This book grew out of the First International Conference on the Art of Sanskrit Drama in Performance, held at the University of Hawaii in March 1974. It is specifically concerned with the theatrical tradition of the Sanskrit theater-how the great classic dramas of ancient India were performed on the living stage. Although these poetic dramas are esteemed as the finest fruit of Sanskrit literature, they were written for the stage; and it is only in performance that the sublime aesthetic response of rasa can be experienced. In scope, complexity of conception, and attention to detail, there probably has not been in the history of world theater a more developed 'system' for staging a play than that of Sanskrit drama.

Leading Indian and Western scholars discuss the classical performance tradition not only from a scholarly perspective, but with a keen eye toward the reconstruction of acting, dance, and music techniques, largely lost in India during the medieval period. And the relevance of Sanskrit theater practices in the modem world is touched upon.

Foremost among the questions under consideration are how Sanskrit plays were actually performed in ancient India and how Sanskrit plays can be staged today. The authors examine five general sources: The Natyasastra, commentaries on the Natyasastra and other written references; selected dramas illustrative of performing traditions; the considerable visual evidence found in Indian temples; and the forms of regional theater that are living arts in India today.