Folk TheatreWhat Is Bhavai, Gujarat’s Folk Theatre?
Sharp satire, music, and a string of lively acts: a guide to Bhavai, the folk theatre of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
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Deep dives, histories, profiles, and essays on the art and soul of Indian theater.
Folk Theatre
Folk TheatreWhat Is Bhaona, Assam’s Devotional Theatre?
Born from a saint's one-act plays and performed in prayer halls, Bhaona is Assam's devotional theatre. Here is a simple…
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Modern TheatreWho Was Vijay Tendulkar?
Vijay Tendulkar wrote plays that confronted violence, power, and hypocrisy without flinching, and changed Indian theatre in the process.
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Modern TheatreWho Was Girish Karnad?
Girish Karnad reached into myth, history, and folklore to ask thoroughly modern questions, and became one of India's greatest playwrights.
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Modern TheatreBadal Sarkar and the Third Theatre
Badal Sarkar walked theatre off the stage and into the round, creating an intimate, portable Third Theatre that needed no…
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Folk TheatreWhat Is Yakshagana? Costumes, Music, and Stories
Towering headgear, all-night epics, and thunderous drums: a simple guide to Yakshagana, the dance-theatre of coastal Karnataka.
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Classical TheatreWhat Is the Natya Shastra?
The ancient treatise that gave Indian theatre its grammar: what the Natya Shastra is, who Bharata Muni was, and why…
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Classical TheatreWhat Is Koodiyattam, the UNESCO Sanskrit Theatre?
Perhaps two thousand years old and honoured by UNESCO, Koodiyattam is Kerala's stately Sanskrit theatre of eye-acting and sacred drums.
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Classical TheatreWhat Are the Navarasa, the Nine Rasas?
Love, laughter, wonder, peace and more: a clear guide to the navarasa, the nine emotional flavours that shape Indian performance.
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Classical Theatre
Rasa vs Bhava in the Natya Shastra, Explained
One is what the actor portrays, the other is what the audience tastes. A simple explanation of rasa and bhava,…
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