A History of the Jana Natya Manch : Plays for the People

A History of the Jana Natya Manch chronicles the birth and growth of the Jana Natya Manch (Janam), a Delhi-based radical theater group which has been active since 1973. Beginning in the early 1970s, when a group of young students in Delhi sought to continue the legacy of the Indian Peoples' Theatre Association, the book takes a close but critical look at the various phases in the four decades of the theatre collective. The author has also captured within these pages the functioning of Janam as an organization, its methods of attracting and training fresh talent, the process of scripting, interactions with mass organizations, the experience of performing almost skin-to-skin with its spectators in the grime of Indian streets, and much more. This book is not only a narration of Janam s history, development and functioning, it is also an attempt to throw fresh light on the practice of theater. A History of the Jana Natya Manch is an unusual book which talks about the history of the Jana Natya Manch, India's premier political open-space performance collectiveits work, plays, the actors and its links with the Left-wing mass movement in India and the book chronicles the birth and growth of the Jana Natya Manch (Janam), a Delhi-based radical theater group which has been active since 1973. Beginning in the early 1970s, when a group of young students in Delhi sought to continue the legacy of the Indian Peoples' Theatre Association, the book takes a close but critical look at the various phases in the four decades of the theatre collective. The author has also captured within these pages the functioning of Janam as an organization, its methods of attracting and training fresh talent, the process of scripting, interactions with mass organizations, the experience of performing almost skin-to-skin with its spectators in the grime of Indian streets, and much more. This book is not only a narration of Janams history, development and functioning, it is also an attempt to throw fresh light on the practice of theater. Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Ilustrations 9 List of Abbreviations 11 Foreward 14 Preface 18 Acknowledgments 22 1 - Introduction 26 PART I 46 2 - The Early Years (1973-1980) 48 3 - An Eventful Decade (1981-1988) 85 4 - Martydrom and After (1989-1994) 111 5 - New Directions (1995-Present) 134 PART II 172 6 - The Exprience of the Streets 174 7 - A Different Proscenium 187 8 - Actors and Organizers 208 9 - Players, Spectators, and Bazaars 247 10 - Agents of Change 282 11 - Conclusion 291 List of Plays 304 Bibliography 308 Index 313 About the Author 319 Beginning in the early 1970s, when a group of young students in Delhi sought to continue the legacy of the Indian Peoples' Theatre Association, this book takes a close but critical look at the various phases in the four decades of the theatre collective. It is also an attempt to throw fresh light on the practice of theater. Introduction The early years (1973-1980) An eventful decade (1981-1988) Martyrdom and after (1989-1994) New directions (1995-present) The experience of the streets A different proscenium Actors and organizers Players, spectators, and bazaars Agents of change Conclusion.