Theatre in India

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India was invaded a number of times. This played a major role in shaping of Indian culture and heritage. The Medieval India experienced a grand fusion with the invaders from the middle-east.

India, as a colony of the British Empire, used theatre as one of its instruments in protest. To resist, the British Government had to impose Dramatic Performance Act in 1876. From the last half of the 19th century, theatres in India experienced a boost in numbers and practice.

After independence in 1947, theatres spread throughout India as one of the means of entertainment and one of the means of death.

India, being a multi-cultural nation, cannot be associated with a unique trend and feature in its theatres.

Presently, major threats to Indian Theatre are the spread of television industry and spread of the films produced in the Mumbai film industry. Lack of finance is another major trouble.

Contents

[edit] History of Indian theatre

[edit] Theatre in ancient India

Bharata wrote Natya Shastra (200 BC - 400 AD), a dissertation on the structure and purpose of theatre in society.

[edit] Theatre in medieval India

[edit] Theatre in India under British rule

[edit] Indian theatre after Independence (1947-1992)

[edit] Contemporary (post-1992) Indian theatre

[edit] Improvization

Improvization is a very new art form to India. Very few theatre groups and very few public performances have been done.

A few theatre groups who practise improvization: Yours Truly Theatre

Yours Truly Theatre uses playback theatre, complete the story format, and other theatre format done in the improvization style.

[edit] Notable theatres in India in different Indian languages and regions

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Ancient Age

[edit] Medieval age

[edit] Under British rule

[edit] After Independence (1947 onwards)

Notable theatre directors and writers:

[edit] Forms of Indian theatre

[edit] Classical Indian dance

The most orthodox and complex form of musical theatre based on the Natya Shastra.

[edit] Traditional Indian theatre

See Guru Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar, Mani Damodara Chakyar and Kutiyattam

[edit] Indian folk theatre

[edit] Modern Indian theatre

Modern Indian Theatre is a high tech affair, most of the Indian artists are trained professionals from international Universities and India too today has many world class theatre training organization. Though the Indian auditoriums have not embraced technology as swiftly, but the same is changing rapidly, One great example of technology put to use in Modern Indian Theatre is a comprehensively created portal Bangalore Theatre Guide, While Indian theatre is emerging on the international theatre arena, Bangalore Theatre is a precursor of things to come.

[edit] Indian puppet theatre

[edit] Indian street theatre

[edit] Other Indian theatres

[edit] Notable awards and festivals

[edit] Awards

[edit] Festivals

11TH NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL 2007

Comprising of 21 reputed Indian plays from 9 centres in 11 languages, presented over 14 days

This festival features traditional and contemporary plays, as well as adaptations of classical plays in several regional languages, English and Sanskrit)

From Kerala we have the privilege of having Sopanam again with the maestro Kevalam Narayana Panikkar coming with a Malayalam play Otta Mulachi and a Sanskrit classic in Kalidas’s Malavikaagnimitram. Aamchi Mumbai and Marathi boast of a duet, being Vijay Mishra’s local Choukatali Vihir, while Saish Deshpande’s Waiting Room comes from Panaji, Goa. This may well have been three if Waman Kendre had not decided to do his own adaptation of Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex in Hindustani this time, tilted Vedhapashya! Other Hindustani plays are Ekjute’s Romeo & Juliet, Devendra Raj Ankur’s Hum Tumse Pyar Karega Kaun, Dinesh Thakur’s Mitr, Sunil Shanbag’s take on Mumbai mill workers, Cotton 56, Polyester 84, Suresh Sharma’s Kaafka – Ek Adhyay, Sanjay Sahay’s take on Nikolai Gogol’s Inspector-General titled Jaanch Partal coming from Gaya in Bihar and, quite significantly for this festival, Prasanna’s very own interpretation of Mahakavi Bhavbhuti's (also known as Bhavabhuti ) UIttara Ramacharitha.

Suren Thakar Mehul’s Mrutunjay is in Gujarati, Santanu Das’s Manush-Manushi in Bengali, Kewal Dhaliwal’s Loona in Punjabi and Chidambara Rao Jambhe’s Oh Lear in Kannada. Distance never being a problem for this festival, from the most eastern and least accessible part of India comes Baharul Islam’s Assamese offering Apeksha. Did we leave anything out? Yes, the Konkani play coming from Goa, being Kala Academy Goa’s Devchar Khelayata, Mogyank Melayta, an interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Jayendranath Haladankar.

[edit] Institutional aids in Indian theatre

[edit] Notable groups and companies

[edit] Notable productions

[edit] Notable stages

[edit] Notable theatre to films

[edit] Notable Indian theatre in foreign languages

[edit] Indian theatre in other countries

[edit] Foreign plays and/or plots in Indian theatre

[edit] Problems and issues in Indian theatre

[edit] Finance

[edit] Theatre for poor versus poor theatre

[edit] Theatre versus television

[edit] Theatre for development in India

[edit] References

[edit] External links