Liminality and the Stage: A Study of Mahesh Dattani ’ s Dance Like a Man

This article explores the significance of stage directions in Mahesh Dattani’s Dance Like a Man (1989) in accomplishing his reformist agendas. Aparna Dharwadker and Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri emphasize his stagecraft as “an inventive dramaturgy” (Dharwadker 277) that has emancipated Indian English drama from the label of a literary tradition. Dattani has carved a niche for himself by realistically representing urban Indian middle-class homes and their pervading sociocultural issues. The article takes cues from Dharwadker’s assertions and examines Dattani’s stagecraft in the play, which complements the dialogues and adds a visual appeal to the playtext. It argues that his stage directions help create what Bjørn Thomassen calls a “liminal space,” which Dattani uses to portray the invisible issues pervading Indian urban middle-class society. Dattani’s utilization of the stage as a multi-modal entity that simultaneously projects multiple spatiotemporal dimensions is an essential strategy for a realistic representation of intergenerational conflicts. The article examines, through Thomassen’s ideas, the representation of spatial and temporal dimensions of liminality in the playtext and studies it in comparison with a stage production by Lillete Dubey’s PrimeTime Theatre. It concludes by establishing that Dattani’s stage directions are an equally significant component of his dramaturgy that complements the other constitutive elements of his plays to present contemporary issues.