In a freewheeling range of thoughts on the relationship between the pandemic and the practice of theatre and performance, this talk will shed light on a number of issues in a dialogical mode of address. This includes the rationale behind the global closure of theatres independently of discussion and debate in civil society, and the difference between the present shutdown and earlier pandemics when theatres and cinemas remained open. Rustom Bharucha will walk us through the ways in which tropes relating to ​‘contamination’ and ​‘contagion’ are treated as metaphors in performative discourse, and the impact of social distancing in initiating new modes of performances in the cultures of everyday life.

Time: 6:30 PM IST | Tutorial: 8:00 PM IST

Registration Link: https://​bit​.ly/​b​h​a​r​u​c​h​a​-​l​e​cture