Academic writing has always been an interesting undertaking but when one is supposed to write an article for an undergraduate English Journal, it becomes even more intriguing as the scope increases and one can choose from a variety of themes, especially unconventional. The theme of this issue is ‘Unexplored Themes’ which urges the performer inside me to write how even though we talk about pop culture and its effects, theatre and the space of performance remain largely silent amidst books, novels, anime, movies, shows, series and much more. Theatre, as historical records suggest, has been one of the earliest forms of community and individual expression with a significant impact on people’s minds. This particular art form has so much potential for revolution that it has been used, feared, regulated and censored by establishments in various periods. Be it the development of theatre forms in Europe or in India, the message of change, resistance and revolution has always been there. Before the advent of cinema, theatre and community performances were the medium of mass communication of ideas and unifying people for any cause. Thus, there is an empirical need to study these performances and theatre styles by placing them in a larger set of History.  
Talking about Europe, I started by mentioning the Greek Theatre spaces which acted as a  medium of communication between the common masses and the ‘democratic’ government in  power. These plays conveyed what people felt about the state, and the acts of calling out those in power, not only vented out the feelings of commoners but also marked defiance. The  public ridiculing of names not only showed resentment against those in power but also helped  to improve their functioning and sense of accountability. One of the most significant classical plays was Lysistrata by Aristophanes, the oldest play of the ‘Comedy’ genre. The play shows the story of women who are distressed by not having their husbands with them due to the ongoing warfare. These women collectively come out and declare that if the war is not stopped, they will collectively withdraw from every sort of sexual and physical contact with men. The plays of Old Comedy were highly political and Lysistrata has been considered as the earliest play with a feminist voice and feminist consciousness within it. It showed women’s opinions against the established systems of patriarchy and governance.  
Theatre has always been the most progressive space. It has been ahead of social norms and  has tried to break glass ceilings. In the annals of queer lives and movements, the theatre has played a crucial role. From Greek Antiquity to Renaissance to contemporary times, theatre always had quirky queer elements.  
The Greek Comedy satirised sex and sexual desires. They have always mocked the rich and  the ones in power by talking about their sexual orientation and desires towards young men  and women. These were representative of non-binary orientation. In Demo satyrs, a Middle  Greek Comedy, the author Eubulos taunts about a man ‘Kleippos’ and states that “(he)  doesn’t shave three times a day anymore” and is becoming “a man liked by women, but not  men”. This remark implies that this public figure had been shaving frequently in order to  prolong his youthful appearance and attract men. In the coming ages of New Comedy and,  the parallel, Greek Mime we do not have any such clear mention of non-het desires but  scholars argue for the possibility of the same by rationally interpreting the text. There are instances of female homoeroticism through the poetry of that time available to us.
When we study theatre and look at the emergence of new forms of comedy, we come across as how, over time, the political satire present in the plays softens and theatre becomes more  domesticated as newer themes are more concerned with social issues and satirizing social conditions. The decline of theatre in the classical ages is directly linked to the establishment of  Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Emperor. Though the church tried to control theatre, it emerged in folk plays and resisted the censorship by the church. Seeing this, the church employed theatre in its service and plays became more associated with morals and ethics. The tradition of censorship continued till the twentieth century and European theatre could not emerge as a theatre of the revolution until then.  
In India, the practice of theatre has been an ancient one. The earliest text on theatre in India,  Natyashastra, dates to the first century millennium and writes that the already existing forms of theatre have declined and gods felt the need to have a new Natyaveda which could serve the dual purpose of educating people while entertaining them. It is at this point that Bharat Muni enters the scene and creates the first play by employing his hundred sons and training them in the art of theatre. Natyashastra not only educated people of those times but is also an inevitable source of history to understand the past even now. One of the most striking features of classical Indian theatre was its recognition of the feminine part contrary to the Greek & English theatre where women were not allowed on stage.  
Parallel to the classical theatre was the folk traditions which had a larger appeal as these  were composed in the local languages and were performed by travelling troupes. These folk  traditions played a significant role in shaping the course of history. Their evolution, development and spread say a lot about the events of the past. For instance, the folk tradition of  Tamasha developed in medieval Maharashtra while entertaining the people who took the idea of Bhakti and love to remote regions and strengthened the consciousness of Hindus. The  emerging message of Swaraj went ahead simultaneously. The mobile theatre in Assam  developed as an alternative to the white theatre spaces and attracted a lot of people while  communicating the idea of freedom struggle.  
Theatre, with its mass community reach, can truly transform society and instill a feeling of  change in the masses. This is very evident in the development of anti-colonial theatre and the  national freedom struggle. Theatre became more than a medium of entertainment and  amusement. Theatre became the carrier of cultural nationalism supported by nationalistic  literature and music which also aroused Indian pride and bolstered self-confidence.  
The anti-colonial theatre or nationalist theatre first emerged in the aftermath of the Revolt of  1857 with productions that directly or allegorically attacked the imperialists. In Bengal and  Maharashtra, theatre not only protested against the present conditions but also awakened the  political and social conscience. The first in the series was the historical dramas with  nationalist sentiment such as V.J. Keertane’s Thorle Madhav Rao Peshwe (1861). In  Bengal, Girish Chandra Ghosh wrote a series of historical plays like Siraj-ud daula and Mir Kasim drawing on the theme of British oppression, using historical figures and questioning Indian nationalism, pointing out the exploitation inherent in the caste system and feudal structure. Political commentary was also incorporated into folk forms such as powada and tamasha, and into keertans (religious discourses using music and dance). 
The first politically significant play written in colonial Bengal was Nil Darpan (Mirror to  Indigo) written in 1860 by Dinabandhu Mitra, translated by Reverend James Long and  produced by the National Theatre of Calcutta. It created a powerful stir in Bengal against  the oppression inflicted upon the native Indians. The Anglo-Indian Press raised a hue and  cry and the Landholders Association of British India filed a complaint against the drama. The play was thus taken down. 
The British in India imposed strict censorship on plays and all the scripts had to be recited  and seek clearance from the English authorities. Thus, the playwrights took on to write plays with a mythological theme that were allegorical to the fight for Indian independence and got easy clearance.  
For example, K.P. Khadilkar’s play Keechak Vadha is a landmark in the theatre of protest.  It was the allegory of an incident in the Mahabharata in which Keechak, the lustful  brother-in-law of King Virat, in whose court the five Pandavas had sought refuge incognito, is slain by Bheema, using a stratagem. Though no names were mentioned,  everyone knew that Keechak was Lord Curzon, Draupadi was India, Yudhishthira was the moderate and Bheema was the extremist section in the Congress. The message was that a weak  government in London (King Virat) has allowed Curzon to insult and humiliate India.  While her moderate champion advocates gentle (constitutional) measures, which prove ineffective, the extremist adopts violent measures and the oppressor is disposed off without difficulty. 
Later in 1930, Manmatha Ray dramatized Hindu legends by selecting episodes that  highlighted the contemporary situation. His play titled Karagar (Prison) dramatized the birth  of Lord Krishna in prison. It is allegorical to the imprisonment of the nationalists involved in the independence struggle. 
Aside from carrying nationalist messages, incidental achievements of mythological drama  were the increase in the number of women attending theatre. Now with characters like Sita,  Subhadra, Uttara and Draupadi taking center stage, mythological themes helped that  perception to change and made it respectable for women to attend performances.  
Even the folk theatre forms were not untouched by the rising nationalist sentiments and the  independence struggle. From humble origins of religious nature, ‘Jatra’ became a powerful  medium of communicating the ideas of swaraj and swadeshi to the high and low, the literate  and illiterate, the religious congregation and popular masses alike. Even Marathi folk play  like sangeet natak was being utilized by writers to arouse nationalist sentiment while  avoiding censorship.  
The drastic Bengal famine of 1943-44, which left 5 million dead due to the apathy of the colonial wave gave way to the creation of Bijon Bhattacharya's Nabanna (New Harvest). It was not just a play but a protest against a man-made product of official incompetence, callousness and human greed. Radical in content and innovative in its use of language and stagecraft, this  play created history when, in March 1945, it was performed before seven thousand people. Nabanna articulated all the anger felt by the people against a corrupt establishment and  grasping humanity.  
Through this discussion, I wish to bring out the need to look at theatre and performances  through a new lens of historical consciousness and not just spaces earmarked for entertainment.  For centuries, theatre has played a crucial role in entertaining people while reflecting upon their daily life problems. Though theatre spaces have always challenged the  establishment/government, its efficacy in communicating an idea to the masses has been well  understood and utilized by the government agencies to endorse their schemes and vision.