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The Auroville Theatre
Auroville
is a spiritual endeavour, and creating theatre in Auroville involves heart,
mind, body.. and lots of spirit.
In fact, the work on stage is a reflection of a process that may have started
with a text into which one dives, tempted by its call.. The goal becomes then
the opening up of the story to its widest dimension, while finding that, as the
story unfolds, its inner dimension becomes the key..
We search for Truth and a fineness of expression, we experience the joy of a
tale unfolding and of ourselves as artists growing.
Often, we give it time.. Time to dig deep and look wide.
 Whether working through improvisation or with a text, Auroville offers a unique
opportunity to mix languages, cultures and ages in its theatrical expression:
unity in diversity through the sacred act of playing together.
History
Theatre in Auroville has delighted audiences since the very beginning,
when Deborah Lawlor from the United States created a dance/theatre called
'Praise' in the Forecomers canyon area in 1969. Since then, theatre has
been an integral part of the creative life of Auroville, whether performed
in English, French or Tamil (and sometimes a mixture of all three!).
Dramas, comedies, improvisations, mime, operas, shadow plays, theatre
sports, dance/theatre, plays for children, all have been enjoyed by
Auroville audiences, attracting spectators from nearby Pondicherry as well
as visitors from abroad.
Great variety of
performances
Auroville has also been the venue for many performances by Aurovilians as
well as visiting theatre artists,
 who have enjoyed playing for
appreciative Auroville audiences. Groups and individual performers from
Pondicherry, Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Calcutta and Bangalore as well as
from the United States, France, Germany and Finland have performed in
Auroville's Sri Aurobindo Auditorium (a 750 seat, proscenium stage
auditorium).
Smaller performing spaces such as Pitanga Hall Dance Studio,
the Visitor's Centre, Kalabhumi, Last School and Transition School
amphitheatres have also been used.
Performances
Auroville theatre
has presented classicial work from all over the world - Indian Kattakali,
French farce, American realism, British satire, Japanese
Bhuto dance/drama - as well as creating its own, exciting, experimental
theatre.
The Auroville Theatre Group has performed such contemporary work as '
Waiting for Godot', ' Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead', ' Black
Comedy', '
the Bay at Nice', and 'Endgame', as well as new plays written by Aurovilians;
for example, 'The debate of Love and Death' based on Sri Aurobindo's
Savitri, 'The Legend of the Kaliveli Siddha' and 'The Greedy Man'.
Renowned Indian directors such as Chandraleka and Veenapani Chawla have
performed new works in Auroville's Sri Aurobindo Auditorium.
Equipment
Over the years, Auroville has purchased a small complement of theatrical
lighting equipment, including lamps, lamp housings, cables, gels and a
dimmer board. A storage space in the Auditorium houses a number of
costumes from previous shows, but there is very little room for storing
props, set designs and scenery. There is no set design or props workshop.
Costumes are designed elsewhere in the township and stored in the dressing
rooms until each show is finished.
Libraries
We have a small theatre collection within the main Auroville Library
in Bharat Nivas. This collection consists of plays, dramatic criticism and
theory, but there are no magazines or journals. The Centre for Indian
Culture also has several volumes on Indian theatre, dance, music and stage
performance. The Auroville schools keep several videotapes of
performances, including some of Shakespeare's plays by the Royal
Shakespeare Company. There are also some private videotape collections
that can be made available.
Classes
Theatre classes in improvisation, acting and Shakespeare scene study have
been part of the training of Auroville actors. However, there have been no
classes in aspects of design, such as lighting, set, or costumes, nor has
there been any organised attempt at teaching Indian Theatre or World
Theatre History. We are also still lacking in classes for playwriting, directing
and dramaturgy.
Sharing of skills and
talents
Theatre
artists and teachers from abroad have come to Auroville with a wealth of
experience and dedication. Sharing unstintingly
their skills and talents, Auroville's actors, directors and designers from
India, the United States, France, Brazil, Italy, Russia, Switzerland and
Germany have, at times, developed performances of great depth and beauty, sometimes
with very little funding. There is, however, as yet no comprehensive training
programme being offered. We are working towards organising this, so that the next generation of
actors, playwrights and designers can be encouraged to stay in Auroville
and think of theatre as a possible, continually evolving and rewarding
profession.
contact: jillswar@auroville.org.in
or ross@auroville.org.in
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