Mobile Theatre of Assam : Public Culture, Counter-Public and Consumption

This book seeks to foreground mobile theatre as an integral part of the modern Assamese public sphere and public culture. Mobile theatre groups in Assam perform their plays by travelling across the state and are often seen as an assertion of Assamese identity in the face of increasing globalisation. The book interrogates whether mobile theatre can be read as a counter-public, articulating in some sense a non-elite culture, where members of subordinated social groups are dominant. It also highlights mobile theatre’s unique position as a counter-public that is mediated and commercial. The intersection between the two forms of public - the counter-public and public culture - underscores this volume. It is not just a 'rational-critical' public but also one that 'consumes' and is 'mediatised'. It suggests that mobile theatre occupies features of a counter-public yet is a part of the larger Assamese public culture. Drawing on fieldwork-based methods, this book highlights the larger structural relationship between theatre, society and technology. It will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of sociology, social anthropology, cultural studies, theatre studies, performance studies and media studies.