The Ritual Theatre, formerly called "Rogue Angel Theatre", was born in the Spring of 2012 through the creation of our first ensemble-devised work  Isis-Chernobyl: A Tale of Uncertain Fruit  in The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts- traditional lands of the Mohican people. Since then, over the course of a decade, we have produced 4 full-length ensemble works, 2 large-scale installation-performances, and 4 solo plays with shifting project-based ensembles. The majority of our productions are site-specific, and often set outdoors. Each of our offerings is created through an organic & intimate process of exploration that deepens our relationship with ourselves, each other and to place. From our founding, we've believed that personal & collective transformation is made possible within the container of community ritual, and that the risky, the playful & the rogue is what keeps the evolutionary edge on a culture.



​As Founder & Artistic Director, my deepest inspiration for theatre is drawn from my ancestral roots in Kerala, India- where dozens of ancient ritual drama and dance traditions continue to enliven  local communities  despite the overwhelming forces of globalized television and digital technologies. There, people have revered performance, dance & storytelling as ritual theatre for generations - in order to make meaning, to enable healing, to knit together communities, and to remind us of why we're here in the first place. My first viscerally moving experiences of ritual theatre in Kerala as a young woman in 2001 have since shaped my need, desire and vision of the kind of theatre I longed to bring to the West. While also informed by contemporary European and American theatre practices, Butoh, and other ritual avenues, the core of this experiment remains deeply intuitive as we attempt to court liminality, connection and liberation.



My & our commitment has been to be as vulnerable and truthful as possible to ourselves, our fellow creators, our  audiences, and ultimately to Life itself. I continue to be nourished & inspired by this rich artistic journey and the diverse community it draws. Thank you for being part of our unfolding story.



With Gratitude,

Pooja Prema,

Artistic Director​​​

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