In 1989 Natya Chetana once reserved the only theatre auditorium of Bhubaneswar run by the Government, got cancelled forcefully. The urge to search for a theatre style away from proscenium model and the purpose of the theatre is to reach more and more audiences - are the main factors which encouraged Natya Chetana to develop a new way of approach.

WHY INTIMATE ?

Initially the idea of “Street Theatre” came to mind to go closure to the urban people to make them aware and create debate as long as we had a talk with Late Sufdar Hasmi of JANAM, New Delhi. But the audiences in the cities are so much in rush that they have hardly any time to wait and see a theatre during the working hour, means in day time. The other reality was that theatre for the urban people has to address the life style, daily routine and the cultural choices as it is different from the villagers . So two-hours performances, in the evening, using unusual spaces, carrying theatre to their reachable places , without expecting them to come to an auditorium, rather memories their indigenous culture by adopting inspirations from the folk-traditional theatre forms, creating a play contemporary on subjects, without depending on the modern gazettes were special features being discovered through a process of past years. This was proved to be an effective style for the city audiences to draw their attention towards the theme and form. NC began this effort by scoring own rooftop as the theatre space to put up shows for the neighbors. The viewers felt intimate with the subject and form. They appreciated the plays a lot. So the concept and the title “Intimate Theatre” got established after such experiment.

The play based on stories around real life cases Or conflicts around lives of common masses OR adopting stories from Oriya (the regional language of the state of Orissa) literature but with a strong wish to create questions and thinking on the present life.

Natya Chetana tries its best to adopt or improvise indigenous traditional theatre forms

or

cultural expressions when projecting a story on stage.

Intimate theatre is played facing one side of an acting area for the audiences like proscenium, where the wings and border of the proscenium stage are not being used for any purpose, rather uses two entry points from the back side as inspired by Natya Sastra.

Each play has an innovative set-design using available, portable and indigenous materials like Bamboos, Sticks, Different Textiles, Ropes etc.

The long-play is played usually for maximum two hours in the evening under flat and constant light. The scene changes through entry and exit of characters, not by light cuts. There are no lighting effects.

For music Natya Chetana uses the traditional musical instruments of Orissa.

The group collects public donations from the audiences by extending towels at the end of the show and left the box office and ticket system.

The indication of successes are the support of the public and local organisers, clapping during the show as an immediate response, demands for further shows in their locality