Name: |
Soumyabrata Choudhury |
Designation: |
Associate Professor |
|
School of Arts and Aesthetics |
Room No: |
SAA building I , 102 |
Mobile No.: |
09857292262, 09871811802 |
Email: |
shomo.choudhury@gmail.com |
Qualifications:
Ph.D (1996) on Pragmatics of death and modes of individuation in the figures of Socrates, Antigone & Jesus Christ from Centre of English and Linguistics (School of Languages), JNU.M.Phil (1991) on Myth, mimesis and subjectivity in Jean Anouilh’s Antigone from Centre of English and Linguistics (School of Languages), JNU.
MA (1988) from Centre of English and Linguistics (School of Languages), JNU.
BA (1986) in Economics Hons. from Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.
Areas of Interest/Specialization:
Theatre histories, Performance theory, cultural Studies, Philosophy and politics .Experience:
Currently Associate Professor, TPS/SAA, JNUAssociate Professor, CSSS,Calcutta (2013-2014)
Visiting Fellow, CSDS, Delhi (2012-2013)
Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla(2010-2012) researching on ‘Theatre, Number, Event: Three Studies on the Logic of Sovereignty’
Till May 2011 Taught the papers “Cultural Studies and Performance” and “World Theatre: Theory and Practice” as visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
July-Dec, 2007 Taught the paper “Movements and concepts in Performance” as visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
Jan-May, 2007 Taught the paper “Cultural Studies and Performance” as visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
July-Dec. 2006 Taught the papers, “World Theatre: Theory and Practice” and “Research Method-ology”, as Associate Professor, visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
Jan-May, 2006 Taught the paper “Cultural Studies and Performance” as visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
July-Dec. 2005 Taught the papers, “World Theatre: Theory and Practice” and “Research Metho-dology”, as Associate Professor, visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
Jan-May, 2005 Taught the paper “Cultural Studies and Performance” as Associate Professor, visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
July-Dec.2004 Taught the paper “World Theatre: Theory and Practice” as Associate Professor, visiting faculty member, at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
July-Dec 2003 Taught the paper “World Theatre: Theory and Practice” as a guest faculty member at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU.
Seminars, Books, Articles and Papers:
Book
'Theatre, Number, Event: Three studies on the relationship of sovereignty, power and truth' to be published by IIAS, Shimla in 2012
Published papers:
Article “Caste and Debt: The Case of Ancient Greek Liturgies” published in Journal of Polity and Society, Department of Political Science, University of Kerela, Vol 4, Issue 2, July 2011-Dec 2012
“Why the People-to-come will not, and must not, be Sovereign: Notes on a Political and Mathematical Puzzle”, published by Routledge London, 2011 in the book ‘Messianic Now: Religion, Politics, Philosophy’ ed. Paul Fletcher and Arthur Bradley
‘Appearance of poverty, poverty of appearance: political sociability and theatre in the subcontinent’ published in 2010 in the website of Theatre and Performance Studies, Warwick University
https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/theatre_s/research/jnu/colloquium/jnu_papers “Why the People-to-come will not, and must not, be Sovereign: Notes on a Political and Mathematical Puzzle”, published by Journal for Cultural Research, Routledge, London, 2009
‘Six Ibsen plays in Delhi: A festival of theatre and thought’ in Epic Theatre- Utpal Dutt Foundation for International Theatre Studies, 2009
“The Birth of Affect: Reading Dionysus in Nietzsche’s Theory of Tragedy” in Nietzsche: Philologist, Philosopher, and Cultural Critic, ed. Franson Manjali, Allied Publishers, 2006.
“Schizophrenia and Critique of Psychoanalysis: Notes on a Culture of Joy” in Post Structuralism and Cultural Theory, ed. Franson Manjali, Allied Publishers, 2006.
“The Cathartic and Reflective Moments in Schiller’s Aesthetic Education”, in Schiller and Aesthetic Education, Goethe Institute (Max Mueller Bhavan) & Centre for German Studies, School of Languages, JNU, 2006
Paper “Hegel and Lacan” published in Signification in Language and Culture, ed. HS Gill, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, 2003.
Forthcoming Books and Articles:
‘The Weight of Violence: Religion, Violence and Language’ edited by Saityabrata Das and Soumyabrata Choudhury, to be published by Oxford University Press and IIAS, Shimla, 2012
‘St.Paul, Gabriel Naudé, Antonin Artaud: Three violent and delicate exceptions to law and liturgy’ in ‘The Weight of Violence: Religion, Violence and Language’ edited by Saityabrata Das and Soumyabrata Choudhury, to be published by Oxford University Press and IIAS, Shimla, 2012
Paper “Anathema and Anachronism:A Contemporary Utilization of Ambedkar’s Critique of Gandhism” in a collection of essays edited by Rina Ramdev to be published by Sage, India, 2014
Paper “Ambedkar contra Aristotle: On a possible contention about who is capable of politics” in Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, edited by Rahul Govind , published by IIAS Shima,
Other presentations and articles:
Paper ‘Ambedkar contra Aristotle: On a possible contention about who is capable of politics’, at the seminar ‘ Humanities in Ferment’ organized by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Teen Murti and Maarg Humanities, August 2012
Paper ‘Re-thinking Empire: Heredity, Genealogy, Ontology’ for Cultural studies Workshop on Empire, Nation, Cosmopolitanism by Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, Jaipur, January 2011
Paper “Why the People-to-come will not, and must not, be Sovereign: Notes on a Political and Mathematical Puzzle” in the symposium ‘The Messianic Now’, Lancaster University, July 2007.
Paper on Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari read discussion on ‘Aesthetics, Politics and Philosophy’, a discussion forum organised by the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, Oct 2005.
Seminar cum audio presentation on “Historical Renditions of Shakespeare”, in the Shakespeare conference, School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, April 2005.
Paper “Kott’s Essays: Dramatic Narration” and full-length play “Shakespeare Our Contemporary” in a compendium on Jan Kott, published by the Embassy of Poland, New Delhi, 2003.
Seminar on “Psychosis and the Theatre of Cruelty: Freud, Lacan and Antonin Artaud” in the Lacan Centenary celebrations, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, 2001.
Extended interview with the actor Naseeruddin Shah, published in India Magazine, 1997.
Article on Polish film maker Andrezs Wajda in India Magazine, 1997.
Full page obituary essay “The Man who would be Grass”, on the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze in The Economic Times, 1996.
Article “Love me, I am dying”, on the film maker Orson Welles in The Economic Times, 1996.
Theatre productions:
October 2009 – continuing shows in 2010 Directed and adapted Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s ‘White Nights’ in School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, New Delhi
June 2006 - continuing shows in 2007 Directed Nati… a People’s Little Theatre (PLT) production in various auditoria in Kolkata.
Oct 2005 and February 2006 Directed, scripted, and acted in Manuscript based on Mohan Rakesh’s Laharon ke Rajhans and other writings, at India Habitat Centre, Delhi and LTG, New Delhi.
Dec 2004 Performance piece Hamlet in Faridabad as part of the International Performance Art Residency organised by Khoj International, Delhi. Further performances at Indraprastha College (Feb 2005) and JNU (April 2005).
Oct. 2004 Directed, scripted, and acted in An Actor Laugh’s at the Tragedy of Antigone, (based on Anton Chekov’s Swan Song and Sophocles’s Antigone) and Bramharakshasa ka Shishya (based on Muktibodh’s poem and short story by the same name) at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Oct. 2004 Directed, and adapted Premchand’s Bade Bhaisaahab India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
March 2004 Directed the play Tendua (based on Mudrarakshas’s play by the same name) for IPTA, JNU unit.
1997-2004 Scripted, directed and acted in the solo Tete-a tete with Antonin Artaud, (based on the life and writings of French actor, writer, director Antonin Artaud). Productions at Sri Ram Centre, Delhi; Habitat Centre, Delhi; Centre of Romance & Germanic Studies, Delhi University; Jadhavpur University, Calcutta; Indraprastha college, Delhi; Bibhaavan theatre festival, Calcutta.
Jan-Feb 2004 Directed, scripted, translated and acted in Woyzeck, (based on Georg Buchner’s German play) for Second Foundation theatre group. Productions at NSD’s Sammukh theatre, Habitat Centre, and Max Mueller Bhavan, Delhi.
2003 Directed, scripted and acted in Shakespeare Our Contemporary (based on Jan Kott’s book by the same name) for Second Foundation theatre group. Productions at Sri Ram Centre and Max Mueller Bhavan, Delhi.
2003 Directed and adapted the play Tiricch, based on Uday Prakash’s short story “Tiricch”) for Lady Irwin College, Delhi. Productions in many colleges of Delhi, NSD and Habitat Centre, Delhi.
2001 Directed and acted in Report to the Academy (based on Franz Kafka’s short story by the same name) for own theatre group “We”. Productions in Sriram Centre basement theatre and Habitat Centre, Delhi.
2000 Directed, adapted and acted in Bramharakshasa ka Shishya (based on Muktibodh’s poem and short story by the same name) for own theatre group “We”. Productions in Sriram Centre basement theatre, Delhi.
2000 Directed, translated and acted in Uska Hai Naam Ranjana (based on Vidhayak Bhattacharya’s Bengali play Tahar Naamti Ranjana) for own theatre group “We”. Productions in Sriram Centre basement theatre, Delhi.
2000 Acted in The Masks of God, a Chhau-based production for the group Dancing People. Productions in Kamani auditorium, Delhi.
2000 Workshop and play created with disabled people for the NGOs Muskaan and Balloons. 40 shows done all over Delhi.
2000 Workshop and play created with disabled people for the Spastic Society of Northern India on occasion of World Disability Day. Production at India Gate, Delhi. 1997 Workshop and play created with disabled people for the Spastic Society of Northern India. Productions in Delhi and Bhopal.
1993 Scripted, directed and acted in An Actor Laugh’s at the Tragedy of Antigone, based on Anton Chekov’s Swan Song.
1989 Acted in Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq, in the Bengali jatra form. Productions in many places in Delhi.
1988 Directed and acted in The Last Seven Days of Julius Ceaser, based on Bertolt Brecht’s story. Productions at JNU, Delhi.
1986 Acted in Jean Anouilh’s Antigone. Productions in Sri Ram Centre, Delhi.
1985 Directed and acted in Eugene Ionesco’s The Lesson. Productions at Delhi University.