Aesthetics of Dalit Theatre

Since Dalit theatre has not garnered as much recognition as the other genres of Dalit literature have, this book, being one of the pioneering works in the field, aims to highlight the genre within the framework of Dalit literature and the Dalit Movement in India. The discussion extensively delves into the historical background, context and aesthetics of Dalit drama and theatre from epistemological viewpoints. To illustrate the subtleties of caste, class and gender in the pan-Indian scenario, the book includes textual understandings of specific Dalit plays, available in English translation, originally written in Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali, covering diverse regions of India. The inclusion of full-length interviews, conducted by the author, of all the living playwrights whose texts have been taken up for analysis, is another substantial facet of this study.

Attempts to examine the history and legacy of Dalit drama and theatre in the pan-Indian context Explores the aesthetics of Dalit drama and theatre through critical discussions of texts and performance techniques Sheds light on the caste-class and caste-gender interfaces and ruminates over the dynamics of Dalit identity

Autorentext

Shubhendu Shekhar Naskar is Assistant Professor in the Department of English Literature, Language and Cultural Studies at Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, India, and a Charles Wallace Scholar. He has been engaged in extensive research on Dalit and Tribal Studies and contributed articles in various national and international books and journals. He holds the position of series editor of the book series Theatre of the Marginalised: Dalit and Adivasi Performance Traditions in South Asia.

Inhalt

Chapter 1-Introduction.- Chapter 2-Documenting Research Trends.- Chapter 3-Indian Caste System, and the Origin and Plight of the Dalits.- Chapter 4-History and Aesthetics of Dalit Literature.- Chapter 5-Caste-Class Antagonisms.- Chapter 6-Intersection of Gender.- Chapter 7-Origin and History of Dalit Theatre.- Chapter 8-Aesthetics of Dalit Theatre.- Chapter 9-Dalit Theatre: Production and Performance.- Chapter 10- Representation of Caste.- Chapter 11-Representation of Class.-Chapter 12-Representation of Gender.- Chapter 13- Conclusion.