ABSTRACT
Ranu Adhikari played Aparna in the 1923 Visarjan to Rabindranath’s Joysingha (at Empire Theatre, Calcutta) and mimed the role of Sudarshana, with the poet reciting the lines, in the 1924 Arupratan production (at Alfred Theatre, Calcutta). In either case, Rabindranath trained her for the roles with tender care. During the staging of Tapati (in 1929), he meticulously supervised every aspect of the performance, as has been reported by Amita Tagore, who played Sumitra to his Vikramdev in this production. Rabindranath’s masterstroke at improvisation probably came with the memorable use of Sahana Devi for the 1923 Visarjan. When she was available almost in the final stages of preparation, he drafted her in the performance and made her enter at several points in the play singing songs. An audience, sensitive and genial, was a pre-text for the proper reception of his theatre.
