Understanding the Sanskrit theatre
- CG40.
- This course introduces certain core ideas of Sanskrit thetare with reference to {B}arata’s {n}AwyaSAstra. The course involves discussion as well as demonstration of the play {a}BijYAnaSAkuntala to explain how some theoretical concepts were brought into practice.
- Instructor: Prasad R. Bhide.
- Prerequisite: No.
- Schedule: Saturdays and Sundays, 5–20 July 2025.
- Course meeting times: 9:30–11:00am U.S. Central Time; 8:00–9:30pm IST.
- Course fee: $250; ₹2,500 for residents of India.
- Registration for non-Indian resident.
- Registration for Indian resident.
| Lecture | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | The origin of nAwya and nAwyaSAstra |
| 2 | Serach for Vedic elements in nAwya |
| 3 | The concept of drama as nAwya, rUpa and rUpaka |
| 4 | {r}asavicAra with reference to the nAwya |
| 5 | {d}aSarUpaka: the classfication of theaterical performace |
| 6 | Major Sanskrit dramatists and their works |
| 7 | {p}aYcaprakfti: the art of crafting the script |
| 8 | Characters: {s}UtradhAra, nAyaka, nAyikA, vidUzaka |
| 9 | Elements: {n}Andi, prastAvanA, praveSaka and vizkamBaka |
| 10 | The enactment (prayoga): aBinaya, mudrA and patAka |