ABSTRACT
This proposed paper is an attempt to visualize the transformative energy of performance and questions that concern the politics of culture at the matrix of vernacular performances in Manipur. It intends to re-examine the current discussions of cultural production in Manipur. Till now, theatre had largely been perceived as an arena of entertainment in Manipur and elsewhere, but performances like those which can be seen in the depleting art form of Pashakela underline the fact that theatre is now becoming an important arena of exploration and creative expression. This paper will highlight the contesting boundaries drawn between the traditional and the contemporary theatrical performances in Manipur emphasizing on the Pashakela. In this way, this paper will try to unravel the marginalization of such a traditional art form of Pashakela, focussing on the cause of its exclusion. This will infuse the discourse that subalternity is reconstructed through history. However, the reconstruction takes place at the ideological and social level. In a way, this paper aims to foray and find out alternative approaches to the study of traditional theatre in Manipur.
