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Theatre director, Vijaya Mehta introduced Bertold Brecht into Marathi theatre with adaptation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Ajab Nyay Vartulacha), It is during this era of the Marathi theatre that great singer-actors like Bal Gandharva, Keshavrao Bhosle, Bhaurao Kolhatkar and Deenanath Mangeshkar thrived. The genre of music used in such plays is known as Natya Sangeet. The early period of Marathi theatre was dominated by playwrights like Kolhatkar, Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar, Govind Ballal Deval, Ram Ganesh Gadkari and Annasaheb Kirloskar who enriched the Marathi theatre for about half a century with excellent musical plays known as Sangeet Natak. The success of his theatre company, Kirloskar Natya Mandali paved way for commercial repertories in Marathi theatre, and subsequently the formation of Natak Companies. However it took a distinct theatre form with the musical Shakuntal by Annasaheb Kirloskar in 1880, again based on a classical work, Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kalidasa. The coming decades saw notable plays like Jhansichya Raniche Naatak (1870), Sawai Madhavravancha Mrutyu (1871), AfjhalKhanachya Mrutyuche Naatak (1871) and Malharrav Maharaj (1875). After the success of his play, we staged many more plays about other episodes of Ramayana largely influenced by Shakespearean theatre and Parsi theatre, and went on form a travelling theatre troupe.
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Staged in 1843 in Sangli, with ruler the princely state of Sangli in audience, it was an experimental play, based folk theatre form, Yakshagana from the neighbouring Karnataka state.
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Thus the first public performance of a stage play in Marathi was Sita Swayamvar (Marriage of Sita) by Vishnudas Bhave, based on a popular episode of epic Ramayana. Though there have been references of 17th-century plays, like Lakshmaikalyanam in Marathi-language staged for the Bhosale ruler of Tanjore in present Tamil Nadu state, they were court plays. The inscription mention him organizing Utsava and Samaja, forms of theatrical entertainment for his subjects. The region of Maharashtra, has had long theatrical tradition, one of early references are found the cave inscriptions at Nashik by Gautami Balashri, the mother of 1st-century Satavahana ruler, Gautamiputra Satakarni.