Theatre Formation Paribartak is a group theatre situated in the

Howrah Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...

district of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It produces short theatres, one-act plays and full-length plays in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, English and Hindi. Its performances are held in prosceniums, intimate spaces, streets and in virtual platforms. It also organizes workshops for its own actors. Before May 2005, it was a unit of another organization that now goes under the name of Changers' Foundation Paribartak.

Plays

List of plays

The group produces mainly one-act Bengali plays. Its productions include: * ''Waiting For Godot'' (inspired by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

's play '' Waiting For Godot'') * ''Ekdin Rattire'' (একদিন রাত্তিরে), means ''One Day in The Night'' * ''Fasad'' (ফসাদ), means ''The Problem'' (Hindi-Bengali bilingual) * ''Kaman'' (কামান), means ''The Cannon'' * ''Godot Waits For Homeland Security'' (produced in English, written by Martin Kimeldorf, later replaced by ''Anusaran'', the Bengali adaptation) * ''Piano'', after a story by Anibal Machado * ''

Pedro Páramo ''Pedro Páramo'' is a novel written by Mexican writer Juan Rulfo about a man named Juan Preciado, who promises his mother on her deathbed to meet Preciado's father for the first time in the town of Comala, only to come across a literal ghost t ...

'', after the novel by

Juan Rulfo Juan Nepomuceno Carlos Pérez Rulfo Vizcaíno, best known as Juan Rulfo ( ; 16 May 1917 – 7 January 1986), was a Mexican writer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for two literary works, the 1955 novel ''Pedro Páramo'', and th ...

* ''Danawala Ekta Buro'' (ডানাওয়ালা একটা বুড়ো), means '' An Old Man with Wings'', after a story by

Gabriel García Marquez In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር� ...

* ''Stalingrad 1942'' * ''Endgame'' (inspired by

's play ''

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

'') * ''Anusaran'' (অনুসরণ), means ''Following'', inspired by ''Godot Waits For Homeland Security'' written by Martin Kimeldorf * ''Dhundhumar'' (ধুন্ধুমার), means ''The Hullabaloo'' * ''Rabindra Panchak'' (রবীন্দ্র পঞ্চক, a collection of five

skits Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...

written by

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

) * ''No Exit'' (Bengali-English bilingual play inspired by

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

's play ''

No Exit ''No Exit'' (french: Huis clos, links=no, ) is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in May 1944. The play begins with three characters who find themselves waiting ...

'') * ''Bandarnach'' (বান্দরনাচ), means ''Monkey Dance'' (Hindi-Bengali-English trilingual) * ''Mayabari The Grand House of Illusion'' (মায়াবাড়ি দ্য গ্র্যাণ্ড হাউস অফ ইলিউশন, Bengali-English bilingual play inspired by

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

's play ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' (french: Le Balcon) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that functions as a ...

'') * ''Lakshmaner Shaktishel'' (লক্ষ্মণের শক্তিশেল, written by

Sukumar Ray Sukumar Ray (; 30 October 1887 – 10 September 1923) was a Bengali writer and poet from the Indian subcontinent. He is remembered mainly for his writings for children. He was the son of children's story writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and ...

; a

site-specific theatre Site-specific theatre is a theatrical production that is performed at a unique, specially adapted location other than a standard theatre. This unique site may have been built without any intention of serving theatrical purposes (for example, a hote ...

production presented in the compound of Pathuriaghata Ghoshbari, Kolkata) * ''Himmatwala'' (হিম্মতওয়ালা), means ''The Courageous'' * ''Robir Tinti Hasi'' (রবির তিনটি হাসি, a collection of three skits written by Rabindranath Tagore) * ''Metamorphosis'' (inspired by the novella ''

The Metamorphosis ''Metamorphosis'' (german: Die Verwandlung) is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himsel ...

'' written by

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

, produced in English) * ''Sthananko'' (স্থানাঙ্ক), means ''The Coordinates'' * ''Ghater Katha'' (ঘাটের কথা, inspired by the short story of the same name written by Rabindranath Tagore), means ''Tale of Riverside Steps'' * ''The Visit'' (inspired by the play written by

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-g ...

, produced in English) * ''Ekti Uttar Adhunik Samajik Pala'' (একটি উত্তর-আধুনিক সামাজিক পালা), means ''A Post-Modern Social Drama'' * ''The Reality Show'', produced in Bengali * ''Nainam Dahati Pavakah'' (নৈনং দহতি পাবকঃ), means ''Fire can't burn it'', inspired by

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

's novel ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...

'' * ''Gimpel The Fool'' (a transversion of the short story ''

Gimpel the Fool "Gimpel the Fool" (1953) is a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, translated into English by Saul Bellow in 1953. It tells the story of Gimpel, a simple bread maker who is the butt of many of his town's jokes. It also gives its name to the colle ...

'' written by

Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in Yiddish and later translated himself into English with the help ...

, produced in English) * ''Apocalypse'' (loosely inspired by the novel ''Khelnanagar'' written by

Nabarun Bhattacharya Nabarun Bhattacharya (23 June 1948 – 31 July 2014) was an Indian writer in Bengali language. He was born at Berhampur, West Bengal. He was the only child of actor and playwright Bijon Bhattacharya and writer, activist Mahashweta Devi. His mat ...

, produced in English) * ''Charai'' (চড়াই), means ''The Sparrow'' * ''The Old Man and The Sea'' (inspired by the novella of the same name written by

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

, produced in English) * ''Joker'' (based on

Blowup ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemming ...

as written by

Julio Cortázar Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; ) was an Argentine, nationalized French novelist, short story writer, essayist, and translator. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenced an ent ...

and filmed by

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

, produced in Bengali) * ''Confusion'' (produced in Bengali, 12 minutes) * ''Putul'' (পুতুল), means ''The Doll'' * ''Love, Food, Nation a.k.a. Mutton Cutlet'' (produced in English) * ''Jot'' (জট), means ''Tangled'' * ''Bukhar'' (बुखार), means ''The Fever'', 12 minutes * ''Freedom'' (produced in English) * ''Tick'' (produced in Bengali, 10 minutes) * ''Tock'' (produced in Bengali, 10 minutes) * ''Imaginarium'' (Text-based Virtual Reality Theatre, a WhatsApp drama, in English) * ''Moyla'' (ময়লা), means ''Dirt'' (a virtual live theatre, in Bengali)

Other productions

Non-participative development theatres produced by Theatre Formation Paribartak include ''Tia'' (for encouraging people to

donate blood A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for blood transfusion, transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called Blood fractionation, fractionation (separation of whole blood com ...

blood bank A blood bank is a center where blood gathered as a result of blood donation is stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a department of a hospital usually within a Clinical Pathology laborat ...

s) and ''Roopkatha'' (for promotion of the Child Helpline no. 1098). Theatre Formation Paribartak has also produced ''Machhi'' (মাছি) written by

Mohit Chattopadhyay Mohit Chattopadhyaya (also spelled Mohit Chattopadhyay) (1 June 1934 – 12 April 2012) was a Bengali Indian playwright, screenwriter, dramatist and poet. He was a leading figure in modern Indian drama. Mohit Chottopadhya died on 12 April 2012. ...

and two more street-theatres - ''Machine'' (written by

Safdar Hashmi Safdar Hashmi (12 April 1954 – 2 January 1989) was a communist playwright and director, best known for his work with street theatre in India. He was also an actor, lyricist, and theorist, and he is still considered an important voice in Indian ...

) and ''Jhilik'' (ঝিলিক) but it does not run these productions. The theatres ''Lakshmaner Shaktishel'', ''Himmatwala'', ''Ekti Uttar Adhunik Samajik Pala'', ''Pratahkritya'' and ''Titumir'' were produced by an autonomous body of freelancing actors and technicians brought together by Theatre Formation Paribartak and facilitated by Joyraj Bhattacharjee.

Avoiding attribution

In the above list, if not otherwise mentioned, plays are written by members of Theatre Formation Paribartak, whose names are not generally disclosed by the organization. They also avoid mentioning the names of their

directors Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

who are also members of the group. Unlike many other theatre groups, it not been associated exclusively with a famous theatre personality or any one person. It also prefers to avoid mentioning the names of its performers and technicians.

Awards

The theatres of Theatre Formation Paribartak, since its inception in 2001, have won the following awards: * 2003 - ''Waiting For Godot'' - 2nd Best Production - in an All Bengal One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2005 - ''Danawala Ekta Buro'' - Best Actress: Debasri Saha in the role of Maria - in an All Bengal One Act Bengal Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2008 - ''Kaman'' - Special Recognition Prize for Acting: Debmita Sen in the role of The Daughter - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2009 - ''Anusaran'' - Best Production - in a District-level One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah, Best Actor: Amajit Basu in the role of the United States Department of Homeland Security Agent - in a District-level One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah, Best Co-actor: Debdip Sen in the role of An American Citizen - in a District-level One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2010 - ''Danawala Ekta Buro'' - Best Actress: Koyel Ghosh in the role of Maria - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2010 - ''Anusaran'' - 2nd Best Production - in an All Bengal One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2011 - ''No Exit'' - Special Recognition Prize for Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actor: Amajit Basu in the role of Robin Chatterjee (Garcin) - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actress: Koyel Ghosh in the role of Nina Roy (Estelle) - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2012 - ''Danawala Ekta Buro'' - 3rd Best Production - in an All Bengal One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2012 - ''Mayabari The Grand House of Illusion'' - Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actor: Amajit Basu in the role of Thor - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2013 - ''Metamorphosis'' - Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Director: Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2014 - ''The Visit'' - 2nd Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actor: Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Dramatist (Script): Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2014 - ''Kaman'' - 2nd Best Production - in an All Bengal One Act Bengali Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2015 - ''Pedro Páramo'' - Best Director: Amajit Basu - in an All Bengal Full Length Drama Competition organized in Howrah, Best Actor: Amajit Basu - in an All Bengal Full Length Drama Competition organized in Howrah * 2015 - ''Gimpel The Fool'' - Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Direction: Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actor: Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2016 - ''Apocalypse'' - 3rd Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Special Recognition Award for Child Actor: Ms. Zohareen Basu in the role of Gina - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2017 - ''The Old Man and The Sea'' - Best Dramatist (Script): Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2018 - ''Love, Food, Nation'' a.k.a. ''Mutton Cutlet'' - Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Director: Dr. Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Actor: Mr. Amajit Basu in the role of The Waiter - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata * 2019 - ''Freedom'' - Best Production - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata, Best Director: Dr. Amajit Basu - in a Multilingual Short Drama Competition Festival organized in Kolkata

References

External links

The Website of Theatre Formation ParibartakPerformance by Theatre Formation Paribartak of Ekdin Rattire on World Theater Day 2014Performance by Theatre Formation Paribartak on World Theater Day 2015Performance by Theatre Formation Paribartak of Sthananko in March 2015Pre-production review of ''Ekti Uttar Adhunik Samajik Pala'' of Theatre Formation Paribartak
''Ei Samay'' , 24 January 2015 {{Bengali theatre Theatrical organisations in India Theatres in India Howrah district Bengali theatre groups 2001 establishments in West Bengal Organizations established in 2001