Cross-Culturalism and Intertextuality in the Genre Drama

In this paper I intend to explore the cross-cultural and inter-textual influences on the genre drama. Taking into account the statement by Erika Fischer Lichte (1943- ) that the theatres of widely differing cultures have shared an increasing trend of transplanting elements of foreign theatre tradition (“Familiar and Foreign Theatre”, 133) I see that the cross cultural influences on the genre drama evolve dynamic forms that integrate the literary and performative together. While focusing on western drama I explore the Asian and South Asian theatre and drama, its influence on European drama. I argue that the genre manifests itself in a complex of cultural systems to depict multiplicity of reality by the integration of elements from foreign theatre traditions.