in the play?

Rehman Mehbubor

Rehman enjoys drama, cinema and performing arts. He believes, “A

performer can sneak in people’s mind, squeeze out feelings, break it

apart, transform and give it back in pieces.”

Now that’s intense, certainly fun and completely legal.

He also performs the role of 'Nutu' (Aditya).

Lopamudra Basu- Kaul

Lopamudra, (Sonali) has trained in Indian classical dance with Guru

Shri Mani of Kalasadan Academy of Fine Arts, Mumbai and

subsequently with Dr. Vasundhara Shridharan in the Thanjavur style

under Pune University. She was initiated into dance from the age of

three and loves painting as well.

She has performed with Onnyo Theater since 2008 and is very

pleased to join the cast of “Nirbaas’’ as Margaret.

Kaushik Mazumdar

Kaushik was associated with performing Arts since 1982. His primary

interest is in Recitation and Audio Drama (“Sruti Natok”). Kaushik

received training from Partho Ghosh, famous recitation artist from

Kolkata. In this play, Kaushik acts in the role ‘Putu’.

Tanushree Dutta

Tanushree is a renowned poet in Bengal and has more than 10

published books to her credit. She has been an art enthusiast with

varied interests as dance, painting, sculptures, photography and

theater. She has been promoting Indian art forms in Columbus from

1980. Trained as a fine artist from India she also graduated in

photography and fine arts from Columbus.

She is one of the founder member of Onnyo Theater and is playing the

role of Mita in this play.

Srirupa Mazumder

With a strong literary background in English literature, Srirupa

Mazumder is a voracious reader and she takes an avid delight in all

genres of art. Her aesthetic taste and feel reaches out at once to

Western civilization and Indian culture. She hit her dramatic debut in

the aural play Bhalobashar Jalchobi with an assured eloquence and

aplomb. She plays the role of Trisha/Tunu in Nirabaash/ The

Homeless.

Moushumi Sengupta

Mousumi Sengupta started her journey in theater from a very tender

age, from acting in Kolkata's group theater to Off Broadway stages in

USA. Trained in aural theater, Stage Theater and intimate theater

forms she has been a consistent performer on Indian television and

All India Radio. Since 2000, she has been performing both in India

and in the USA and has appeared on Voice of America shows. In

2008, she debuted as a director with Theater Practitioners

productions.

Mousumi is an invited artist in Onnyo Theater and is playing the role

of Monty.

Goutam Malakar

Goutam’s main interest is in recitation. He performed in drama and

'Sruti Natok' (Aural Drama) during his college and university days.

Goutam plays the role of Monu in this play.

Sultana M Nahar

Sultana started her acting career with ‘Theater’ (Bangladesh) and is

well regarded for her contribution. She is a member of Columbus Arts

Council and founder of Adity Performers, who graduated on Bharat

Natyam and teaches dance. Sultana is an acclaimed artist and has

performed in International festivals, Asian festivals, First Night of

Columbus, among other cultural events in Columbus, Ohio. She

appeared on WSYX - TV (ABC in 2005) and WOSU (820 AM) Public

Radio for her performances in Columbus. Sultana acts as Binti in

Nirbaas – The Homeless.

Mohsin Khan

Mohsin Khan has always been a dedicated theater activist who

participated in few Bengali dramas staged in Columbus. Although he

had very little time to nurture his passion for acting seriously he is

committed to practicing it more. He is a fearless performer who likes

to try different roles. He acts as ‘Nitya’ in this play.

Tanzim Shams (Shibly)

Imitating others and acting have always been Sham’s passion. He

supported and was deeply involved with regional and capital city

based group theaters in Bangladesh before migrating to USA. People

of IPFW (Indiana University – Purdue University, Forte Wayne)

remember him for his excellent performance in ‘Nakshi Kathar Math’

for Adity Performers in 2003. Shams acts as “Sagred” (assistant of

Nitya) in Nirbaas – the Homeless.

Soumya Mitra

Soumya has been working with 'Onnyo Theater' since end of 2007.

Soumya has a passion for cultural activities. His interest in group

activities had drawn him close to our cultural group. Soumya's

contribution in Soumitra Basu's 'Nirbaas - The Homeless' shall be felt

in the audio playback controls.

With best compliments from

Wingsoft Travels LTD

Your onestop travel service

Tickets to India, Tours,

Disney Vacations, Cruise and

more

Call Susmita

at

614-343-3413

http://www.wingsofttravels.com

Get Involved

Many volunteering opportunities exist for

people or organizations interested in

becoming involved with Onnyo Theater,

Columbus:

Join us as a performer

Help with marketing and

sales

Be a sponsor or buy

advertising space for our

upcoming event

If you would like to discuss opportunities

to become involved with Onnyo Theater,

please contact us.

Phone: 740-881-5817

Email: info@onnyotheater.org.

AFFORDABLE

PROFFESSIONAL

CONTRACTORS, LLC

$AVE IN LABOR!!

We are general contractors,

We have best prices in town

On:

ROOFING

SIDING

PAINTING

AND MORE….

Our quality is second to none.

614 284-3447orellanajc@yahoo.com

Juan C. Orellana Engineer/Owner

Diette Basu, Consultant

The Pampered Chef

www.pamperedchef.biz/diettebasu

Tel: 316 854 0535 / 203 988 4519

diettebasu@yahoo.com