Amid the relentless bustle of Cuttack’s Tinikonia Bagicha-Buxi Bazar Road, a shabby wooden gate is easy to walk past without a second glance. Yet, closeted from the noise and traffic stands a building that has been a mute spectator to more than eight decades of Odisha’s theatre scene — from its heady rise and subsequent struggles to its gradual revival.The towering black gate on the busy road opens into Annapurna Theatre B, once a vibrant hub of theatre that drew artistes and audiences from across the state and beyond. Its stage has hosted generations of performers and witnessed the changing fortunes of Odia theatre.Today, the theatre complex resembles a shadow of its former self from its heydays. The ageing edifice bears marks of decades of use, while the crowds are a fraction of what they once were. Yet, the building continues to draw artistes, theatre lovers and curious visitors, keeping alive memories of a time when Cuttack’s drama scene was at the heart of the state’s cultural life.“It has been 82 years since artistes began staging plays here. Prior to that, it was a cinema screening silent films, and for some years inbetween, the building was used as a jute godown. Around 1942, a certain Somnath Das took the space on rent to stage plays under Annapurna Theatre B group,” recalled Alhadeni Kar, secretary of the managing committee that runs the theatre complex and oversees the eponymous theatre group.Considered the cradle of Odia theatre, Annapurna Theatre took root in Puri in the 1940s under the management of Somnath Das and Bauribandha Mohanty. “At the time, Puri and Cuttack were two prominent centres, while Bhubaneswar was still relatively undeveloped. Das and Mohanty, therefore, decided to divide Annapurna Theatre into two troupes: Annapurna Theatre A and B. While the A troupe travelled across Odisha for about eight months a year, the B troupe stayed in Cuttack and staged plays here throughout the year,” she said.Given Annapurna Theatre’s immense popularity and its contribution to the growth of theatre in Odisha, artistes considered it a privilege to be associated with either of its Puri or Cuttack groups. Annapurna Theatre A and B were more than mere performance venues; they became important institutions that shaped the state’s theatrical tradition.According to Kar, at least 45 artistes who began their careers with the two troupes, went on to become professional actors in Odia cinema or ‘jatra’.The theatre complex, which houses a performance hall, a small green room and a library, suffered extensive damage during the 1999 super cyclone. But the troupe refused to let the theatre slip into oblivion.“It wasn’t govt support that helped in its revival. The entire B group came together and contributed what they could to renovate the old building. Even today, our troupe of 65-odd members stages plays at govt events and other cultural festivals. Whatever we earn from these performances is donated towards the upkeep of Annapurna Theatre B,” Kar said.The theatre had faced another difficult phase much earlier. In the 1980s, it remained closed for several years as revenues dwindled and management weakened following the death of actor-director Rabindra Kumar Parija, who had managed both the troupe and the theatre complex.In recent years, efforts have aimed to reconnect theatre with Cuttack’s residents and revive their interest in live performances. The theatre now hosts free shows twice a month. Artistes of Annapurna Theatre B perform on the 20th of every month, while the culture department organises a drama on the 29th at the theatre complex.While the culture department pays artistes for its monthly performance, the Annapurna Theatre troupe performs on the 20th without charging any fee. The open-door shows allow anyone to walk in and watch, helping bring audiences back to a space that once occupied a central place in Cuttack’s cultural scene.The complex has also taken on a new role as a training ground for GenNext. A drama school now operates from the premises, with 45 students receiving training. Fees collected from the students also support the maintenance of the theatre complex.“For a building that has survived changing times, financial struggles, devastating cyclones and shifting audience preferences, Annapurna Theatre B remains more than an old theatre hall. It is a living link to Odisha’s theatrical past and an attempt to ensure that the curtains do not fall on it yet,” said Kar.