Jean Paul Sartre in his exposition on the nature of
collective formation distinguishes the ‘series’ from the ‘group’. He
argues that the group unlike the series, is the instrumentation of a common
aim, comparable to one’s body (Sartre denies any organic idealism) – it is
the end as
well as the
means. The group
project is ‘tearing away
man from the status of
alterity which makes
of him a product of
his product, to
transform him...into a product of
the group, that
is to say – so long
as the group
is freedom – into his
own product’. However this metaphorical sense of
freedom that one experiences as constituting the body of a group is in the
twenty first century seeing a challenge that transforms the very nature of
being of not only the group but also the individual that constitutes the group.
The activist-artist now argues s/he has a life. Borrowing from life narratives
of two theatre groups instituted with a common aim ‘The Freedom Theatre’ in
Jenin, Palestine and ‘Jana
Natya Manch’ in New Delhi, India, this
paper looks at the changing contours of the Sartean group, its smallest unit
the ‘groupuscule’ to be precise. The paper also
speculates on the possible shapes the ‘groupuscule’ is now taking considering a few
instances of creative encounters.
Sharmistha Saha is a theatre scholar and practitioner based in Mumbai. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral studies from Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany and later joined the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai as faculty. She is currently the Asia Art Archive Inlaks Art Grantee. Her recent book published by Aakar/Springer is called ‘Theatre and National Identity in Colonial India: Formation of a community through cultural practice
Sharmistha Saha is a theatre scholar and practitioner based in Mumbai. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral studies from Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany and later joined the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai as faculty. She is currently the Asia Art Archive Inlaks Art Grantee. Her recent book published by Aakar/Springer is called ‘Theatre and National Identity in Colonial India: Formation of a community through cultural practice