From loquacious debaters in ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen’ to the dramatic
monologue in ‘Shakespearean Soliloquy’; from ‘Steal-A-Scene’ enacting scenes
from Shakespeare’s plays to creating original black and white drawings in
‘Mozaic!’, students excelled in the events at Goa’s only Shakespeare Festival,
‘The Bard by the Mandovi’, as it completed ten years. There were over 200
participants and around 100 organisers, with members of the public also coming
in and enjoying the literary atmosphere, along with the college students,
taking the tally to over 700.
They created dioramas in ‘Diorama Drama’, performed poems to
music in the ‘The Bard’, and created children’s books in ‘Bedtime Shakespeare’.
The special event this year was a Spelling-Bee and Snakes and Ladders mash-up
that saw students spell words to move up a ‘Shakes and Ladders’ grid while
overcoming obstacles to win the gold. ‘The Mascot’ saw the teams dress up one
participant as a supernatural character from Shakespeare’s plays – They were
amazing!
The inaugural of the event was a musical riot, as the students
brought back Shakespeare to life along with his tragic couples, who sang their
way into the hearts of the audience. Dr Sonia Da Costa opened the event by
commending the organisers and wishing that the event were to see its silver
jubilee celebrations. Asst. Professor Andrew Barreto, Faculty In-charge said,
“It’s a testament to the event that we see so much love and appreciation from all
the contesting schools. Ten years are up so quickly! I really will try my best
to continue this fantastic event, despite all the hurdles we may face. These
ten years are dedicated to all my students who have helped it grow.”
At the end of day and ten events, the second runners-up winners
were Team Ariel, Vidya Vikas Academy, Margao, Runners-up were Team Caliban,
Rosary Higher Secondary School, Navelim, and Overall Winners were Team Hecate,
Sharada Mandir School, Miramar.
The
Bard by the Mandovi – Shakespeare Festival Goa had its first edition way back
in 2010. The first year saw less than five institutes participate, but from the
year after, it took off with the maximum number of teams going up to 18 in its
fifth year! The event has been graced by over 20 institutes in its lifespan,
and has served as a platform for over 3000 students – participants and
organisers alike.
