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 * A Collision of Cultures: Some Western Interpretations of the Indian Theatre. ** Rustom Bharucha. __Asian Theatre Journal__, Spring, 1984. 26.2 pps. 1-20.

In his article, Mr. Bharucha offers some glimpses into the views of several Western theorists on Indian theatre forms in order to “call attention to the complexities of interculturalism in the theatre as a philosophy and practice.” (p. 3). In particular, he examines the views of Gordon Craig, Jerzy Grotowski, and Richard Schechner, among others, contrasting their views with those of “more academic, less controversial, scholars” (p. 2) and highlighting the ways in which these extreme views affect Western critiques of Indian theatre and, in some cases, the Indian culture itself. Mr. Bharucha’s in-depth analyses of these views present the reader with insight into the myriad difficulties associated with forming a cohesive theory of Asian theatre. From the psychosocial implications of the phrase “oriental theatre” to the difference in views towards performance practice, the author offers criticism of the many grievous over-generalizations present in the ideas of Western theorists towards Indian theatre. His arguments are thorough and exhaustive as he systematically assesses the validity of each of the differing views he presents. Mr. Bharucha’s article does suffer some serious setbacks to the less than scholarly reader. He makes few attempts to explain some of the vigorous name checking throughout the article and makes the assumption that readers are themselves familiar with the persons, concepts, and genres he discusses, such as // kathakali, kebyar, //and // mudras //, with which the reader may be only faintly familiar, if at all. Adding to the confusion, his point seems to drift throughout the article, so that the reader may lose certainty of the argument Mr. Bharucha seems eager to make. These setbacks take away from the general comprehension of the article, but ultimately the author manages to create a coherent point despite them. Though Mr. Bharucha’s article is almost certainly written with the serious Asian theatre scholar in mind, his overall point is one that reaches through the intellectual quagmire of the advanced philosophical and artistic concepts present throughout the article and ultimately addresses a universal aspect of intercultural study in a very accessible manner. As a result, Mr. Bharucha’s article appeals to anyone who has come across the same intercultural hurdle present throughout theatre and literary studies. The article’s attempt to dispel the innate foreign nature of Asian theatre thus broadens its target audience. Given Mr. Bharucha’s position as Artistic Director at his institution, his article beams with the authority of an author well versed in the topic at hand. The article’s immense importance in terms of its topic would probably make it useful to any person attempting to study Indian theatre so that they might consider the difficulties of translating purely Indian concepts into easily understood Western concepts. As a result, the article represents an important and essential part in the effort to further understand and appreciate Indian theatre, while minimizing the effects of bias from one’s own perspective.