Theatre is an art that can be used as a tool for social awareness rather than straying into the realm of commercial ideas.

That is what committed stalwarts like Badal Sircar believed when he invented the device of taking theatre to the streets. Fortunately, while the pattern of social interactions has changed over the years, others have remained true to the basic inspiration.

That is what gave birth to the Proscenium Art Centre which began in 1983 with productions in Hindi and English on the works of playwrights like Ibsen, Priestley and Arthur Miller but then moved into what it described as Intimate Theatre.

The objective was never to keep the cash counters busy but to generate an interest in socially relevant plays presented by new groups.

The person behind the effort was Sheo Kumar Jhunjhunwala who now believes that a small audience of around 40 is good enough in a room that the Proscenium Art Centre uses to bring theatre groups in the suburbs closer to audiences in the city.

With a tally of nearly 30 plays staged in large auditoriums and around 150 plays presented to an audience that is within whispering distance of the performers, the organisation has moved from big ideas to a small area steeped in social concerns.

The 40th anniversary celebration that was opened by Dwijen Bandopadhyay saw an explosion of ideas shaped into innovative structures. Groups like Bibhaban, Spark Theatre, Playmakers and Bisargo seldom get an opportunity to reach out to thinking audiences.

 Jhunjhunwala, who began the journey of Intimate Theatre in 1999 with Who&’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, now prefers to leave it to young theatre exponents to come up with new ideas.

On his part, he has been offering the space at Ripon Street free to young groups who may be inclined to take their boldness directly to the audience sitting in front of them – often encouraging them to join the social campaign as well.

Visiting the centre, veteran Bibhas Chakraborty had said that the effort was not just rooted in a passion for theatre but emerged from the energy that has now flowed into younger veins.