Shumang Leela and the Third Theatre: Plays for the Masses
| Authors |
| Chingtham Diana Devi & Irom Gambhir Singh |
| Date of Publication: December, 2024 |
| Volume: XXIII, No.- XXVI |
| Abstract |
| Shumang Leela which means ‘Courtyard performance’ is a mobile theatre in Manipur that is not confined to the elites. It puts forth the core socio political issues and makes the masses in Manipur aware of history and the prevailing social issues both locally and globally. Performed in the open space with a few paraphernalia required on stage it is a form of folk media which inform, educate, persuade and entertain. Another theatre that has transcended the boundaries of the proscenium theatre and meet the audience in the open field is Badal Sircar’s Third theatre. The Third theatre also engages in invoking the intellect of the audience and it makes them think and question the prevailing social issues. The paper discusses how Shumang Leela and the Third theatre fuse rural and urban theatre, how they make use of the open space with the limited paraphernalia of stage craft and also how the actors bear the core responsibility of carrying the whole performance with no prompters and implore the audience to use their imagination. With the similarities comes the scope of difference between the two which are also analysed in the paper. The paper begins with a brief introduction to Shumang Leela and the Third theatre followed by a comparative study and discussion on how these are plays for the masses. |
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