Theatre is a tradition in Maharashtra and the various theatre companies in Maharashtra carried this tradition to the further level of maturity. "Stage is a medium for self expression"-this very truth gains a dimension amidst the art form of Marathi theatre which ideally unifies creativity with innovativeness. The strong tradition of theatre in Maharashtra has been further reshaped by the theatre companies to define the cultural zones in this western state.

Tragic themes gain importance in Marathi theatre and the earlier theatre companies in Maharashtra have ideally experimented with tragic and amorous themes as the storyline. There were many experimental plays, which were written in such a way, that they rationalized the old medieval performance. This led to the formation of one of the most important theatre companies in Maharashtra, the professional Bhave Company.

Some of the popular theatre Companies in Maharashtra are as follows:

Aryoddharaka Company: The Aryoddharaka Company in Pune was one of the pioneers of experimental theatre in the state.

The Aasakta Theatre Group: It has been upping the pot with wide publicity involving their each release. Their play Necropolis was much talked about and they also featured plays at the concluded Prithvi Theatre Festival.

Rangshila Theatre: It was born on 18th Jan 2008 and Rangshila Theatre Group in Mumbai. Rangshila Theatre Group has performed in chief theatre festivals of India including `Bharat Rang Mahotsav` organized by National School of Drama. Till date they have performed in Mumbai; Mysore; Delhi; Guwahati; Udaipur; Bareilly; Goa;Udupi & Bengaluru.

Swatantra Theatre: Mr. Abhijeet Choudhary (Founder and Director) established it in Pune in the year 2006. It is one of the leading Hindi Theatre groups in Pune that has endeavored in entertaining the audience with comical, social and contemporary plays at renowned institutes like NDA, FTII, AFMC, Symbiosis, Bharti Vidyapeeth, BMCC, MMCC, Congress Bhavan etc. The group has produced several Hindi productions which include innovative and exclusive production value, contemporary aesthetics and exclusive, contemporary content have been the attributes of each Swatantra Theater production.

The group conducts workshops and long and short duration courses for Theater & Film for enthusiastic and aspiring of all age groups, which nurture talent. Swatantra Theater has with diligence and various methods provided the tools to bring out the best from its students.

National Centre for the Performing Arts: NCPA is India`s leading cultural institution. It was the first multi-venue, multi-genre cultural centre in South Asia which was established in 1969. The NCPA is dedicated to preserving and promoting India`s prosperous and vivacious artistic heritage in the fields of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography, as well as presenting new and original work by Indian and international artists from a varied variety of genres including drama, modern dance, orchestral concerts, opera, jazz and chamber music. NCPA hosts more than 700 events each year, making it India"s largest and most holistic performing arts centre.

Ekjute: It is one of the most leading and iconic theatre groups of India. Ekjute was founded by well-known theatre personality Nadira Zaheer Babbar and Raj Babbar. Ekjute has profitably worked and collaborated with some of the legends in the fields of music, art and dance such as M.F.Hussain, Pandita Uma Dogra, Guru Sri C.Gopalakrishnan etc. The Group has represented India in countries all over the world at festivals and on invitations. It has visited countries include the United Kingdom, United States, Pakistan, Dubai, Singapore, Muscat, Bahrain, Iran, and Germany.

The theatre companies in Maharashtra further supported in manifesting the experimental plays whilst providing a substantial platform for numerous directors, technicians as well as budding artists. Various workshops are also conducted throughout the year for amateur artists. With its copious tradition and illustrious legacy of antiquity the theatre companies in Maharashtra has added that extra zing to Marathi theatre whilst aiding it to stand amidst the crowd.