On the Street- Street Drama by Sreya Bhowmik

                 Topic 2:- Street Drama 

Street Drama is the dramatic performance outside the proscenium arch or, in other words, in streets, fields, or open spaces. It is performed with few and simple props. There are no seating arrangements, and the audience watch the performance sitting on the ground or standing.

Street dramas are shorter than stage dramas, and usually last about half an hour to one hour. The object of street drama is not to provide entertainment but to arouse social consciousness and protest against injustice. Enacting it without any elaborate stage effects highlights existing social problems. In some cases, solutions are also suggested.

Street drama is popular in different countries, include China, Russia, France, and Vietnam. In these countries street dramas are performed for political purposes as well as to provide entertainment. In India during the Second World War and in the post-war period, street drama played a considerable role in arousing the masses against the famine, black-marketing, profiteering, and oppression and in strengthening the movement against the British regime. Afterwards, street drama was used as a strong and successful means to ensure the rights of the working class.

In Bangladesh, street drama has been mainly influenced by folk song, folk dance and jatras that were staged in open places to celebrate religious and other festivals. After the inception of group theatre, drama groups have come forward to practice street drama along with stage drama. New drama groups became interested as they could produce street drama with less cost, labour and time. Generally, the main objective of these plays has been to arouse the people against oppression and to make them conscious of religious superstition and fundamentalism.