Next Talk on 30th January, 2016 at 4.30 pm., Venue: Library committee room, Central Library, JNU
JNU ML
Dear Friends,
JNU Forum For Mutual Learning invites you for a talk
on
Political Theatre – ‘Post’ Colony - India.
Is there an Indian political theatre?
By Suchetana Bandyopadhaya*
Date: January 30, 2016
Venue:
Library committee room, Central Library, JNU
Time: 4:30 pm
Abstract:
While discussing theatre in India it is important to keep in mind the language diversity, social stratifications and plural society. There is a rich repository of pre-colonial traditions of classical as well as folk, inherited texts and inherited performance traditions. With the colonial intervention, growing influence of west and flow of colonial capital there was a clear structuring of modernity. History of theatre in Anglophone colonies corroborate a consolidation of empire through literature and cultural connections between signification and legitimation – practices, beliefs and institutions were put to use in order to legitimize social order through the creation of ‘literate’ buffer class through theatre. Naturally local theatre was 'licentious', 'irrational', not 'real' and hence threat to colonial 'order' and Christian civilizing mission. Shakespeare was used to civilize – Indian colonial /nationalist literate middle class. Middle class used Shakespeare translations to establish their languages
Given the backdrop we will try to look at the stage in the colony, eventual politicizing of stage and what makes theatre political?
* SuchetanaBandyopadhaya is working extensively on the numerous performance traditions of India and is currently working with Sahapedia, where she is the research coordinator.
Hoping to see you there.
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