One can always look forward to theatre groups from outside the city for innovations in staging a proscenium drama. Sometimes they outsmart their Calcutta counterparts. The latest offerings from Rangasram Berhampore and Chakdaha Natyajan prove this.

Steered by Sandip Bhat­ta­charya, Rangasram is showing Antareen, a riveting domestic drama by Anupam Dasgupta focused on sensitive issues like marital mismatch leading to domestic violence and the psychological impact of impotency. Ever the seasoned director, Bhatta­charya develops the drama slowly, carving out life-like performances by Suman Singha Roy and Rick Deb who play the father-son duo. The claustrophobic drawing-room ambience, heightened by an underlit, symbolic set, and nuanced use of the background, make it imperative for the characters to respond to the slightest tugs and pulls on the emotional chord. Both Roy and Deb keep their nerves in check and interact with the female supporting actors with precision to etch marvellous portrayals. The movement instructor, Deb Kumar Pal, whose collaboration with Bhattacharya always leads to tangible shifts in actors’ bodies, helps Rick Deb craft his role with an eye on the paucity of masculine prowess, while Singha Roy paints a sharp contrast.

With Bhoy, designed and directed by Guwahati-based Gunakar Dev Goswami, the Chakdaha-based group, Natyajan, has renewed its commitment to a theatre driven by innovative ideas. Dev Goswami’s expertise in developing a threadbare idea into a marvellous experience also finds new territory. Bhoy takes a Panchatantra fable, The Cobra and the Crow, to design a stunning, hour-long piece on terror and triumph. Dev Goswami does away with the words and relies almost entirely on movements to craft visual poetry embedded in survival. If the menacing cobra, played by Ujaan Ganguly, made us shiver, the crow parents, played by Anirban Ghorui and Poulomi Ghosh, impressed with their definitive portrayals. The band of live musicians, featuring a flautist (Dhononjoy Biswas) and two percussionists (Avijit Biswas and Paramesh Roy), chipped in with a subtle soundscape capped by Bihu beats to underline the dance of life.