March 28, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 8, 1428

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Lahore March 27: The puppet theatre at Alhamra Art Center, set up in 1984 to entertain children, is in appalling condition due to lack of interest on the part of Alhamra administration.

It has no director to stage puppet shows as the management never bothered to find a replacement after artiste Samina Ahmed left it.

At present the theatre is staged once a week on Sundays but most of the people who visit it are of the view that the puppet theatre has lost its charm and colour.

No new puppet has been crafted to meet the needs of some 18 stories (recorded by Shoaib Hashmi and Salman Shahid to stage shows). At present it has only a dozen puppets which are also in bad condition.

The seating arrangement is worn out while the sound system often remains out of order.

Samina Ahmed, its founder, is sad to see its present state of neglect. “It is really sad that a place for children’s entertainment in the city is left unattended”.

Samina had floated the idea of this puppet theatre in 1984 when she was a programme manager at the Lahore Arts Council. “Saleema Hashmi who was teaching at the National College of Arts in those days sent some students who voluntarily crafted puppets. The theatre became popular in a matter of few days,” she recalled.

Samina said Alhamra authorities were showing no interest in the theatre. “They are not recording new stories, nor crafting new puppets.”

Answering a question, Samina said the LAC did seek some proposals from her last year to improve the theatre. “I forwarded them a number of ideas, including that of a puppet workshop, but they did not move.”

Samina Ahmed was inspired by puppets in her school days. It was in 1972 that she came in direct contact with puppets for the first time in a television programme called Akar Bakkar. A mix of entertainment and education for children, it was directed by Shoaib Hashmi.

The Alhamra Puppet Theatre was formally launched in 1986. Alhamra basement was chosen as the site for the puppet theatre. After every two months a new play was staged. It was decided that in the absence of required local contribution, stories for children should be adopted from all over the world. Shoaib Hashmi agreed to adapt the famous tale of Hansel and Gretel and it was named Gin Kay Teen Sunehri Ball.

The stories popular among children were Jadoo Ka Drakhat, Ali Baba Chalis Chor, A chiri Kha chiri, Chunoo Munoo, Chalak Khargosh, Chandi Ki Chabi, Kchwa aur Khargosh and Joota Jin.

Alhamra Executive Director Asghar Hussain Gillani said “we are upgrading the puppet theatre with the help of some private theatre groups.”

Zulfiqar Ahmed Zulfi, one of the officials of LAC who is presently running the theatre, does not agree that theatre is not doing well at present. “It is rather going fantastic. There is no need for more puppets because for 18 stories some 800 puppets are required.”