'We don't need auditoriums to stage our plays'

Subodh Patnaik, noted theatre personality, founded theatre movement Natya Chetana 29 years ago. Over the years, Patnaik has written and directed over 60 plays and his troupe has covered more than 10,000 km on 46 bicycle expeditions to hundreds of villages in interior Odisha, staging plays on various social, environmental and local issues. He has been a known face in major theatre events in India and abroad and is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including one from the Centre for Drama Education in Bosnia.On the 29th foundation day of Natya Chetana, Patnaik shared his concept of intimate theatre and future plans in an interview with Minati Singha
Q: When and how did you decide to form Natya Chetana?
A: It was in 1989 when I was studying drama at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay that we staged a street play in a city slum as part of our NSS camp. The play was about the life of a daily wage labourer. Surprisingly, the locals objected to the subject and I realized how the subject of a play can have an impact on the audience. So, we formed Natya Chetana, in which 'natya' means drama and 'chetana' means awareness. Later, my encounter with legendary street theatre personality Badal Sircar changed the course of my life for ever.
Q: What are the main subjects you have been focusing on in your plays?
A: We have decided not to work on numerous topics but to select a few significant ones. So, most of our plays are on stories of the soil related to people on environment, gender or women, cultural degradation, economic exploitation in any form and a break in unity.
Q: How do you make your project economically viable?
A: We don't need auditoriums to stage our plays. We have made the whole process portable, short, and affordable. We perform on rooftops, open fields and school verandahs without wings, lighting or stage craft. We use bamboo sticks tied with ropes to create stage craft and make it a point to use folk music and folk art as an integral part of our performance. We call it 'intimate theatre'. Our lodging and food is taken care of by the villagers, who have so far been very supportive.
Q: Where do your artists come from?
A: We have members who are completely dedicated to theatre and there are some floating artists, who volunteer to work with us, learn theatre and move ahead in their career. And new people join us. It's a continuous process.
Q: How has Natya Gram become a resource centre for Odia theatre?
A: Natya Gram was conceptualized as a complete theatre 'village' away from the hullabaloo of city life. It is a place where we get artistic freedom and for which we have decided not to do any propaganda for anyone especially for any corporate house or political party. That is why we cannot glorify Natya Gram. The village has been abuzz with performances, festivals, theatre training programmes, documentations, research and publication projects throughout the year.
Q: Name some of the plays that have had an immediate impact on the audience.
A: There are many. Of the 47 plays during each of our bicycle expeditions at least 10 have had an immediate impact on the villagers. 'Mathie Pani', 'Dhuan', 'Chring Chring', 'Fula', 'Tangia Chhap' and many others. Theatre is not a magic stick, which can bring changes overnight but can have a lifelong effect.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: It is time we took a stand, and started new experiments with new theories. We are planning to launch a course on people's theatre and also to make some films.