For the residents of Pathshala, a small town in the Barpeta District of Assam, the Bhramyaman (mobile theatre) season is in full flow. Braving the rain, people of the town make a beeline for a large tent pitched in the neighbourhood field, and filled with hundreds of plastic chairs that face a set of wooden stages.
The workers of Abahan Theatre, a prominent mobile theatre company in Assam, have spent months building the stage — only to dismantle it in a fortnight, when the group will move to its next destination.
There are about 100 Bhramyaman groups in Assam, and two of the oldest groups are based in Pathshala.
Abahan Theatre, was formed in 1980, and has been staging plays in open spaces across villages and towns in Assam. It travels with a 125-member strong cast and crew (including sound and light artistes, actors, cooks, costume makers, choreographers etc) for nine months in the year.
On the day of Abahan’s season premiere, the rain falls thick on the uneven roads of Pathshala. Two hours before the show, the canopy sags under the weight of rainwater and the actors, in full costume, move around the green room in gumboots and sneakers.
“Will the show happen?” everyone wonders. But at 8pm that night Pathshala seems to be in full attendance. The plastic chairs are occupied by people, some wear raincoats and others carry umbrellas.
We ask Arup Baishya, the protagonist of the play, if the rains play spoilsport at the start of every theatre season. “The rain?” he says derisively, “if you’re naatok (theatre) crazy like the people of Assam are, the rain should be least of your worries.”
The show will go on.
Photos: Poulomi Dey, a freelance photographer based in New Delhi.
Text: Tora Agarwala, a freelance journalist based in Assam.