About Amateur Theatre
Development of Amateur Theatre had indeed led to some of the significant changes in the theatre circuit of Karnataka. Amateur Kannada Theatre, contributed immensely to the modern Kannada theatre as well, and enriched the history of Kannada theatre. The gift of the amateur stage to the dramatic literature of modern Kannada is both bountiful and varied. But for an occasional interpretation or a parody, it almost completely discarded the once supreme mythological and even historical themes. The emphasis was now placed on social themes. It evolved the one-act play: the total number of one-act plays written during the initial phase of amateur theatre, perhaps exceeded three hundred at least.
Successful experiments brought in new themes and also new forms like the Impromptu play, the Opera, the Dream play, Mime, Fantasy, the Shadow play and the Radio play. As a result, the Amateur theatre established itself as a significant part of the artistic life of towns, and also helped to substitute, enrich and strengthen a decadent professional stage of Kannada theatre.
A number of amateur troupes maintained regular rolls of members, actors and patrons. They also toured the Kannada country like professional troupes. Some of them like the famed Amateur Dramatic Association and Chaya Artists of Bengaluru and Kalopasak Mandal of Dharwar went far from their home-towns to visit different parts of India. Such amateur troupes sprang up in every important town of Karnataka during the last three decades, though not all of them lived long. A number of troupes grew up in association of Karnataka Sanghs, colleges and other social, literary and educational institutions.
The Stage-play soon became an inevitable item in the programme of almost every social gathering, festival and conference. Drama Conferences became a part of the Annual Literary Conferences of Kannada Sahitya Sammelana - wherein, problems connected with the stage were discussed. The amateur stage steadily gained experience, self confidence and some degree of financial stability. Strictly speaking, it is only groups of amateur artists with rolls of regular membership of artists and patrons that should be considered as the true backbone of the Amateur Theatre.
A peep into the history of a few representative amateur troupes would reveal their qualities and status. It would also indicate the amazing variety of themes and forms which the modern Kannada playwright created for the amateur stage to produce.
Artists in Amateur Theatre
Artists in amateur theatre stage are no more pursued by the stigma that dogged the professional actor for centuries as Rusheelava, the social immoral. The educated actor of the amateur Kannada theatre stage is invariably a man of some social standing with an obligation to preserve the morality, good taste and honour of the stage. Even the professional actor is now looked upon with some consideration, though what T. Raghavachari said two decades ago about the dangers of taking to the stage as a profession, still remains true in some degree. Educated women have come forward to make the amateur stage look natural. Girls belonging to respectable families have come to appear on the stage along with men: this happy practice seems to have been begun by the Amateur Dramatic Association of Bengaluru. The amateur theatre has its great advantage in its playwright who is also a potential actor invariably.
Popular Actors in Amateur Theatre : Luckily for Kannada amateur stage, its pioneer playwrights including T.P. Kailasam, Sriranga and Karanth being actors of consummate skill, were able to lay down a good tradition in playacting and production. Leading amateur troupes enjoyed the services of artists who could compare favourably in talent with the leading professional artists of any region. T. Ragbavachari was a flourishing lawyer, and Devadu Narasimha Shastri a noted writer, but both, with their bountiful talent gave a status and career to the Amateur Dramatic Association of Bangalore. D. Laxmanayya, an advocate, and C. Anandrao a Palace official came to be known for their rich histrionic talent in the performances of the Literary Dramatic Association of Mysore. Dr. N. S. Narayana Shastri, Dr. A. M. Natesh, A. C. Narsimha Murthy, T. M. Ameer, V. K. Shrinivasan, G. B. Jayarao, B. Krishnamurthy, Sampath, Gururaja Rao and other senior members of the Old Boys Associations of the Maharaja?s College of Mysore compared well with the best of the professional artists of their time. N. Kasturi, C. K. Nagaraja Rao, Chi Sadasiviah of Bengaluru, N. S. Vaman, Vijaya Rajarao and Ranganath of Mysore, S. H. Parvati, Mangalvede and C. S. Bennur of Bagalkot, K. G. Halsigi, G. V. Hiremath and V. M. Inamdar of Dharwar, Joladarashi Doddan Gowda and Y. M. Chandrayya of Bellary are but a few names in a galaxy of brilliant artists who brought in considerable lustre to the Amateur stage of the Kannada country. It is true, the actor has forfeited his once lofty position in favour of the playwright in the Amateur theatre reversing the position then prevailing in the professional theatre, but even so, he is to play a vital role for the success of the stage. It is after all the actor who ultimately brings home the full import of a play be it the "sentimental stuff" of the professional stage or the "Intellectual play of Ideas" of the amateur stage and it may be said in this regard, that Karnataka seems to be fortunate in its artists.
One Act Play in Amateur Theatre
One Act Play in Amateur Theatre has been a thriving act for a long time, and almost every playwright of Karnataka wrote some one-acts in addition to his full-length plays. The one-act is a direct and fast-running short play with a few special characteristics like speedy action, economy in expression and a final impressive climax. A particular act detached from a full length play can not be a one-act. For, the one-act is like a golden ring rather than a detached link of a gold chain. It should have a dramatic theme as its first requisite and be bound by the three Unities of Time, Place and Action. It must be direct in dealing with a theme and full entertainment in a short span of time.
Inaugurated by Tollu-Gatti of Kailasham in Mysore and by Goal of D. R. Bendre in North Karnataka, the one-act has remained the most popular of dramatic forms on the Amateur stage. It comes in handy for an anniversary or a College Day, when the number of players available is small and the time allotted for entertainment short. More than all, no great problems arise in its production. It has been essentially social in theme, humorous in nature and often intellectual in import. T.P. Kailasam, Sriranga, Kuvempu, Karanth, Bendre, Krishnarao, M. N. Kamat, Krishnakumar Kallur, Mugali, Chi. Sadasiviah and other senior and leading playwrights wrote a good number of one-acts Prominent among more recent but established playwrights of one-acts is Ksheera Sagara, who, with his fine sense of humour and expert knowledge of stage-craft, soon made himself very popular with plays like Shamannana Sahasa, Deepavali, Nischitdrtha and Kashiyatre. Kaiwar Rajarao who excels in homely dialogues wrote entertaining plays like Gandana Julmane, Patra Pramada, Hengasara Banddya and Prema Pareekshe. N.K. Kulkarni a popular playwright of North Karnataka, well-known as a humorist, poked gentle fun at human foibles with his one-acts like B. T. Buddhivanta, U. T. C. Parishat, Bar Room and Vidya. M. N. Babu, author of a few penetrating plays like Raghannana Ratha drew both a smile and a tear at the same time. His Bddige Meese, Guru Bhayankara and Cinema Aliya are truly hilarious. N. Kasturi gave a few brilliant pieces like Gaggayyana Gadibidi, Vaikunta and Kadane. M. V. Sitaramiah, Tengse Govindarao, N. M. Kulkarni and other playwrights enriched Kannada dramatic literature with their one-acts. The one-act proved to be the ideal form for modern times and it had no difficulty in thriving along with the Cinema. It has been most popular with the student amateurs. It has grown both in volume and variety, touching almost every aspect of modern life, like meaning of education (Tollu Gatti, B. T. Buddhivanta, Adbhuta Shikshana and other plays) evils of ignorance (Katte Purdna, Aadaddenu, Purvaranga and other plays), the problem of unemployment of the educated ( Sarkassina Sarasvati, Bar room, Trisula, Nannadalla and other plays), the question of unequal marriage (Ammavra ganda, Hennina Todaku, Asvamedha and other plays) and a variety of domestic and social problems (Home rule, Prapanca Pravdha, Bahiskdra, Ndlkaneya Pisachi and other plays). The total number of one-acts written during these three decades may have well exceeded three hundred.
The one-act plays, all the same, has not been an unmixed blessing. Its dramatic requirements do not appear to have been properly appreciated by quite a number of its practitioners; secondly, the amateur stage seems to have become too much satisfied with the one-act. It has also given room to a feeling that the satisfaction it gives is a false satisfaction. This feeling is possibly due to the consideration that the one-act, and sometimes even the full-length social play, is incapable of building up a "classical" atmosphere of dignity and power, availing itself of all the fine arts that go to make a true drama the time honoured natya. It is not far from truth, that it looks as though the lofty institution of the theatre has been made to hang on to the thin purpose of light humour, when the one-act play becomes the chief vehicle for the stage There are brilliant exceptions of course, like Bahishkar, Kapatanataka Nadumaneyalli, Hosa Samsara or Bidugade, but, for such exceptions, one has to go back to the pioneers alone. Many other social plays are incapable of giving any satisfaction.
