पश्चिम रंग पूर्व रुप

कहाणी मराठी रंगभूमीची! तिच्या जडणघडणीची! संस्कृत नाटकांचा आणि पौराणिक विषयांचा जबरदस्त पगडा असलेली ही मराठी रंगभूमी जगाशी, पाश्चात्य संस्कृतीशी ओळख झाल्यावर कशी बदलत गेली, शेक्सपियर, इब्सेन, स्टानिस्लावस्की यासारख्या दिगज्जांच्या प्रभावाने तिचा कसा कायापालट होत गेला त्याची कहाणी! नव्या विचारांचे, वेगळ्या धाटणीचे बदल अंगीकारत ती अधिकाधिक प्रगल्भ होत गेली तेही आपलं स्वत्व टिकवत,  मराठीपण जपत! आता तर ती आपल्या प्रयोगशीलतेमुळे इतरांसाठी प्रेरणादायी ठरली आहे. तर रसिक प्रेक्षकहो, चला पाहूया ‘अवघे पावणे दोनशे वयमान’ असलेल्या आणि कायम चिरतरुण राहिलेल्या आपल्या मराठी रंगभूमीची रंजक कहाणी!

This is a chronicle of Marathi theater! 

How this theatre came to be, how it grew and flourished over the course of nearly two centuries is a story in itself. The earlier written plays were heavily influenced by traditional Sanskrit plays, with its own rules and ethics. They were mostly (classical-based) musicals with tales from ancient Hindu scriptures. Marathi theater started to slowly change and evolve as it was exposed to western cultures and their theatre. The influence of Shakespere, Ibsen, Stanislovasky, the legends of western theatre, started to penetrate the very fabric of Marathi theatre giving it completely new texture and appearance.  Although these new ideas and ideals have influenced Marathi rangbhumi, it stayed true to its eastern roots and marathi essence. Let’s together witness this transformative journey of Marathi rangbhumi, and salute its indomitable spirit as it continues to explore new ways of expression becoming a source of inspiration to eastern and western theatre in the process