Chorus Repertory Theatre was established by Ratan Thiyam in April 1976 in his
native Manipur, a hill-state in North-East India. Bordered by Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma, Manipur is one of the world’s most isolated and unfamiliar areas, rich in
centuries-old traditions of dance, theater, music, martial arts, and literature. It has also been in turmoil for decades. Within this environment, and with severely limited
financial resources, Chorus Repertory Theatre was founded and makes its work. “Our plays are completely entwined with our history, mythical and real,” says Thiyam, “and a
continuous search for a better human condition, for peace.”
Located on the outskirts of Imphal, Manipur’s capital city, Chorus Repertory Theatre’s two-acre campus has been slowly built (and six-times rebuilt after disastrous monsoons)
to accommodate a self-sufficient way of life, with housing and working quarters for the company. Its centerpiece is a stunning 300-seat auditorium conceived and designed by
Thiyam and inaugurated in 2001 with space for production construction and storage. Called The Shrine, it is now an important regional and national center for contemporary
theater.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2006, the company has performed throughout India, and appeared at major international festivals including those in Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Cardiff, Dublin, Avignon, Perth, Adelaide, Bogotá, Rome, Cervantino, Mitsui, and Toga. Chorus Repertory Theatre has also performed in London and Paris, Bangkok and Taipei,
and toured countries including Greece, the former USSR, Holland, Cuba, Peru, Bangladesh, Japan, France, Australia, Switzerland, Brazil, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Germany.
The company made its USA debut in 2000. A major retrospective of Thiyam’s work with Chorus Repertory Theatre, featuring at least six fully mounted plays will be held in
Pune, India in December 2006.
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