Mapping South Asia Through Contemporary Theatre: Essays on the Theatres of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. – Edited by: Ashish Sengupta

Book: Mapping South Asia Through Contemporary Theatre: Essays on the Theatres of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Edited by: Ashish Sengupta
Contributing Authors: Shayoni Mitra, Asma Mundrawala, Syed Jamil Ahmed, Carol C. Davis and Kanchuka Dharmasiri.
Published by: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

One of the primary works on intersectionality of theatre and geo-political units, the book traces the developmental trajectories of theatre from five South Asian countries. It employs a ‘post-colonial-cultural-theatre/ performance studies approach’ to undertake a multidisciplinary study of contemporary South Asian theatre. Going beyond the rigid constructs of border-bound conceptions of theatre, the volume analyses regional identities, languages, shared cultures, politics and their interconnectedness. The book explores South Asian theatre practices as being both reflective and constitutive of post-independence/ post-democratized societies and cultures that they are part of.

Explaining the contemporaneity of the shared as well as heterogeneous performance traditions of South Asia, Ashis Sengupta writes, “South Asian theatre should not be considered as a monolithic category because South Asia is a potpourri of cultural heritages, religions, and languages – all of which bear on the amazing variety of its theatre and performance. But this does not deny commonalities in performance experience, or the cross-pollination of theatre practices across South Asia. As theatrical influences from outside the geopolitical borders of South Asia, especially since colonial times, have left a permanent imprint on South Asian theatre forms and styles, within South Asia itself the theatre of one country has crossed national boundaries to influence that of another neighbouring country. Only the nature of cross cultural influence keeps changing with time, mostly in accordance with socio-historical developments.”(Pg. 8)

The volume is a selection of essays engaging with patterns and trends in theatres in the South Asian region. It confederates the region’s histories with emerging and evolving theatre trajectories.