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In the Company of Theatre – Class 6 Arts Chapter 18 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 6ArtsChapter 18NCERT book: Kriti - Arts Class 6

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 18 of the NCERT Class 6 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 18: In the Company of Theatre (Theatre)

Introduction

Imagine living with a big team of artists who do theatre shows every day — rehearsing, putting on costumes and make-up, performing, and eating, playing, sleeping and travelling together. These were Company Theatres, which existed in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Very few survive today.

Key Ideas

What was a company theatre?

  • Company Theatre describes professional companies of artists who perform theatrical productions.
  • There were troupes in Kolkata as early as the 1700s.
  • A company was self-sufficient: make-up men, costume tailors, set designers, painters, light technicians, actors, dancers, singers, writers, cooks, managers and accountants — often whole families including children — living and travelling together for life.

    • Parsi theatre companies

  • The first touring company theatres in India were the Parsi theatre companies of Bombay (Maharashtra), which performed all over India from the 1850s to the 1930s.
  • The first, the Parsi Natak Mandali, performed its first play, Roostum Zabooli and Sohrab, in 1853, followed by King Afrasiab, Rustom Pehlvan and Padsah Faredun.
  • By 1860, over 20 Parsi theatre groups had formed in Mumbai.
  • Their proscenium-style productions inspired theatre across India, and the company form spread to Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

    • Popular companies and their plays

  • Surabhi Theatre (Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali), Andhra Pradesh, formed 1885; first play Keechaka Vadha. A family company performing stories from Hindu tradition and history, famous for magic, live VFX and logic-defying feats on stage. It has survived for 138 years and still stages Sri Krishna Leelalu, Jai Pathala Bhiravi, Bhakta Prahlada, Maya Bazar, Sri Venkateshwara Udhbhavam (Srinivasa Kalyanam) and Balanagamma.
  • Karnataka Nataka Mandali, established 1874 at Gadag, Karnataka, by Sakkere Balacharya (Shantha Kavi); popular plays Kichaka, Banasura and Vastrapaharana.
  • Halasangi Nataka Mandali, at Halasangi in Bijapur district, Karnataka; plays written by Venkannacharya Agalagatti such as Srimati Parinaya and Madalasa Parinaya. These companies had the patronage of the Maharajas of Mysore.
  • Gubbi Company (Shree Channabasaweshwara Nataka Mandali), the most famous company in Karnataka; plays like Sadharame, Subhadra and Hemareddy Mallamma ran houseful — people queued for days for tickets.

    • - It was the first troupe to allow women to act.

    - The famous Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar began his career here.

    - The theatre director B.V. Karanth also started here.

    Why company theatre declined

    The era slowly declined after Independence because:

  • Most companies were not managed with enough financial efficiency.
  • Cinema became a strong competitor.
  • Content became less family-friendly as some companies used unhealthy humour.
  • Amateur (Havyasi) theatre became popular for its convenience.

    • Professional theatre today

    Though company theatre has declined, many professional repertories still give high-quality productions, and science and technology have upgraded theatre techniques.

    Activities

  • Imagine a day in a company theatre: list all the jobs you would see.
  • Compare today's theatre with company theatre (and later, with traditional puppetry).

    • Key Terms

  • Company theatre — professional troupe living and touring together (कंपनी थिएटर / नाटक मंडली)
  • Troupe — a group of performers (मंडली)
  • Natak Mandali — theatre company (नाटक मंडली)
  • Patronage — support from rulers or sponsors (संरक्षण)
  • Repertory — professional theatre group with a set of plays (रंगमंडल)
  • Havyasi / amateur theatre — non-professional theatre (शौकिया रंगमंच)
  • Proscenium style — staging within a framed stage
  • Houseful — all seats sold out

    • Connect to Your Life

    Many film stars began in theatre. Find out whether there is a theatre group or repertory in your town.

    Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the dates: Parsi Natak Mandali's first play was 1853; Karnataka Nataka Mandali was 1874; Surabhi was 1885.
  • Thinking company theatre is thriving today — it has declined, though professional repertories continue.

    • Let's Reflect

  • Which company first allowed women to act?
  • Give two reasons company theatre declined.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Company theatres were self-sufficient professional troupes that lived, rehearsed and toured together
    • ✓The Parsi Natak Mandali's first play was Roostum Zabooli and Sohrab (1853); by 1860 Mumbai had over 20 Parsi groups
    • ✓Surabhi Theatre (Andhra Pradesh, 1885) is famous for magic and live VFX and has survived 138 years
    • ✓The Gubbi Company was the first to allow women to act and launched Dr Rajkumar and B.V. Karanth
    • ✓Company theatre declined because of poor finances, cinema, less family-friendly content and amateur theatre

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Draw a timeline on the board: Kolkata troupes (1700s), Parsi Natak Mandali (1853), Karnataka Nataka Mandali (1874), Surabhi (1885)
    • →Ask students to list every job in a company theatre and act out a 'day in the company'
    • →Show a video clip of a Surabhi Theatre performance to discuss stage magic and VFX
    • →Hold a class discussion on why cinema competed with company theatre
    • →Invite a local theatre artist to talk about professional or amateur theatre today
    • →Link to Chapter 17: company theatres had their own make-up men, tailors and set designers

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student explain what a company theatre was?
    2. Can the student name at least three companies and their states?
    3. Can the student state the Gubbi Company's special features?
    4. Can the student give reasons for the decline of company theatre?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Kriti - Arts Class 6

    1. 1. Objects and Still Life
    2. 2. Changing the Typical Picture
    3. 3. Portraying People
    4. 4. Paper Crafts
    5. 5. Seals to Prints
    6. 6. Music and Your Emotions
    7. 7. Musical Instruments
    8. 8. Taal or Talam and Raga or Ragam in Indian Music
    9. 9. Melodies of Diversity
    10. 10. Songwriting
    11. 11. Music and Society
    12. 12. My Body in Motion
    13. 13. Breaking Barriers with Dance
    14. 14. Harmony in Motion
    15. 15. Dances of Our Land
    16. 16. Emotions Unveiled!
    17. 17. Let's Design
    18. 18. In the Company of Theatre
    19. 19. Stories of Shadows and Strings — Puppetry
    20. 20. The Grand Finale
    21. 21. Integration of All Art Forms
    22. 22. Assessment