Theatre and Ritualistic Storytelling: Performing Faith in Modern World

In the age of spiritual pluralism and digital change, theatre has become a dynamic platform for ritual storytelling that performs, re-envisions, and reaffirms religion. This article explores how new theatre makers in India and the Indian diaspora stage ritual dramaturgy to articulate sacred belief systems and negotiate socio-political anxieties and economies of creation. Taking a qualitative, interpretivist stance, the research is informed by case studies of three theater collectives through digital ethnography, interviews, and portfolio analysis. The findings highlight that ritual in performance now serves not merely as spiritual expression but also as aesthetic resistance and entrepreneurial innovation. The article presents the idea of entrepreneurial ritualism and suggests a Sacred–Performative Spectrum to situate hybrid sacred performances in the post-secular era. Through the synthesis of performance theory, affect studies, and cultural entrepreneurship, this research contributes to the reconceptualization of the intersections of religion, art, and identity in the 21st century.