ASHIQUR RAHMAN LEEON Theatre Actor, Director, Designer and Teacher

Ashiqur Rahman Leon was appointed as a Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Dhaka University in 2009. He received his BA with 1^st class and 2^nd position, and MA with 1^st class and 1^st position from the department of Theatre and Music. He is currently serving as the chairman of the department. His researched works have been published in various research journals of Bangladesh such as Half-Yearly Bangla Magazine of Shilpakala Academy, Half-Yearly English Magazine of Shilpakala Academy, and Bangla Academy Sahitya Patrika. He has participated in international theatre festivals, seminars, workshops and presented seminar papers in UK, Liverpool, and at different states of India. In 2008, he conducted workshop ant presented a seminar paper on Create a New culture through the Theatre by the Young People in Bangladesh, organized by Contacting the World 2008 International Theatre Festival Liverpool, United Kingdom. The notable festivals, workshop and seminars he participated in are: Happenings Rabindra Utsav-2016 at Satyajit Roy Institute and Santiniketan Visva-Bharati University, ‘Asia Pacific Bureau (APB) theatre Festival for performing and conducting workshop & seminar’2017 organized by National School of Drama, 8^th Theatre Olympic 2018 organized by National School of Drama, Bharat Rang Mahatsav Theatre Festival 2019 organized by National School of Drama in India.Funded by DFID and in collaboration with the British Council Bangladesh, and under the Higher Education Link Program with the joint participation of Winchester King Alfred College, Dhaka University and Khulna Losauk, this participated workshop on ‘Theatre for Development’ was held at Chakriya in Cox's Bazar and Dinajpur from 23-28 January 2002, and the workshop was supervised by Trim Prinky and David Card of King Alfred College, and Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed of Dhaka University. He participated in a field workshop on TfD (Theatre for Development) in Cox's Bazar in 2006 in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Music of Dhaka University and CARE Bangladesh, and a workshop on Indigenous Theatre organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 2007. Apart from this, he visited in various places in India such as Kolkata, Murshidabad, Assam, Tripura, Patna, Ranchi, and Delhi with his directed and designed theatre productions.

He teaches the courses on Acting Theory, Acting Practicum, Improvisation, Characterization Practice, Acting Theory and Practice of Stanislavaski, Acting Theory and Practice of Grotowski and Meyerhold, Performance Theory, Stage and Light Design and Theatre Direction. He also regularly supervises the theatre productions, directed by BA final year students, of Dhaka University Central Theatre Festival.

He conducted workshops on theatre, indigenous theatre, improvisation and theatre practicum organized by various educational institutions, international organizations and various important theatre troupes in Bangladesh. The important institutions among them are: Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, North South University Dhaka, Care Bangladesh, Theatre Art Unit, Prachyanat, Theatre School, Nagrik Natyangan, Opera Natyadal, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, Barisal Shabdabali, The Lady from the Sea: Text to Performance seminar funded by Center for Asian Theatre (CAT) and Royal Norwegian Embassy.

He has been acclaimed in the theatre arena of Bangladesh and in the academic level by directing and designing some wonderful theatre productions. Notable theatre productions directed and planned by him are: Hamlet, Srabon Tragedy, Oporera, Nishimon Bisarjan, Riders to the Sea, Mricchkatika, The Leader, Escaping, Mahua, Betrayal. To be noted, the play Srabon Tragedy produced by Mahakal Natya Sampradaya, is based on the history of the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family. In the history of Stage theatre in Bangladesh, Bangabandhu was presented and portrayed on the stage through this play for the very first time.

Ashiqur Rahman is a well-known name in the theatre arena of Bangladesh as the designer of stage, light, costumes and props. Notable theatre productions he has designed are: Hamlet, Srabon Tragedy, Oporera, Nishimon Bisarjan, Riders to the Sea, Mricchkatika, The Leader, Escaping, Mahua, Betrayal, Bohni Bisarjan Bo-Dwip, Trishnay, End Game, Basanta Jagaran,Fona, Champak Nagarer Upokatha, Prakriti Chitra O Amaler Charalnama, Sanjh Belar Bilap, Panjore Chandraban, The seagull, Bhelua and The Lower Depths. It is worth mentioning that in 2017, he was the technical director and implementer of the space design of the play 'The Seagull' produced by Moscow Art Theatre from Moscow, Russia, funded the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Apart from his teaching, direction and designing, he has gained a reputation as an established actor through acting and several of his plays are currently being staged regularly on the stages of Dhaka. The notable theatre productions he has acted in are: And Then There Were None, Twelve Angry Men, Kalchautisha, Urubhangam, The Birthday Party, Sitar Banobas, Othello, The Lady from the Sea, Three Sisters, Dwarfs, Madhyam Bayog, Yarama, Life of Galileo and Kabar.

Apart from stage plays, he regularly participated in various artistic works in the television media of Bangladesh. From 2009 to 2016, he worked as a performance consultant for the 'Marks All-rounder' program on RTV TV channel. He has acted in various TV serials, one episode dramas, short-films and telefilms on private TV channels like ETV, Bangla Vision, and Channel Nine etc.Besides, he regularly participates as a voice-actor in various foreign TV series and films, and these are being aired regularly on private TV channels Dipta TV, Maasranga Television, ATN Bangla and SA TV.

After all, Ashiqur Rahman Leeon has been playing regularly an important role in the field of art and education through theatre education, research, implementation and multidimensional participation.