ABSTRACT
Most theatre groups in Kolkata don’t have access to permanent rehearsal, storage, and performance spaces. The question of space and the ways in which it determines directorial, design, and acting choices in the theatre culture of Kolkata is therefore especially significant. Taking a cue from the critical works, Gay McAuley with her classification of the various parts of the theatre space and Marvin Carlson’s majestic treatise on the “extra-architectural” factors that “haunt” a stage, respectively, this chapter delves into a detailed analysis of the ways in which theatre spaces inform the theatre culture and practice in Kolkata. I demonstrate that even though practitioners celebrate their various compromises around space, the performance space or the lack thereof haunts the Bengali group theatre practice and impacts it significantly.
