It was the birth of professional street dramas in Nepal. This novel concept of theater was an instant hit amongst the audience. In spite of its plain and subtle visual appeals, street dramas quickly made inroads into the hearts of Nepalis. Irrespective of their literary qualifications and social rankings, people grabbed the essence of street dramas, which usually revolved around relevant social issues. Moreover, in a country like Nepal where modern communication resources are still scarce and inaccessible in the less affluent areas, street dramas have consistently reached out to people living in those remote parts of the country. [break]
The significance of street dramas in the Nepali scenario has always been integral. Be it to create awareness regarding social happenings or to carry out political transformations, the imprint that street dramas have left in Nepalis’ minds is profound. This form of theatrical art got wide embracement mainly due to its ability to communicate to a larger base of audience in quick time. From school students to elderly citizens, everyone got attracted to this artistic portraying of strong social messages. Back then, street plays were the cornerstones of mass media. With a high degree of receptivity amongst audience and a socially contextual plot, street dramas revolutionized people’s thought process towards injustice, bureaucratic wrongdoings and political fallacies.
Renowned street plays like “Naya Adhyaya,” “Yugin Gantabya” and “Prashna ra Prashnaharu” have raised voices on contemporary social subject matters like women’s empowerment, war and conflict and prolonged failures of political parties. The satirical heat generated through these pieces of art was felt immensely by the concerned authorities. Prohibition regarding promotions of street dramas, frequent interruption during a play’s presentations and imprisoning theater artists were some reactionary efforts carried out by those authorities to repress the transformational uprising of theatrical contributions to the society. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the cultivating role of street dramas in overcoming the suppressive Panchayati System was often overshadowed by the mainstream political activities.
The methods of preparing and presenting a street drama are no different than any other proscenium theater work. In fact, the absence of other theatrical support elements like light, sound and stage props makes it even more challenging than stage performances. The close proximity between artists and the audience tests the acting skills of the artists to a greater extent. Besides, the requirement to handle and manage unanticipated distractions and clutters adds up to the challenge. Hence, street play artists need to possess a higher degree of mental agility while delivering their craft.
To borrow the words of Ashesh Malla, a pioneer theater persona and the founder of street drama in Nepal, frugality and relevance are the pillars of all street dramas that help every theatrical endeavor to adjust according to the time and situational setting. He firmly believes that street drama needs to be precisely audience-oriented in terms of intellect and linguistic and cultural aspects.
Today, leaping advancements in technology and modern lifestyle have somewhat diverted people’s interest and focus from such pure form of art. However, after realizing the multitude of important factors that this type of theatrical arrangement holds, one shall never underestimate the influential ability and effectiveness of street drama.
The writer is an MBA student at Ace Institute of Management in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu.
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