sivadasan pillai 710ietd.inflibnet.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10603/606/17/17_appendix- v -.pdf · in...
TRANSCRIPT
-
APPENDIX- V - FOOT NOTES
N. 1. It is a musical dance drama with heroic elements
intimately connected with martial art-forms of Kerala. In this
visual art-form, music, martial art and other elements of
'tauryathrika' are beautifully combined.
N. 2. 'Kalaripayattu' is the traditional art-form of Kerala.
The footworks and body-movements of many ritual art-forms like
Theyyam, Mudiyettu, Padayani, Koodiyattom and Kathakali are
indebted to this form.
N. 3. According to Kattumadom Narayanan (1990:75) the
exorcist-ritual used in - Mariamma is not with the notion of its ritualistic theatrical function. The playwright introduced it
just to draw the village atmosphere and its rustic elements.
It was as a part of the portrayal of social life of the time.
N. 4. G. Sankara Pillai (1980:47) points out that in this
time the actor's theatre gave way to Proprietor's Theatre. It
was in this time that the Royal Dramatic Company of P.J.Cherian
'~chiraparabrahmodha~am' Company of Velupillai etc. came into
existence. It also created a Sangeeth Natak trend in Malayalam
Theatre.
N. 5. The play Samatvavadi is a perfect co-ordination of high
imagination, revolutionary thought and integrative power. It
is a product of the direct influence of expressionalisrn of the
-
West. There is the rare combination of poetic as well as
dramatic element in the play. Though, no 'thanathu' element is
seen here, it is a pointer towards the experimental theatre of
Malayalam, which was later continued by G. Sankara Pillai, and
C.N. Sreekantan Nair.
CHAPTER I1
N. 6. In the study it was found that the underlying
arrangement of the life cycle-ritual was found to be similar.
In each life-cycle ritual, the author found pre-liminality,
liminality and post liminality and vital social functions were
carried out by life cycle - rituals. These rituals were the contexts by which the members of the Society were made aware of
the collective significance of the life cycle events. Also,
they create a feeling of unity in the society.
N - 7. Varad Pande (1987:6 - 7) draws our attention to a Mesolithic painting of Lakhajoar that shows a row of seventeen
dancers moving forward in chain like formation. The most
interesting aspect of this is that the last dancer in the row,
is shown tumbling and rolling while following the line, may be
to evoke laughter. He is the precursor of the popular
theatrical figure of a jester or Vidukshaka.
Ritual connected with hunting is depicted in a Mesolithic
rock painting of the earliest style from Katholia. Here some
figures are shown dancing before the several head of an animal,
a kind of magic performed to ensure success in hunting.
-
N-8. Grotowski had little idea of this cooling down process
(Schechner). His famous actor Cieslak knew how to prepare
and be ready to flow with his role, but had no idea about
how to cool down.
N-9. The rites and 'mantras' of ancient India were capable of
inducing mystical states. The Buddhists accepted Sanskrit
'mantras' without translating them. 'Rishis' mentioned in the
Vedas pronounced new sounds in new ways which were highly
effective for mystical experience. It is for this mystic
experience that Artaud, Grotowski and Peter Brook were
searching for, though they rendered their experiences in
different terminologies. Here, there is immense resources
for the modern theatre-worker.
N-10. August0 Boa1 illustrates (1979 : 122) how in the theatre of
the oppressed, the audience assumes the protagonist-role by
identifying with the characters. Thus, there are parallels
though in a different plane, between the audience in ritual
arts and the audience in the Modern Theatre.
N-11. In this interesting article it is illustrated by the writer
how the ritual performance of 'Theyyam. of 'Muchilott
Bhagavathi' has lost its early efficacious significance and
how it gained only entertainment value when rendered into
modern theatre-idiom.
-
N-12. Campell describes (1973:ll-33) how the actor can draw the
spectator almost unawares, into a series of emotions that he
expresses himself. The actor may reflect almost a hundred
emotions like, fear, terror, sorrow, wonder, amusement etc.
Through the intensity of action he can draw the spectator
into those emotions.
N-13. In the Modern Drama (Vol. XXVIII. 3Sept. 1985): 406, we are
informed in detail how Artaud was electrified by the
performance of the Balinese actors when he saw it in 1931.
It was a drama that sprang from religious and tribal
sources. It gave him the central idea of the theatre of
cruelty aired in The Theatre and Its Double.
N-14. Jaqueline Martin (1991:61) elaborately describes the way in
which Artaud trained his actors. He applied many methods to
extract the full potentialities of the actor's body and
spirit. One of the methods was that he would ask his actor
to start a speech standing, then continue it on his knees
and end it flat on his back. Sometimes, he would ask his
actor to present his own inner states without references to
the sense of the speech.
N-15. Bradby suggests that as Chinese accupuncture recognized 380
points, many of these must be available to provide the
source of the actor's emotional behaviour, which were known
to Artaud. It was clear that Artaud resorted to these
accupuncture-points in order to expose deep emotions in the
actor.
-
N - 16. It was the sensuous elements in the Balinese theatre that
inspired Artaud most. Balinese dance was like a drama in
which music and costume form an integral part of the
spectacle. As in ritual arts, the Balinese dancers and
musicians practise until the step and music become part of
them. They dance to propitiate nature and gods. Here
also, the dances were performed before a temple or in
temple premises. The priests bless the costumes before the
dances begin and only he can release them from trance that
ends performances like in the ritual-theatre of Koodiyattom.
The ritual significance of Artaudian theatre is highlighted
here.
N-17. In Towards a Poor Theatre (pp101- 198) Grotowski elaborately
deals with his actor's training process in his theatre. In
the detailed analysis, it is found, he mainly formulated his
theories on the training process in the Eastern Ritual
performing arts. They have their main parallels in
Kathakali and Koodiyattom. In the interviews with Kathakali
and Koodiyattom performers it is revealed that in the formation
of breathing exercises, Grotowski was greatly influenced by
these ritual arts.
N-18. The performative principle is beautifully explained by
Cieslak. He compares the score to a glass inside which a
flame is burning. The glass contains and guides the flame,
but it is not the flame. The flame is what illuminates the
-
score, what the spectators see through the score. The flame
of the actor shines through the score during every
performance. But in every performance, while the score
remains the same, . everything is different because the
actor is different.
N-19. Grotowski began the actor - audience communion experiments even from the early productions of Shakuntala (1960) and
Dziady (1961). There, the audience were delegated to a
special role. The design integrated the spectator with the
action. Within the performance-space the audience were
positioned in random, so that they would have physical
proximity with the actors. This is seen in the ritual arts'
performances like Theyyam, Mudiyettu and Padayani.
This was another attempt by Grotowski, towards achieving a
communion of the actors with the audience. But in
practice, it failed because the reaction of the spectators
were not natural, here they actually became characters
playing the role of the spectators. In ritual performing
arts this happens often, but in theatre it is not desirable.
But what actually seen here is the audience-concept in
ritual arts.
N-20. It is seen that Grotowski's theatre-experiments with the
actors and spectators ended in full ritual concepts. His
para-theatre experiments, theatre of sources etc. towards
the end of his career, throw light on this aspect. In the
-
article referred, "Grotowski blazes the Trials", the writer
leads our attention to the ritual ending of the experimental
theatre of Grotowski.
CHAPTER IV
N-21. Through the observance of the performance of different
Theyyams, and through the interviews with different
categories of performers, it is found that the trance-
experience varies from performer to performer. It depends
on the belief, the strict vows, the ability of involvement
in the rhythm of the performance.etc. In the old generation,
it is found in greater degree than in the younger.
N - 22. In the analysis of Artaud's theatre of cruelty, it is found that
he was seeking the same experience. There, by producing the
intense emotion in the spectator's mind, by presenting
extreme cruelties, the theatrical function of purging those
emotions from the spectator's mind is actually carried out.
N-23 Bharata in Natyasastra, stresses the need for continuous
exercise for the actors in the theatre, by giving them
various types of exercises. He describes (Vol I. Ch. 4 1 , two
movements of the body called 'Athikrantham' and
'Harinaplztham'. In 'Athikrantham' each foot is whirled
forward alternatively, accordingly the hands are also moved.
In 'Harinaplutharn' jumping high, folding the feet with the
alternative movement of the foot is seen. It is called
-
'deer-jump'. This is seen in the movements of Kali.
N - 24 S.K. Nayar points out the similarity between '~edala' in
Mudiyettu and 'Vidukshaka' in Sanskrit plays. Inspite of
giving comic relief, he also provides the choric function of
'the ~idukshakg. His gestures, dialogues during performance
are also like 'Vidukshaka'.
N-25 'The Yavanika' is used with full theatrical functions, in
many contextsof~oodiyattom. Its movements are often used to
symbolise place and time. In 'Balivadhankam', it is held at
the corner of the stage diagonally and Bali enters on the
'peedom' just behind it. It is assumed that this is Bali's
palace. At the time of Bali's death it becomes a powerful
stage-symbol. It is shown that after the death of Bali, his
crown and ornaments are removed and then covered with
'Yavanika', symbolising his tragic memory.
N-26 It is seen that the function of 'Nilavilakku' in the ritual
arts are different in different contexts. For eg. in
'Asokavanikankam' in Koodiyattom, it is only Sita in the
description of Ravana. The different functions of
'Nilavilakku' are taken to the modern Malayalam Theatre.
N - 27 Bharata in Natyasastra says that the main actor should run through the stage, clapping, jumping etc with fire-wicks
(torches) in his hands. In the middle of the stage he
-
should produce sounds by throwing 'Thellippodi' on the
torches (Volu. 1. Ch. 3. 79): 139. He also suggests that
using 'Sanku', I'Perumpara1 2
'Maddalam' and 'Chenda' the
battle scene would be portrayed.
N - 28 In the interviiew (AI. 2.12) Pazhoor informs that once he . took 'MudiyettJ' out of the temple premises and presented it
r '
in a stage arranged by the Kerala Sangeeth Natak Akademy. It was much against the wishes of his father and grandfather.
But he preserved the ritual soul of the performance, by
creating a temple-atmosphere before the presentation.
CHAPTER V
N-29 It is a clear example of how theatre moves towards rituals.
Kavalam's one act play Pasugahatri was presented by
Sree Bhanumathi, through the ritual 'Gauri'. There the
actors were Bhil tribals. Today, some of the improvised
dramatic sequences of the play are used by Bhils in their
actual ritual. It is a clear example of how theatre moves
towards ritual.
N- 30 In the dialogue with K.S. Narayana Pillai, Kavalam reveals
that how greatly he is influenced by Koothu and Koodiyattom
in preparing his actors. He was inspired by the principles
involved in Chakyar's art of using his body and voice. He
cites anexample, thathowchakyar used his body to communicate
the concept of a ail as' to his audience.
-
N - 3 1 Kaladharan, one of the prominent actors in Kavalam's theatre
narrates his experience as an actor. He said that according
to the response of the audience, the acting 'score' would be
broken, sometimes. In ritual performing arts also, this
happens -.
N - 3 2 Kavalam, narrated an experience that one of his actresses
happened to act as Shaman in a ThekLam performance and
underwent a trance-experience of the performer in the ritual
art. Afterwards, she was able to transfer this experience
to her theatre performance, showing a greater development as
an actress.
N- 33 During an interview, . K.N. Nampoothiri, the main actor in
Kavalam's theatre today,narrated an example of the famous
actor, T.R. Sukumaran Nair. A£ ter a performance when T.R.
returned to the green room, he was still weeping, because he
was still possessed by the character. This happens to a
performer in ritual art. But it is not desirable for an
actor in a theatre.
N-34 In the interview, Ramanujam gives an example, how he created 3
a new theatre-idiom for 'the Velichappadu in Karutha
Daivathethedi. Being a theatrical representation of the
character, even no red-dress was given to him. The basic
movements, magnified and choreographied were given to him,
diferent from the real movements of a 'Velichappadu'.
-
N - 3 5 In the interview ilarnanuja~n cxprcsscs his view Lllat Ll~c
ritual presentation alone will not invite the sharing of
the audience. But according to him, the ritual enriches
the power of the action, influencing the actor as well as
the audience.
N - 36 Vayala writes in his directnrial note of Agni (p- 11) that
in a drama workshop, a subject, "The home-coming of a
young man after many years of absence" was given to tlie
young participants. tIe tried over it and con~pleted ngni
in 1981.
N - 37 Vayala recalls in the interview that in a Theyyarn
performance, how Kannaperuvannan, a famous l'heyyo'ni -artis te
blessed the devotees. He was previously aware of the
devotee's problems. He made use of it at the context of
the performance. The erosion of the belief-part of the
ritual art is hinted here.
N - 3 8 G.K. narrates about one or two experiences regarding this.
While acting in Sauparnika, in the death-scene of Venmani,
he could not control himself from crying. Another
incident was when he acted in Velliyazhcha. There, in the
seducing scene of Maria, in the intensity of action, he
himself was put into a trance that he even forgot the
audience.
N - 3 9 In his novel Mavelimantom (pp 26 - 40) which had been selected one among the best ten books published in 1991,
Baby elaborately deals with this myth. It is also given in
Naduqaddhika (new edn. pp. 88 - 90).
-
N - 40 In a comparative assessment of Thoppil Bhasi's Ninqalenne
Communistakki and Nadugaddhika Civic Chandran points out
that the former is completely commercial (pp.14 - 15) with no elements of indigenous theatre -culture. But Naduqaddhika
with its ritual and mythical culture reminds us of a model
that would have been originated in Malayalam.