The theatre personalities of Manipur created many forms of modern theatre and blended them with their traditional forms to create a brilliant art form. The state of Manipur in extreme eastern India, owe to their indigenous faiths and beliefs that gave birth to the unique Manipuri artistic expression. The Meitei were the original theatre personalities of Manipur encouraged the growth of theatre, while the hill tribes provided rich textures of music and dance.
The origins of theatre personalities of Manipur are traced to native primitive fertility-cults and ancestor-worship festivals, the ritual forms were probably established in the twelfth century. Maibam Ramcharan, an eminent theatre personality of Manipur, wrote seventy-six plays and over twenty Shumang Lila scripts, capitalized on sentiment, romance, suffering, and family crisis. G. C. Tongbra, Arambam Somorendra, M. Biramangol, H. Kanhailal, Ratan Thiyam, Lokendra Arambam, H. Sabitri, Khundrakpam Brajachand, R. Bhogen, are some of the best known theatre personalities of Manipur. The theatre personalities of Manipur are exceptionally talented actors and dramatists worked with traditional training and won international acclaim in recent decades. As a whole the achievement of Manipuri Theatre is very prominent in the history of Indian theatre.
