Sukchar Pancham Repertory Theatre

SUKCHAR PANCHAM REPERTORY THEATRE AT A GLANCE , , Regarding our Name , Sukchar is the name of the Calcutta suburb whose life and business form the cornerstone of our theatre. We feel that this is the first thing we need to say about ourselves. Pancham , which is fifth in English, refers primarily to what is often called the fifth veda the theory of drama by the sage, Bharata. We aim to rediscover the classical and folk roots of Indian theatre. , , The five fingers on a hand are not all of the same length, but this variety can be a source of strength. Whether we are five or five hundred, here the big and the little come together and work together- the basis of our strength and well-being. , This is what Tagore thinks about the number five, as he describes his hero Amit in the novel Shesher Kobita: There is something special in his appearance he isn t just any one of a group of five, he is rather absolutely the fifth, and attracts the greatest attention, to the detriment of others. , , Pa, the fifth note of the octave, is almost indispensable in all forms of Indian music. We dream about and work towards a future when any discussion of Indian theatre shall find us a small but indispensable part of its history. , , Regarding our Work , , Staging sixty-odd plays in twenty three years ourselves, we also organise Chhotoder Natoker Ekdin Pratidin, -One day theatre in education workshop for students. Over a period of twenty three years, we have worked with students from about hundred institutes ranging from primary schools to graduate colleges to help them to act, put them on stage, enrolled them in drama clubs. The regular Creativity & Personality Development Workshop in schools is named as Srishtisukh. To encourage them further, we have organised inter-school drama competitions, under a programme named Tiner Talowar. Organized Shishutirtha - seven days summer camp for students & Bado Hawa Khub Bhul - an open forum with child-psychologists and guardians for a healthy generation. , , We have been helping the challenged persons in behavioral therapy through theatre at a home called Anandolok. Besides, we ve experience to work in a long phase with the lifers for their rehabilitation at Dum Dum Central Correctional Home. , , We have brought together rural folk artists and street drama groups in our Folk Culture Festivals. For twenty straight years, we have been putting on the annual Darshaker Darbar, a unique drama festival in Bengali where the director must face the audience after the show and answer their questions. There is even a prize for one who asks the best question. , , We have prepared and produced plays on topical subjects, for the specific needs of social work organizations ranging from education to environment, health issues to psychology, women s problems to child labor & the same for commercial organizations as well. , We have produced a bunch of professional theatre artists, put up a unique stage for theatre-on-demand, put together an essential collection of audio cassettes, compact discs, projector slides, movies, books and magazines, published two well-received and critically acclaimed books, established a forum for the discussion and practice of modern, scientific techniques of theatre. , We have carved out a free area for children Tapoban, to learn about the environment and contemplate about their learning. It offers free-form education for children, and aims to supplement the school curriculum with allied arts. Under the Parichay programme, we look for new talents who show promise in these fields. Our success is evident in the fact that those who represent the teaching and driving force of our group today were once recruited here as trainees.