The National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India. The School provides a comprehensive 3 years course of training in Dramatic Arts. After the completion of the course, a Diploma in Dramatics is awarded to the successful candidates. Training in the School is highly intensive and is based on a thorough, comprehensive, carefully planned syllabus which covers every aspect of theatre and in which theory is related to practice. As a part of their training, students are required to produce plays which are then performed before the public. A systematic study and practice of Sanskrit drama, modern Indian plays, traditional Indian theatre forms, Asian drama and Western theatre, gives the students a solid grounding and wide perspective in the art of theatre.
The School has a Repertory Company and a Theatre-in-Education Company in Delhi, and both are the professional wings which regularly perform the performances for theatre fraternity in regions of the country. Under consolidation of its Outreach programme, NSD has set-up four regional centres at Agartala, Bengaluru, Sikkim and Varanasi to impart teaching & training in Dramatic Arts of one year’s duration. NSD’s Extension Programme seeks to extend and disseminate its activities in all regions of the country.
A programme for research, documentation and publication is a recent addition to strengthen the academic activities of the School. The School’s publications include anthologies of plays in different Indian languages translated into English, reference works and theatre studies in Hindi, and two regular periodicals viz. Rang Prasang in Hindi and Theatre India in English.
In the 1st year, an integrated course of study is common to all students. It consists of courses in Dramatic Literature, Aesthetics, Theory and Practice of Acting including components of Mime and Movement, Martial Arts, Yoga and Music, Theory and Practice of Stage Techniques, such as Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting, Make-up and Theatre Architecture.
Training in the School is based on a thorough, comprehensive and carefully-planned syllabus that covers every aspect of theatre from theory to practice, and the results of which are put to test before a wide audience. The syllabus takes into account the methods of eminent theatre personalities who have shaped contemporary theatre in all its forms and expressions. It includes broad-based training in Classical Indian and Western dramatic traditions, Indian traditional and folk theatre, modern theatre trends in India and abroad, introduction of theatre trends of the world and specialized training in Indian theatre traditions. The School's faculty and visiting teachers, comprising theatre practitioners from India and abroad, design the study modules and impart training to students each year. The training includes class room lectures, a series of intensive workshops, as well as appreciation courses in film and other arts.
URL: nsd.gov.in/