Kudiyattam Theatre and the Actor's Consciousness

213 Pages·2010·2.36 MB·English

by  Arya Madhavan

Kudiyattam Theatre and
the Actor’s Consciousness
Consciousness
25
Liter& ture
the Arts
General Editor:
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
Editorial Board:
Anna Bonshek, Per Brask, John Danvers,
William S. Haney II, Amy Ione,
Michael Mangan, Arthur Versluis,
Christopher Webster, Ralph Yarrow
Kudiyattam Theatre and
the Actor’s Consciousness
Arya Madhavan
Amsterdam - New York, NY 2010
Illustration cover: Damayanthi, Kerala Mural painting by Ranjith Vaidyamadhom.
http://traditionalmurals.com. Reproduced with the courtesy of the artist.
Cover design:
Aart Jan Bergshoeff
The paper on which this book is printed meets the requirements of “ISO
9706:1994, Information and documentation - Paper for documents -
Requirements for permanence”.
ISBN: 978-90-420-2798-5
ISSN: 1573-2193
E-Book ISBN: 978-90-420-2799-2
E-book ISSN: 1879-6044
© Editions Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam - New York, NY 2010
Printed in the Netherlands
To my first Guru

My Father

Contents

Acknowledgements 9

Introduction 11

Chapter One: 33
The Actor’s Consciousness: Contemporary
Western Approaches

Chapter Two: 71
The Actor’s Consciousness: Indian Approaches to
Actor Training and Acting with Particular
Reference to Kudiyattam

Chapter Three: 151
Natyasastra, Kudiyattam and Actor’s Consciousness

Conclusion 203

Bibliography 209

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Prof. Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe for the support that he
generously extended in my academic career and also for being
extremely patient with the process that I went through as a research
student with him. I am extending my gratitude to the Department of
Theatre, Film and Television Studies for funding my studies at the
University of Aberystwyth. I also thank Prof. Ioan Williams and Mrs
Margaret Williams for their help, support and kindness shown towards
me while I studied at Aberystwyth. I thankfully acknowledge the
comments, interviews and telephone conversations between Guru P.K
Narayanan Nambyar, late Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, Guru
Margi Sathi and Usha Nangyar for sharing their thoughts with me.
Nambyar was extremely helpful in clarifying many of my doubts over
long telephone conversations between us. I would also like to thank
Margi Madhu the Kudiyattam performer for sharing his thoughts with
me. I am also thankfully remembering Prof. Ralph Yarrow who
inspired and supported my academic career and extended sincere
support in my personal life when I required it the most.

I am also remembering some of my friends who supported at various
points of my personal life, providing me strength and support to get
me to the point where I now am. I am thanking Anil Kattumadam,
K.M Rema, Sarah Joseph, Vaisakhan, Vinod, Venkitesh Ramakri-
shnan and students of School of Drama Trissur in particular. I am
thankful to my father N.S Madhavan for insisting me (despite my
resistance!) on learning Sanskrit language at my very young age
which enormously helped me as a PhD student. I cannot thank enough
Dr. Sreenath Nair, my friend and husband to be intellectually and
emotionally supportive since we met. This book may not have seen
light unless he continuously inspired and generously supported my
attempts and ambitions. Finally, I would like to thank my daughter Pia
for offering the most welcome distractions during the writing process
which were sweet and refreshing.