Jana Sanskriti ‘I think that this is a very important book. Anyone who wants to understand the usefulness of Boal’s work and its possibilities, especially when removed from Boal’s own projects and from its implementation in a first world context, needs to pay attention to Sanjoy Ganguly and Jana Sanskriti.’ Franc Chamberlain, University College Cork, Ireland ‘This book seeks to illuminate the process of engaged theater as a cultural practice and the struggle between the collective and the individual within the vast networks of globalization and politics. The necessity of theater to form a space for the joy of thinking through symbols and rituals with energetic “debate and discussion before taking political action” adds a much needed elaboration of Theater of the Oppressed to 21st century theater forms. The book succeeds in pointing the reader to a deeper engagement with complex social problems, economism, and how Marxism in India, specifically, lost its moral authority in the everyday, social concerns of its most abundant resource, the people. Ganguly stands as an international symbol of theater for social change in South Asia.’ Brian Brophy, California Institute of Technology, USA Jana Sanskriti Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed, based in West Bengal, is probably the largest and longest lasting Forum Theatre operation in the world. It was considered by Augusto Boal to be the chief exponent of his methodology outside of its native Brazil. This book is a unique first-hand account – by the group’s artistic director Sanjoy Ganguly – of Jana Sanskriti’s growth and development since its founding in 1985, which has resulted in a national Forum Theatre network throughout India. Ganguly describes the plays, people and places that have formed this unique operation and discusses its contribution to the wider themes espoused by Forum Theatre. Ganguly charts and reflects on the practice of theatre as politics, developing an intriguing and persuasive case for Forum Theatre and its role in provoking responsible action. His combination of anecdotal insight and lucid discussion of Boal’s practice offers a vision of far-reaching transformation in politics and civil society. Sanjoy Ganguly is Founder and Director of Jana Sanskriti, as well as being Artistic Director of the Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed, in Calcutta. He has overseen the company’s growth from a group of five people, to a movement active in twelve states of India. Jana Sanskriti Forum Theatre and democracy in India Sanjoy Ganguly Consultant Editor: Ralph Yarrow First published 2010 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010. To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk. © 2010 Sanjoy Ganguly Typeset in Goudy by HWA Text and Data Management, London Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, Wiltshire All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Ganguly, Sanjoy. Jana Sanskriti, forum theatre and democracy in India / Sanjoy Ganguly. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed (Calcutta, India) 2. Theater–Political aspects–India–West Bengal. 3. Theater and society–India–West Bengal. 4. Community development–India– West Bengal. I. Title. PN2885.W4G36 2010 306.4'848095414–dc22 2009046857 ISBN 0-203-85272-9 Master e-book ISBN ISBN13: 978-0-415-57751-9 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0-415-57752-6 (pbk) ISBN13: 978-0-203-85272-9 (ebk) To my father, Amullya Ratan Ganguly, a strong ideological influence and support for Jana Sanskriti and for myself. To my mother, Sandhya Ganguly, who is extremely proud of me and a well wisher, a strong supporter of Jana Sanskriti. To Augusto Boal, my great teacher, who extended a lot of love to me. Contents List of figures ix About the book xi Speech by Boal xiii Editor’s preface xv 1 Celebrating the rehearsal of revolution: a historical profile of Jana Sanskriti Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed 1 2 Boal’s theatre: the recognition of resource 41 3 Boal’s poetics as politics 55 4 Theatre as rehearsal of future political action 73 5 Beyond West Bengal: other Indian scenarios 90 6 Beyond India: workshop diary 98 7 The politics of collective thinking: scripting power 119 8 Aesthetics and ethics: shaping collective practice 127 9 Reflections and prospects 134 Appendix 149 Notes 153 Bibliography 160 Index 162 Figures 1.1 Jana Sanskriti core team rehearsing at Girish Bhavan 2 1.2 Boal, Ganguly 3 1.3 Scene from Gayer Panchali 13 1.4 Scene from Shonar Meye 25 1.5 The Mukta Mancha at Digambapur, built by the local community 31 2.1 Jana Sanskriti procession 45 4.1 Teams performing in villages in West Bengal 75 4.2 Politicians in Jana Sanskriti’s play New Harvest 79 4.3 Politicians in Jana Sanskriti’s play Where We Stand 79 6.1 Hypnosis exercise 100 6.2 Knot exercise 102 7.2 Spectator rally in West Bengal 125 All images by Jana Sanskriti