ABOUT PROBIR GUHA
A journey through theatre, resistance, and expression
BIOGRAPHY
The Birth of the ‘Living Theatre’
In 1977, Guha founded the Living Theatre in Khardaha. It was not merely a theatre group but a movement, a platform for those excluded from mainstream performance—particularly non-actors from local communities. The group’s debut performance, ‘Samudra Asthir’, was a fearless critique of the commercialisation of art and was staged over three consecutive days in Kolkata.
International Recognition and Collaborations
Guha’s contributions have not gone unnoticed on the global stage. He has conducted workshops in Bangladesh, Pakistan, USA, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, Poland, Nepal, Holland, France, Denmark, Sweden, China, and throughout India. In the United States, he directed collective performances like ‘Aditi’ and ‘Mela’ for the Festival of India, bringing together 75 folk performers at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
His international engagements also include participation in Theatre of Sources in Poland, Theatre Anthropology in Bonn, and Images of Asia in Denmark. Guha also directed the play ‘We Are’ at Castillo Theatre Centre, New York, and was featured in Tokyo and Sendai for the ‘Asia Meet Asia Festival’. His interactions extended to academic institutions like the Tisch School of Drama at New York University, where he led workshops.
Leadership and Affiliations
Guha was formerly associated with Bahirangan, an experimental theatre forum, and served as the General Secretary. He has been a member of Paschim Banga Natya Akademi, and holds prestigious roles such as:
President and Founder of NATI (Nation Wide Alternative Theatre Initiative)
Executive Member of SATCO (South Asian Theatre Committee)
Member of IDEA (International Drama/Theatre & Education Association), Netherlands
President of FITA (Forum for Intimate Theatre Activists)
He continues to serve as visiting faculty at numerous theatre institutions and universities in India and abroad.
Collaborations with Global Masters :-
Throughout his journey, Guha has worked with leading theatre personalities and dancers from around the globe. These include:
Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Peter Brook, Richard Schechner, J.B. Hatch, Peter Schuman, Toshi Tsuchitori, John Martin. Dancers like Sanjukta Panigrahi (Odissi), Sudhir Kumar (Chhau), Hu Chun Lin (Peking Opera), and P. N. Rajeev (Kathakali). He also collaborated with performers from Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, China, and various Indian tribal dance traditions like Kabui Naga, Thang Ta, Kalarippayattu, and Kathakali, blending these into his theatrical training.
