People’s theatre laboratory was started in 1987, following the concept originated by Jerzy Grotowski.
The name itself reveals the nature of undertaking. It is not a theatre in the usual sense of the world,
rather an institute devoted to research into the domain of theatrical art and the art of the actor in
particular. The Theatre Laboratory’s productions represent a kind of working model in which the current
research into the actors art can be put into practice within the theatre millieu. this is known as the
method of Grotowski. In addition to its methodological research work and performances given before
an audience, the laboratory also undertakes the instruction of actors, Producers and people from other
fields connected with the theatre. As a laboratory, close contact is maintained with specialist in other
disciplines such as psychology, phonology, cultural anthropology, fine arts etc.
In Vadodara, people’s theatre laboratory has been active, experimenting with people of all age groups
and staging plays since three decades now. People’s theatre laboratory has no bars for people willing to
learn and contribute to the game of theatre. With active participation from students from different
fields, two consecutive experiments with plays has been taking place in the past two years. This year we
are experimenting with another of such eye-opening plays- Toba Tek Singh, based on Saadat Hasan
Manto's short story.
Poster, ashwathama, duswapna, pagla ghoda “Kabira khada bazaar mein”, Life of Galileo Galilei”,
bhoma, Manvi ni bhavai”, “Mitrachi Goshta”, “Boiled beans on toast” some of the many more
productions of people’s theatre laboratory.