Theatreperson Maya Tangeberg to receive Prof G Sankara Pillai Award 2022

Maya Tangeberg
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Prof G Sankara Pillai Award for 2022 will be given away to theatreperson Maya Tangeberg on June 22 at Rangaprabhath Theatre Complex, Alumthara, Venjaramoodu. The award instituted by Prof G Sankara Pillai Memorial Centre of Performing Arts in the name of Prof G Sankara Pillai, a luminary of Malayalam theatre, is presented to a distinguished contributor to the development of theatre.

V N Vasavan, Minister for Co-operation and Registration, Government of Kerala, will hand over the award at the programme that begins at 6pm.

Maya, born in Switzerland, had come down to India in 1980 to attend a workshop and had visited the School of Drama, Thrissur, after she was invited by Prof Sankara Pillai, the then director of the School. She later learnt Kathakali, Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and Koodiyattam. She conducted workshops at the School of Drama and directed five productions.

Founder of Vaasa, a school for physical theatre, she has published two novels in German. Maya had visited Rangaprabhath in 1987 and created two plays, Circus and Thenmavu during her time there.

She is currently conducting a two-day workshop for up-and-coming artists at Rangaprabhath.

N Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Centre, will deliver the keynote address. Pirappancode Murali, former MLA, Abhilash Pillai, director, School of Drama, Beena Rajendran, president, Nellanadu Gram Panchayat, and Prof Aliyar, theatre activist, will attend the event. A play, Drops, directed by Abheesh Sasidharan, will be staged by Rangaprabhath Children’s Theatre group at 7.30pm.