The theatre world is going Off-Off Broadway. Why shouldn’t we?: Chandan Sen

After getting a rave review of the first show of Khancha and Ami O Amra at Niranjan Sadan, the director duo of the plays, Chandan Sen and Shantilal Mukherjee of Ashokenagar Natyaanan, are all in praise for non-proscenium theatre.
“I was introduced to alternative space for performing arts in 1998 when I performed at Present Theatorium in New York. Ever since, I wanted to implement it here.No one, barring a couple of people, showed any interest. But I kept on working and here we are,” said Chandan.
The director also pointed out the economic side of it. “The rent of the auditoriums around the city is going up every day. What if we fail to afford it? Should we give up theatre? No, right? We need to explore the art, philosophy and aesthetics of non-proscenium theatre. Also, non-proscenium doesn’t at all mean that it is an easy thing to do. From its aesthetics to the techniques (including stage, light, music, sound, background etc) — each aspect involves minute detailing,” he said, adding, “The theatre world is going Off-Off Broadway. Why shouldn’t we?”