Naatak is a group of Indian theater enthusiasts in the San Francisco bay area, founded in 1995 by students at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University. We are dedicated to staging thought-provoking plays and producing independent films.

Officers

Sujit Saraf	Artistic Director	Contact
Harish Sunderam	Operations Director	Contact
Rajiv Nema	Marketing Director	Contact
Manish Sabu	Treasurer	Contact
Sumit Guha	Play Readings Coordinator	Contact
Lakshmi Jayaraman	Graphic Designer	Contact

Guidelines 
1.Naatak was founded to bring relevant, thought-provoking and responsible Indian drama to residents of the San Francisco bay area. In the foreseeable future, this shall remain the objective of the group. Our plays are not fund-raising events and will not be advertised as such, even when some of our profits find their way to other charitable organizations.

2. Our plays will be managed frugally, and we will attempt to reach a large number of people. Profits are incidental. No attempt will be made to maximize them at the expense of performance quality. 

3. As far as feasible, all work directly related to our plays shall be undertaken by Naatak members. Assistance may be sought for certain tasks, especially publicity and ticket sales. 

4. Profits from Naatak plays may be donated to other non-profit organizations. 

5. In most cases, in order to stage (direct or produce) a Naatak play, a person: 

* Must have been significantly involved in at least one (preferrably two) of the last five Naatak plays in that language
* Must have been significantly involved in a Naatak event in the last two years
* Must be willing to invest money in the play and bear any losses that may result 
* Must take responsibility for all financial, organizational, and logistical aspects of the play. 
* Must commit to abide in good-faith by all principles on which Naatak was founded. 

6. Occasionally, Naatak members may invite outside directors to direct plays for them. If such a person must be compensated, the people who extend the invitation, as well as the people who participate in such a play, will arrange for any money that may be required. 

7. Naatak was founded on the assumption that Indians can best give expression to their creativity through Indian languages, rather than attempt to pierce the minds of western playwrights.  This principle shall be respected as far as possible.   Some themes being universal, western plays may be staged if Naatak members feel that a particular play can be interpreted and enjoyed by a wide Indian audience. 

8. Ticket prices for Naatak plays shall remain low. Those who cannot afford a ticket will be given discounts if financial need can be proven. 

9. Sponsorships will either be avoided or limited in number. The inside of the theater will contain no advertisements for any organization, not even Naatak. Other organizations must seek approval to advertise their activities outside the theater (including the lobby and parking lot), and these areas must not be dominated by their stalls. Such organizations must agree not to solicit the theater-going audience (inside or outside the theater) with flyers or other information about their activities. Program brochures for the play will not contain any information or advertisement for a non-Naatak event. There will be no non-Naatak announcements during the play. 

10. The spirit behind these guidelines is to provide the pleasure of good theater to our audience (unsullied by appeals, announcements, speeches and banners), and the satisfaction of creative activity to Naatak members.

Join Us
If you enjoy creative theater, you are welcome to join Naatak. You could participate as an actor, script-writer, director, producer, set-designer, make-up artist, light or sound person, or you could help in sales, marketing and publicity. Previous theater experience is desirable but not a requirement. For more information on how to join Naatak, contact info@naatak.com.

Join Our Mailing List
If you would like information on upcoming Naatak productions and auditions, join our mailing list by subscribing here.