Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Theatre

Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Theatre A Conversation with Sharanya Ramprakash, Laya N Kumar and Parshathy J Nath, moderated by Lakshmana KP Saturday, 28th November, 4.30 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.About the ConversationThe traditions with which contemporary urban Indian theatre artists can engage are immense, embracing mythologies, folk tales and performances, art and craft objects and practices, festivals and rituals, cuisine, inherited knowledge and skills, and much else besides. At the same time, the distinction between the traditional and the modern is not clearcut. Modern theatre in India has a history that stretches back for over two centuries — long enough to develop its own traditions. Dance forms now regarded as ‘classical’ acquired modern practices of teaching, performance and patronage in the last century.The theatre artists in this session will speak about their idea of tradition and how they have interacted with it in the plays they have written, directed or performed. They will also be invited to discuss ethical and political questions that come to the fore when tradition is brought into contemporary theatre work. Has their work been sensitive to the claim that borrowing from inherited forms of expression can constitute a form of cultural theft or disrespects localised and context-specific creation of value and meaning? How would they negotiate with traditions that have been invented in response to market demands or political pressures? Has their work reconciled with, or has it offered a critical perspective on the feudalism, casteism and gender discrimination embedded in many traditional performances and stories?About the ParticipantsSharanya Ramprakash Sharanya Ramprakash is a Bengaluru-based theatre-maker. She places her work at the intersection of gender, tradition and language. She writes, acts, directs and collaborates with a range of forms, communities and theatre-makers across local, national and international locations. Her work is research-based, collaborative and exploratory. She is a member of the Lincoln Centre Director’s Lab, New York. She is also a recipient of the Shankar Nag Theatre Award 2022.Parshathy J NathParshathy J Nath is a theatre artist based in Bengaluru. Over the last ten years, she has worked with some of the best-known theatre directors in south India, including Prasanna Ramaswamy, Rajiv Krishnan, Vinay Kumar, Nimmy Raphel, Sharanya Ramprakash, Aruna Ganesh Ram, Koumarane Valavane and Sanjeeva Suvarna. She has trained at Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research, Ninasam and Natanakairali. In 2025, she received a production grant from the India Foundation for Arts, with which she created a solo performance piece called Shoorpanakha: A Search. This production has travelled to different cities and has been performed at The School of Drama and Fine Arts, Kerala, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Ranga Shankara, and BLR Hubba 2025.Laya N KumarLaya Kumar has trained with groups like Indian Ensemble, IAPAR and Bhasha Centre, and with award-winning theatre-makers, including Mahesh Dattani and Gurleen Judge. She has worked as a producer on Naatak Express, a fundraiser festival that brings together over 100 artists to make short plays in 24 hours. She also works as a clown with Clowns Without Borders, India. Her writings have appeared in Hakara and QTP's The Script. She is keen on exploring how theatre can be taken to classroom settings.About the FestivalPLAYINTERPLAY is a theatre festival with a difference. It celebrates 50 years of the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, bringing together its theatre awardees and scholars to show their work, share their experiences, skills and learnings, and converse on matters of common interest.PLAYINTERPLAY presents plays that are new to Bengaluru. What is different, however, is that it looks back as well as forward, featuring a work of theatre that has been specially revived for the festival and readings of plays that are still to become the finished article.PLAYINTERPLAY does more: it forges connections between its constituent parts — performances, workshops, conversations and experience sharing — emphasising the interplay between thought, learning and practice.See the plays! Apply for the workshops! Join the conversations! Soak in the magic of theatre.About the Artistic DirectorAnmol Vellani is the founder and former executive director of India Foundation for the Arts, the first independent philanthropic organisation in India devoted exclusively to supporting the arts. He is also the co-founder of Toto Funds the Arts, which nurtures, encourages and rewards new voices and emerging talent in the arts.Anmol did not, however, aspire to become a professional in the field of philanthropy. His early fascination was with the arts, especially theatre and music, and also philosophy, which he studied at the Universities of Poona, Oxford and Cambridge. He taught ethics, logic and the history of philosophy at Elphinstone College, Mumbai, in the 1970s.His writing and talks — on arts entrepreneurship, the creative economy, cultural policy, the role of grant-making foundations, culture and development, arts collaboration and the performing arts, for example — have reflected on the insights he has gleaned from his long engagement with the arts and philanthropy.Anmol has been associated with nearly 50 plays as a director, designer or actor. He has directed theatre productions in different languages and cities. His last two plays — Innocence (2024) and Apne Ghar Jaisa (2022) — have been lauded for their sharp and critical look at contemporary social and political realities in India.