Indian Theatre

From stage to page: Recent excursions in Indian theatre publishing provide vital insight into the form, and its future

Theatre publishing will go a long way towards preserving latter-day texts currently missing from the public archive, while allowing theatre-makers to access contemporary writings that provide a greater understanding of the zeitgeist, and take them to audiences hungry for new interpretations and perspectives.

Remembering Ebrahim Alkazi, the grand old man of Indian theatre, who leaves behind a staggering legacy

For an ephemeral form such as live theatre, where the works of most masters, especially theatre directors, disappear in the mist with their passing, it’s heartening that Ebrahim Alkazi’s legacy has been preserved for a posterity he had emphatically staked a claim to more than a half-century ago.

Ebrahim Alkazi, Indian theatre legend and art connoisseur, passes away at 94

Ebrahim Alkazi was the longest-serving director of the National School of Drama. He is credited with revolutionising Indian theatre by combining native folk traditions and international acting techniques.

Ruby Patel, renowned Parsi-Gujarati theatre veteran, passes away aged 86

Ruby Patel and her husband Burjor Patel were among the most sought-after stage artists in the Parsi-Gujarati theatre circuit during the 1960s and worked on popular Gujarati plays such as Gher Ghungro Ne Ghotalo, Tirangi Tehmul, Hello Inspector and Oogi Dahpun Ni Dadh.

A decade in theatre: Barring a few troupes, India's dramaturgy didn't quite mirror the tumult in nation's polity

Arguably, one feature of theatre eco-systems across India, with some exceptions like those fostered by the Budhan Theatre or the Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch or the still buoyant Jana Natya Manch, is how cosily they seem to be ensconced in their liberal echo chambers, whirring along insulated from the political heave-ho outside their turf.

Pankaj Kapur’s Dopehri never ends: Actor discusses publishing his first book, taking Amma Bi's story to the stage

Two decades ago, actor Pankaj Kapur crafted an entire novella in all of four days. The central character was born the moment he put pen to page: her name would be Amma Bi, and she would live in an old Lucknow haveli. It begins its second life now as a novella published by HarperCollins and translated into English.

In India, playwrights' labs present a novel way to train theatre enthusiasts in different aspects of the craft

Playwrights' labs conducted by theatre companies like Indian Ensemble and Rage Productions in India present a novel way to train in the various aspects of theatre.

Ira Khan to make her directorial debut in theatre with a play titled Euripides Medea

Rehearsals for Ira Khan's play will soon be under way, the tweet said and it will be showcased in select cities across the country in December 2019

A Few Good Men: Nadir Khan brings Aaron Sorkin's iconic legal drama to the Indian stage

A Few Good Men, directed by Nadir Khan and starring Rajit Kapur, Ira Dubey and Neil Bhoopalam, will be staged at the fifth edition of Aadyam. Khan says that Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is relevant in the Indian context because of the themes it embodies — honour, formality, and blindly following orders

Remembering Girish Karnad: From senior to peer, lessons the thespian taught me in theatre — and life

Girish Karnad's word, his voice always meant something. Even if it rakes up a controversy — like the Tagore one — he couldn’t for a minute, despite being unwell, not call a spade a bloody shovel.