Blog

Srila Prabhupada always stresses the need and impact of Theater play. In short he says Theaters are very powerful preaching tool. So please be the part of it.

Reference 1: Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.11.20

TRANSLATION: "Expert dramatists, artists, dancers, singers, historians, genealogists and learned speakers all gave their respective contributions, being inspired by the superhuman pastimes of the Lord. Thus they proceeded on and on."

PURPORT
"Even one hundred years ago in India, all dramatic performances were centered around the superhuman activities of the Supreme Lord. The common people would be verily entertained by the performances of dramas, and yatra parties played wonderfully on the superhuman activities of the Lord, and thus even the illiterate agriculturist would be a participant in the knowledge of Vedic literature, despite a considerable lack of academic qualifications. Therefore, expert players in drama, dancers, singers, speakers, etc., are required for the spiritual enlightenment of the common man."

Reference 2: Letter to Nayanabhirama,
September 18, 1972 Los Angeles
"Yes, I did not see your drama in New Vrindaban about the advent of Lord Krishna. But I have heard from others that it was done very nicely, so I am very much pleased. These kinds of dramas about Krishna, Krishna's pastimes, and also Lord Chaitanya's pastimes, are very much desirable for presenting to the public widely. So if you can organize your traveling party to present such dramas all over your country and other places that will be very much appreciated. Perhaps you can work together with Vishnujana for presenting our road show opera to the public also. I had opportunity to see that opera in Pittsburgh and it was very well done, with a lot of drama and dancing as well. You may keep me informed from time to time what is the progress of your play-acting group, Vaikuntha Players."

Reference 3:Letter to Nayanabhirama,

December 22, 1971 Bombay
"I am especially pleased to hear that our KC drama program is being developed by you nicely. We have got unlimited stock for such dramas, so go on in this way, improving more and more, and Krishna will give you direction so that one day, very soon, your all dreams will come true and you will be acting our KC dramas on the Broadway.

"Everyone enjoys play-acting, only there is at present a dearth of proper material for elevating the general mass of people to the proper standards. Practically, the whole world is going to hell. There is no decency, no gentleman anywhere. So we have to portray to the people of this fallen Age of Kali-yuga what is the right standard for their behavior. When they see that, Oh, here is such nice activity, such nice people, they will automatically become changed, simply we have to engage their senses in the right taste. So this drama-playing is very good presentation for attracting their attention and displaying Krishna Consciousness very beautifully. Make everything very simple, without too much fancy costumes, and the real message will come out very nicely.

"I am encouraged to hear from you that our Delhi pandal festival was seen on TV in America and other places. We can become famous for such shows, and at the same time utilize them for giving people good information about what is the real goal of life and how to achieve it. So in combination with the others you go on thinking how to improve these KC plays and dramas and how to give the public more and more of Krishna Consciousness. That is real preaching work."

Reference 4:Letter to Jayadharma,
 December 13, 1972 Ahmedabad
"I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1972, and I have noted the contents, along with the drama-script from Çrémad-Bhägavatam. It is very nice. This kind of play-acting is wanted. Now introduce it to your country-men very nicely presented. Emphasis should be given to the words of Bhägavatam, they are spiritual and will have powerful effect if someone only hears them with attention. Do not be very much enamoured by fancy costumes and stage-decorations, they will only distract. Real acting art is to know how to speak. The greatest dramas, even in your western culture, they can be played without any extra equipment. Just like your Shakespeare - sometime I saw they were playing one drama, I think Hamlet or something like that, and only two men were there on the bare stage and everyone was praising. So the art is catching their ears. Now in that spirit go on with your work and try to do something wonderful."

Instructions Regarding Proper Presentation

Reference 5:Letter to Kirtanananda,
 April 7, 1967, San Francisco
"I have given a note of direction to Hayagriva for writing a drama on Lord Chaitanya and if he can deliver us a nice drama for staging in your different parts of the State it will be a great stride for our mission and I hope it will help us financially a great deal. Just you encourage Hayagriva to write this drama very nicely in so that they can be sung in western tone all over America and Europe and staged everywhere to cover our expenses."

Reference 6:Letter to Hayagriva,
July 10, 1968, Montreal
"I am just organizing a Sankirtana party and if you come here, then we can make a rehearsal of the Chaitanya drama which you have already made. My idea is, Sankirtana with some dramatic demonstration, by the members, will be attractive to the people in general. So I am trying to concentrate the idea at the present moment here in Montreal, because in the temple, we have got sufficient space and if the Sankirtana party is successful here, as we shall try to make some experiment in the local expo grounds, then we shall make a program to go to Europe, starting from London, and make demonstrations of this drama and Sankirtana in different places. I do not know how much you will appreciate this idea, but if you think it proper, you may come and join us here."

Reference 7:Letter to Hayagriva,
August 12, 1968, Montreal
"They are all ready for opening up a center there, so we are going to try to make it as successful a venture as Krishna desires. While they are here, we are having rehearsal of kirtana daily, and I want also that they shall practice rehearsal of your play, about Lord Chaitanya's activities. So if you can send a copy of your drama as soon as possible, they will begin rehearsing how to do it. Please send it immediately if possible, and I shall keep you informed how they are progressing in their presentation of it."

Reference 8:Letter to Nayanabhirama,
 January 28, 1973 Calcutta
"Here also in India we are making drama, and at our Bombay Pandal on the last evening we had one drama about Krishna and the gopés in which the gopés gave the dust of their feet for curing Krishna's headache. This was very much appreciated by the audience. So in this way we can present the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness very nicely for everyone to relish."

Reference 9:Room Conversation,
Mayapur, March 1, 1977 (770301R2.MAY)

Prabhupada: Yes. We can do everything for Krishna-for Krishna, not for personal sake. So your drama is going on.
Gargamuni: Yes, I heard about it.
Prabhupada: Last night it was very successful.
Hrdayananda: I think in India the people never become tired of Ramayana. The people here never becomes tired of seeing Ramayana.

Reference 10:Room Conversation,
Bombay, March 30, 1977 (770330RC.BOM)

Gopala Krishna: The drama was very appreciated last night. Samayadi was watching it with us, and he said he would like to arrange a big program in his house.
Prabhupäda: Old Samayadi or his son?

Gopala Krishna: His son. He liked the drama very much.

Lokanatha: It has become one of the main attractions of the public, this Vaikuntha Player performance. After... two nights after the program, I inquired from the public on the microphone, "Do you like this drama?" Immediately everybody raised their hands: "Yes!"

Prabhupada: They were asking me whether they are professional men. "No, no, these all my disciples."

Gopala Krishna: They're actually much better than any of the professional men.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. We played Chaitanya-lila in our younger days. So we brought one very famous man, Amritlal Bose. He is one of the three chief men who started theatrical performances in Bengal. Amritlal Bose, Girish Chandra Ghosh, and one some Pathan. This Amritlal Bose was a big author also, for writing comic books. And very expert lecturer. So somehow or other, we contacted him, and we used to call him, Dada-mahashaya. Dada-mahashaya means grandfather. He was of our grandfather's age. In the evening he was drinking. Very luxurious. So when he came, he said, "Yes, I will give you direction. You are all aristocratic family. But you must know that what is the difference between this professional and this aristocratic family." So he explained that "Chaitanya-lila, in the public theater, anyone can pay eight annas." That eight annas was third-class ticket. Eight annas, one rupee, two rupees and five rupees. "So they can see Chaitanya-lila. Then where is the difference between your playing and their playing?" So he explained that "There must be some difference, that the public, after seeing your playing, they should appreciate so much that they will agree they will never see. So I want to train you like that. Are you prepared?" His first condition. So we were boys at the time... "Yes, sir. Yes. Whatever you say." Then he said, "Then I take charge of training you."

So his next condition was that "You cannot play unless I say it is all right." So we practiced for more than one year. Still, he did not say that "You are all right." He did not say. By force, practically, that "Now we shall play, sir." "All right, you can play, but it is not to my perfectional ideas." So I had the part of Advaita Acharya. So on the stage, when we saw, all the public, they are crying, the audience. Regularly crying. We could not understand how they are crying, because we are dry; we have learned how to play, that's all. But he has trained in such a way that we could appreciate everyone was crying by seeing Chaitanya, everyone was hanker to play, act. So it was due to training. He trained in such a way that we could not understand how we are playing, but the audience, they appreciated so much. Every one of them was crying. And another effect was... Because sometimes there were need of proxy. Some player has not come, and the rehearsal is going on. So the result was that each and every one of us learned the play of others. There was no scarcity of duplicate.

So that was the first and last of playing in dramatic drama in my life. Chaitanya-lila. We had own club, Indian, Indian, like that... That was the point he stressed, that "You are from the selected aristocratic family of Calcutta. You shall play, and the public theater is also playing. What should be the difference?" That was his point. So that he gave us. They were so gorgeously played. And we received so many invitations: "Please come and play in our house.

Letter to Vrindaban Chandra,
April 13, 1971, Bombay
"So you have got some talent for writing and producing dramas and now Krishna has given you the opportunity for dovetailing your talents in His service. Very good. When I go there I shall be very glad to see these dramas enacted. Yes, I acted the part of Advaita Prabhu in one such drama. I organized that theater performance in my youthhood. My friends were trained up and we performed and it was very much appreciated by the highest class of men in Calcutta. We were invited to many places to perform the drama. Lord Chaitanya inaugurated these Vaishnava dramas, it is true, but where to obtain such copies of these plays I do not know. I shall try to find out in Calcutta when I go there. While performing such dramas, always the actors must be Vaishnavas. Outsiders may help but devotees should have all the major roles. So you may perform such plays conveniently. It is a very nice program, but do not sacrifice other programs on account of it."