A film by Gautam Sonti and Uma Magal
Tirugata is a travelling theatre troupe which takes the best of contemporary theatre to small towns and villages in the state of Karnataka. Greek classics, Shakespeare, translations of Sanskrit plays, contemporary works translated from English and other languages, as well as the works of Kannada playwrights, have been performed over the years. Tirugata continues to be invited to villages and small towns, and to draw new audiences. Committed theatre viewing communities have developed in many places. Some of them have been inspired to start theatre initiatives in their communities.
Tirugata is not a typical repertory - it differs from other travelling troupes in that the plays, actors and directors change from year to year. The choice of plays each year is partly influenced by the actor pool, the relevance of the plays to the current socio-cultural situation and the ease with which they would fit into the Tirugata itinerary. Productions are designed keeping in mind the kinds of spaces in which they will be performed. Two to three plays are performed each year - one from Karnataka, one from the rest of India and one from the rest of the world.
