Thee Utter Postcoloniality
Kiran, Aparna, Ishan & Abhirami
Our objective was to examine theatre groups as “communities of choice” – how theatre brings together diverse groups of people and holds them together through a mutual love of the art. The Madras Players, being the oldest English theatre group in Chennai, is an extremely interesting group to focus on in this light.
Through interviews of cast members and directors from the group’s inception to the present day, we were able to trace a history of the group as a community that has evolved over the ages, and yet not moved away from the ideals that shaped its beginnings. We combine these with theoretical texts on theatre and postcoloniality in order to form impressions on various aspects of the community.
The format of our site pays homage to works of hypertext fiction such as my body: a Wunderkammer by Shelley Jackson, with no linear structure and no fixed beginning or end. This allows the work to be “discovered” by the reader as they click through hyperlinks on the site, allowing them to create their own path for themselves and taking full advantage of the medium of hypertext. Our hope is that visitors to this site will be able to discover for themselves the different aspects that shape The Madras Players as a community, and click away with a little more appreciation for English theatre in India than when they first came across the site.
IIT Madras is a vibrant residential campus that allows students to flourish both personally and professionally. Campus life at IIT Madras is not just about classrooms, libraries and labs. There are several opportunities for students to pursue their favorite activities, refine their skills and discover new talents and interests. The campus is a constant buzz of varied activities and events - academic, co-curricular and extracurricular.