Lecture on Modern Drama: Trends and Directions

The Open University of Mauritius in collaboration with President’s Fund for Creative Writing organised a literary event on Thursday 20 Sept. 2018 at the Lecture Theatre of Open University of Mauritius. The theme of the event was: Modern Drama: Trends and Directions. The resource person is an eminent drama expert, born in India, Dr. Prakash Joshi. Present at the event was the Chairperson of the Open University of Mauritius, Chairperson of President’s Fund’s for Creative Writing, academics, students and a small gathering of theatre lovers. The event had coverage from the National TV Station: Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation.

Had a brief meeting with the speaker. Initial impression – not a talkative person (like the majority of intellectual Indians) and could not permit to socialise further.

Met the President of the Hindi Speaking Union who was waiting for long for the talk to start. Attendance to the event was low, possibly due to poor advertising and hopefully not because of lack of theatre lovers in the country.

A beautiful quote that I noted at the welcome speech “Plays are not meant to be read. They are meant to be performed.”

Dr. Prakash Joshi – academic fellow having done PhD Thesis in American Drama started the event by briefly mentioning Girish Karnad and Vijay Tendulkar. It would had been really a great excitement if the lecture were on these famous personalities in theatre in India. Having personally directed a play written by Karnad, it feels a unique and great experience to be attending a talk focused on the works of this great artist in Indian Literature. But unfortunately, the mood was set to instead focus on the main theme. Excited were all the persons present to be enlightened on trends and directions of Modern Drama. My personal expectations were on the current prevailing forms of drama being presented in theatres in the local scene of the academician, and also, if possible the future directions that drama is being shaped and moulded by new wave of directors/playwrights and stage professionals. This would had been a great opportunity to learn and try transmit to the group of theatre lovers in Mauritius, who unfortunately is still struggling to master the basics of drama and evolve on same as production opportunities arise. But as the lecture started, I soon realised the event is not focused on same but rather starting with Origin of Drama. Here are the main points that I could note:

Indian Drama Tradition: 1) Natyashastra by Bharata Muni  and 2) Folk Theatre

9 Rasa:

Origin of Drama – Primitive man disguising as animal. Expressions, presenting oneself in heroic figure.

Modern western drama

Aristotle – Art of Poetry : Imitation, Mimes. We learn and re-do things by imitation.

As from 1870s, beginning of traditional drama.

Character, structure of plot.

Mention of “Gustav Friedech”

Henri Gibson’s A Doll’s House – Birth of Modern Drama.

In this play, the main character is portrayed by a female – Nora who tells her husband at the end of play, she doesn’t want to be a doll’s wife. The traditional role of characterisation is rejected.

1879 – Birth of Modern Drama

Author Steinberg wrote a play with a woman as Protagonist.

Miss Julie a modern character.

Masterpiece of Naturalism. Play uses expressionist techniques

Trauma drama of an individual

George Bernard Shaw

Candida – shocking play where priest’s wife in illicit relationship

G. Bernard Shaw puts woman in charge.

Act showing the Devil

Darwin – God’s creation given up. Everything created from his theory

Freud – We are governed by sub-conscious. Product of our dream.

Karl Marx

Symbolism and Exxpresisonism

The Hairy Ape: Treatment of scene should by no means – naturalistic

Industrial Machina

The emperor jones (post colonial text)

Tennessee Williams – Glass Menagerie – collection of types with symbolic significance

Absurdity – No action – meaningless