The Thumb

A familiar myth enters unfamiliar territory.

The Thumb revisits the world of Ekalavya and Dronacharya as a contemporary inquiry into authority, knowledge, choice and the many ways power shapes freedom.

The play fractures the moment of Dronacharya asking for Ekalavya s thumb into parallel realities, initiating an investigation by Ekalavya s community- The Collective . At the heart of this encounter is a charged exchange between Drona and the Collective, where listening becomes an act of resistance and respect, even between adversaries.

- A dynamic performance language derived from Ottamthullal, the non-linear narrative structure of Kutiyattam s Nirvahanam and the movement vocabulary of Kalakshetra Manipur.

- A soundscape that brings Kerala s traditional percussion instrument, the Edakka and Bengal s folk string instrument, the Dotara, to musical crossroads, making The Thumb a result of collaborations from across the country.

Credits:

Directed by Vivek Vijayakumaran & Pangambam Tyson Meitei

Written by Vivekanand Viswanathan & Vivek Vijayakumaran

Performed by Krishna Priya, Nuhar Bansal, Sachin Dev, Skanda Ghate, Abhitej & Vivek Vijayakumaran

Set Design: Sarthak Narula

Set Fabrication: The Space Company

Costume Design: Aastha

Costume Execution: Rajanna

Poster Design: Kanchan Ujal

Light Design & Execution: Manju Narayan

Music and Sound Design: Chaoba Thiyam

Sound Execution: Vidya Sagar

Musicians: Swastik Ribhu (Do Tara) & Adithya Krishna CH (Edakka and Persussion) and Dhanapan Keithellakpam (Cello) , Pangambam Tyson Meitei (Percussion, Flute, Sysen)

Recording, mixing & mastering: Jimbo Ningombam

Production Support: Chaitali & Ajay

Our Theatre Collective thanks its many supporters who contributed to the crowdfunding campaign that has produced this play.