Whither Rama in the Clear-Cut Forest: Ecodramaturgy in Southeast Asia

Ecodramaturgy is a new concept that foregrounds ecological relationships in theatrical creation and presentation. Some Southeast Asian theatres have taken initial steps to explore this new area, but it is still thematically marginalized even though the region’s natural spaces are under severe threat. This essay attempts to explain why nature and environmental issues are largely absent from the contemporary urban stage. It describes various productions in the region that have addressed nonhuman subjects, as well as analyzing others that have not adopted this approach but suggest the potential to do so. It discusses how modernity—in both its scientific discoveries and its globalized marketing—offers new challenges and opportunities for ecodramaturgical development.