About
Dr. Chandra Dasan

Dr Chandradasan was born on 25th December 1958, in the village Mannackanadu, Marangattupilly Panchayat, in Kottayam District. His education was from Govt. U.P. School Mannackanadu, Kurichithanam High School, Devamata College Kuravilangad, and CMS College Kottayam. He has an MSc degree in Analytical Chemistry. His Ph.D. is in Theatre/Cultural Studies, from Kerala Kalamandalam for the thesis on ‘Spacing the Actor’.

Dr Chandradasan designed and directed more than 50 plays, including adaptations and interpretations of classical plays (Western and Indian), Shakespeare, contemporary plays, musicals, improvised and devised productions, poetry and short story performances, comedies, and children’s plays in Malayalam, Kannada, Finnish, Hindi, Lithuanian, Tamil, Sanskrit, and English.

His productions include Karnnabharam (Bhasa), Chathankattu (The Tempest by Shakespeare), Medea (Euripides), Poranadi (The Outcast by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar), Charandas Chor (Habib Tanveer), Madhuve Hennu (HS Shivaprakash), Alibabayum 40 Kallanmarum (Chandrasekhara Kambar), Paattabakki (K Damodaran), Bommanahalliyile Kinnara Yogi (adaptation of the poem by Kuvempu, written by Chandradasan), Lankalakshmi (CN Sreekantan Nair), Two mothers in the Realm of Death (Pirkko Kurikka), Draupadi (Chandradasan), Story of the Silly Folk (devised from the folk tales of Finland), Thathamaram (Chandradasan), Viswavikhyathamaya Mookku ( World Renowned Nose, based on the story by Vaikom Muhammed Basheer), Agle and Cleopatra (written by Chandradasan, based on the Lithuanian folk tale of Agle and Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare), Kaali Natakam (Sajitha Madathil), Shakuntalam-Oru Nayattu Katha (based on the Sanskrit play by Kalidasa),

The Boat Boy (based on a true story about the youngest freedom martyr of Indian freedom struggle), Arkediyadalli Puck (S. Ramanatha & Chandradasan), Kariya Devara Huduki (In Search of the Black God, by G Sankara Pillai), Godhuli (developed with the actors of Abhivyakthi Goa from the concept of Rajkumar Rajak, Chaayachitram/Maayachitram (Jebin Jesmes), etc. His plays reflect contemporary life. They are critically acclaimed and are staged in major theatre festivals including Bharangam, ITFoK, and Theatre festivals in Greece, Lithuania, and Finland.

Dr Chandradasan has published around 50 articles on performance and cultural studies, authored two plays for children (Bommanahalliyile Kinnara Yogi, and Thathamaram), and edited the collection of articles titled  Myriad Spaces; Indian Theatre and Beyond. His latest book is Ramgavatharanathinte Rasasastram which is a collection of articles in Malayalam.

He is an academic and a guest faculty in various universities and institutes including NSD New Delhi and Bangalore, Rangayana Mysore, etc. He is a recipient of the Fulbright- Nehru Fellowship for Professional and Academic Excellence in Theatre 2014, the Senior Fellowship in Theatre from the Department of Culture, Govt of India 2016, the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Award (META) for best play in 2008, The Kerala State Sangeetha Nataka Academy award for his contribution to theatre in 2004, The best playwright award by Kerala Bala Sahitya Institute 2015 and more.

Dr Chandradasan was an Associate Prof of Chemistry teacher at St. Albert’s College, Ernakulam. He has worked as a Research Fellow at Pomona College, Los Angeles, and as a Guest Faculty at NSD New Delhi, NSD Bangalore, and Rangayana Mysore.