About Lokadharmi.
A centre for theatre training, research and performance
In October 1991, twenty-five theatre enthusiasts comprising of actors, musicians, artists and scholars started working together under the direction of Chandradasan, a prominent theatre person, at Kochi, Kerala, India. This theatre company named as Lokadharmi has flourished as one of the important centre for theatre training, research and performance in India.
Lokadharmi
The name Lokadharmi is taken from Natyasastra, the ancient Indian manual on theatre written by Bharatha around 100 BC, a complete book on theatre that classifies and codifies dramatic structure, dramatic language, poetry, aesthetics, actor training, music, construction of theatre house and even the definition of a true spectator. It classifies theatre into Natyadharmi (stylized, abstract and based on an elaborate system of sign language that appeals to a connoisseur) and Lokadharmi (popular, closer to realistic, folk or the style of the people. It also means ‘concerned about the world and its affairs’)
Lokadharmi
The name Lokadharmi is taken from Natyasastra, the ancient Indian manual on theatre written by Bharatha around 100 BC, a complete book on theatre that classifies and codifies dramatic structure, dramatic language, poetry, aesthetics, actor training, music, construction of theatre house and even the definition of a true spectator. It classifies theatre into Natyadharmi (stylized, abstract and based on an elaborate system of sign language that appeals to a connoisseur) and Lokadharmi (popular, closer to realistic, folk or the style of the people. It also means ‘concerned about the world and its affairs’)
The training School
The beginning was the theatre training school,
where actors were given intense training in acting and introduced them to the different acting systems from all over the world that included the traditional Indian theatre like that of Kathakali, Koodiyattam, and many folk forms like Mudiyettu, Padayani, Theyyam and a lot other narrative theatre forms widely existing in Kerala. Also the techniques from Greek Theatre, Theatre of Shakespeare, Modern theatre starting from Stanislavski and the method acting, Artuad and the theatre of Cruelty, Grotowski and the physical theatre, Brecht and epic theatre, to the newer experiments done by Peter Brook and Eugene Barba are used. While doing all this at and at the same time rooted deep in the theater and performance tradition of the land.
The study was also on the history and envelopment of theater all over through world; the change in perceptions of theatre and also on the different ages mould a theatre was undertaken. For convenience and clarity we designed a cyclic format for training that is broadly divided into different phases of one year duration focusing on Indian classical and Traditional Theatre, European classic theatre, the Kerala Theatre, Contemporary Indian Theatre, And the Modern Theatre all over the world.
The theatre training school has its regular sections on all Sundays and has been on the run without any break from October 1991. Faculty from all over the world has visited the school and done Workshops to train our artists.
Also Lokadharmi undertakes extension workshops at rural areas, schools and colleges to initiate theatre awareness among aspiring artists and art lovers.
The beginning was the theatre training school,
where actors were given intense training in acting and introduced them to the different acting systems from all over the world that included the traditional Indian theatre like that of Kathakali, Koodiyattam, and many folk forms like Mudiyettu, Padayani, Theyyam and a lot other narrative theatre forms widely existing in Kerala. Also the techniques from Greek Theatre, Theatre of Shakespeare, Modern theatre starting from Stanislavski and the method acting, Artuad and the theatre of Cruelty, Grotowski and the physical theatre, Brecht and epic theatre, to the newer experiments done by Peter Brook and Eugene Barba are used. While doing all this at and at the same time rooted deep in the theater and performance tradition of the land.
The study was also on the history and envelopment of theater all over through world; the change in perceptions of theatre and also on the different ages mould a theatre was undertaken. For convenience and clarity we designed a cyclic format for training that is broadly divided into different phases of one year duration focusing on Indian classical and Traditional Theatre, European classic theatre, the Kerala Theatre, Contemporary Indian Theatre, And the Modern Theatre all over the world.
The theatre training school has its regular sections on all Sundays and has been on the run without any break from October 1991. Faculty from all over the world has visited the school and done Workshops to train our artists.
Also Lokadharmi undertakes extension workshops at rural areas, schools and colleges to initiate theatre awareness among aspiring artists and art lovers.
The repertory
The trained actors in the school form the repertory of the group, which is the performance unit of Lokadharmi, and has emerged as one of the important theatre centers of the country. The important productions include Karnnabharam (The weight on Karnna, an adaptation of a Sanskrit play by Bhasa), Chathankattu (an adaptation of William Shakespeare The Tempest), Poranadi (The outcast, a play by K.N.Panicker) Nandan Kadha (The story of Nandan, adaptation of the Tamil play by Indira Parthasarathy, Medea (adaptation of the Greek classic by Euripides), Charandas Chor (a children's version of the play by Habib Tanvir), and an eco political version of Macbeth all in Malayalam.
These productions were shown widely in the important theatre festivals all over India, winning popular appeal, critical acclaim and many coveted awards. The group was invited to Greece on August 2001 to the circle of south earth – an International Festival on Ancient Greek Drama. The performance of Medea in the cities of Pelos, Kalamatta, And Athens were accepted with much enthusiasm and rave reviews from the audience and critics.
These productions were shown widely in the important theatre festivals all over India, winning popular appeal, critical acclaim and many coveted awards. The group was invited to Greece on August 2001 to the circle of south earth – an International Festival on Ancient Greek Drama. The performance of Medea in the cities of Pelos, Kalamatta, And Athens were accepted with much enthusiasm and rave reviews from the audience and critics.
These productions have won the best play, best director and best actor awards from the National Multilingual theatre festivals 1995and 1996 at Cuttack Orissa, Pataliputra Natya Mahotsav Patna, Bihar 1997and Kerala Amateur theatre festival Thiruvananthapuram 1997. Lokadharmi has performed in many national theatre festivals in various parts of India and also international theatre Olympiad in Cuttack 1996 and 1997.