GRIPS: A way of theatre

(Left) Debaprosad Debnath; (Above) A sequence from the play Baritey Eka

The GRIPS movement began in 1960 in Germany. The GRIPS theatre of Berlin is not only the name of a forum involved in theatre activities, but is also a new way of looking at producing theatre. Debaprosad Debnath, the director, introduced this form of theatre in Bangladesh in the year 1999 with the play Home Alone at the Goethe Institut. To date, the play has been staged 35 times in Dhaka.

'In German, GRIPS literally means brain, but is generally understood as the faculty of perceiving easily,' says Debnath. 'They wanted to create a theatre, which takes children seriously and introduces them to reality from their own points of view.' Thus, GRIPS theatre strengthens children's ability to face reality, their society and their surroundings.

Debnath's latest stage production is Tantu searching a friend, which to date has been staged 55 times at the Goethe Institut and various other institutions in Dhaka. 'Here, adults act like children,' explains Debnath. 'The benefit of this acting method is that an adult actor can act with a motivated mind with his intellect. An adult can grasp a child's mindset better than vice versa.'

GRIPS theatre is an outcome of modern metropolitan culture in today's stratified society. It is a creative art form that captures the thoughts and minds of the future generation.