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In this unique publication on theatre performance, twenty-two critically acclaimed actors talk to us about their journeystheir lives and aspirations, their in-depth training, and lasting stage careers. The range of these stalwarts spanning the 1850s-1990s includes Binodini Dasi, Bal Gandharva, Fida Husain, Zohra Segal, Sombhu Mitra, Shreeram Lagoo, Utpal Dutt, Manohar Singh, Uttara Baokar, Naseerudin Shah, Heisnam Sabitri and Maya Krishna Rao, among many others. Researched over a decade, The Act of Becoming is set against Indias struggle for Independence. Side-byside, this book also explores the complexities of women actors trying to gain acceptance in public life as professionals. In light of the changing political clime, these personal narratives altogether contribute to a riveting account about the encounter with the west that was absorbed rapidly by Indian practitioners. Visiting companies from England, the United States of America, and Europe provide a template for modern forms of theatre practice. This interaction lays the foundation for the honing of a national culture and identity that comes into its own with the intensification of the freedom struggle. Through such vicissitudes, Indian theatre practitioners are compelled to bring social and political issues into the public arena, making theatre a platform of resistance, culminating in the 1940s with the pioneering work of Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA), as well as individuals like Prithviraj Kapoor and Utpal Dutt. The founding of the National School of Drama in the late 1950s with its dedicated program to meet the challenges of a fast developing transcultural, international practice is also discussed at length.The Act of Becoming is a fascinating account of the evolution of modern Indian theatre, putting actors at the forefront of this powerful medium. ISBN - 9789381523988
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Pages : 348
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