Reflection of Urban Sensibility in Ramu Ramanathan’s Select Plays

Abstract

Theatre has, since antiquity, occupied a central position in the growth of Indian institutions, culture, creativity, and originality. The origins of Indian theatre are commonly traced to the religious ritualism of the Vedic period, and across the medieval era it matured into a sophisticated vehicle for representing the realities of life through dance, music, and poise. Contemporary Indian theatre, in turn, has adopted a distinctly modern idiom, one that foregrounds the transformation of the nation’s political landscape and addresses the pressing concerns of urban society. This paper undertakes a critical analysis of urban space in selected plays of Ramakrishnan Ramanathan — popularly known as Ramu Ramanathan — a leading figure among the present generation of writer-directors composing plays in English.