Interesting facts about theatre everyone must know

Every year on 27 March, the world celebrates ‘World Theatre Day’. A day to celebrate the contributions of artists, playwrights, stories, and theatre that have shaped the world and the stories we heard. From grand stages that host thousands of people to small amphitheaters that become the ground of young, budding theatre and ‘Nukkad’ artists, World Theatre Day is for all.

Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright, is known as the Father of Theatre. His groundbreaking works, such as ‘A Doll's House’, ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Hedda Gabler’, completely changed the way people used to write, direct and act in theatres. With plays that touched upon the subjects of human psychology, society, and behaviours, Ibsen wrote many masterpieces that became an audience favourite.

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In India, Ebrahim Alkazi is known as the Father of Indian Theatre. It is said that Alkazi completely changed the Indian theatrical scene of his time and many modern theatre artists, writers and directors look up to him and the lessons he taught.

When the theatre was fairly new, with very few people performing or even watching it, it was divided into three main genres - Comedy, Tragedy, and Satire. It is believed that the themes of love, jealousy, ambition, etc came much later and every play was either a comedy, a tragedy, or a satire. Comedy tickled people’s funny bones, tragedy evoked intense feelings, and satire, with its sharp wit and social commentary, was generally aimed at showing people the ills of society in a non-offending way.

While Henrik Ibsen and Ebrahim Alkazi have the designation of ‘Father of Theatre’, no topic of theatre can be complete without Shakespeare. One of the greatest playwrights in history is William Shakespeare, and it is his plays that people grew up reading, performing and watching. From ‘Hamlet’ to ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and from ‘Macbeth’ to ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’, Shakespeare will forever remain unparalleled.

While there are many theatres around the world, and each has its way of being beautiful, it is the ‘Palacio de Bellas Artes’ that stands as a shimmering gem in the arena of theatres. Located in Mexico, this beautiful building has witnessed many plays, artists and directors and has hosted the creme-de-la-creme of theatre and artistry. From ballet to opera and from musicals to theatre performances, the Palacio de Bellas Artes has been a witness to it all.

Earlier, when technology was not so advanced and people relied on other humans for cues and symbols, whistling was an activity that was practiced by the crew to signal something to someone else.
While there are superstitions that whistling backstage can result in a bad performance or even doom a play, it was done to prevent any mishaps and mess-ups by sending a wrong signal.

Another superstition that was earlier believed by many was that if theatre artists slept with their scripts below their pillow they would never forget their lines and enactments and it would result in an amazing show. It was thought to be a ritual that would help with memorisation and ensure flawless performance. But, when approached with some logic, just keeping your script below the pillow won't help! If the script is kept just below the pillow, it will encourage the artist to read whenever he or she gets a little time, which will eventually result in a better performance.