The Pedagogic and the Performative in Indian Theatre

"Indu Jain's book offers a sophisticated analysis of feminist theatre artists’ impact on Indian theatre from the mid-1980s to 2013. Highlighting four influential women, Jain critiques postcolonial narratives and challenges patriarchal traditions. Drawing from diverse theorists, she emphasizes the body’s polyvocality and pedagogic collaboration, positioning her work as pivotal for future scholarship on women’s interventions in theatre history". – Janelle Reinelt, Professor Emerita, University of Warwick. "In her exceptional new book, Jain offers a crucial feminist perspective on Indian theatre's history, focusing on the impact of women directors like Anamika Haksar and Anuradha Kapur. She explores their unique rehearsal processes and teaching methods, highlighting how their work is informed by intersectional feminism and a collective spirit, ultimately reshaping theatrical practices and narratives". – Jill Lane, Associate Professor of Spanish & Portuguese and of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University. "This innovative study of women’s theatre in India significantly enriches feminist scholarship and global theatre practice. Focusing on pedagogy and professional training, Jain highlights influential figures like Anuradha Kapur and Anamika Haksar. Her thought-provoking approach merges women’s studies with global perspectives, showcasing a collaborative feminist legacy that resonates across generations and regions. Indu Jain is a vital voice in this discourse". – Lisa Fitzpatrick: Senior Lecture in Drama, Ulster University, Northern Ireland This book foregrounds the realm of Contemporary Indian Feminist Theatre in order to explore the inter-relationships between feminist theatrical theory, practice and its historical antecedents. The study focuses on the performance processes, training methods and pedagogical vocabulary used by four Indian women directors: Anamika Haksar, Anuradha Kapur, Kirti Jain and Tripurari Sharma. The book interprets the feminist emphasis on process as extended into actor training and rehearsal dynamics, investigating its innovations as well as limitations, while examining how successful these director-pedagogues were in bringing gendered and radical feminist sensibilities to their work in classroom spaces. Indu Jain is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Janki Devi Memorial College, Delhi University, India. Indu’s research interests include post-colonial theory and literature, feminist theory, and performance studies. Previous publications include several book chapters and articles published in international journals like Theatre Research International and Studies in Theatre and Performance.