By: Editorial
Northeastern Herald
The recently concluded Eela Kooththu Festival held in Jaffna is an eye-opener. It demonstrates to what uses Tamils are putting the ceasefire, despite the much-touted peace dividend eluding them during the 18 months since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed.
An article in this issue of the Northeastern Herald highlights the discussion on forming a Tamil national theatre that took place during the festival. They centred on two intertwined subjects: one, the future of kooththu and second, the formation of a national theatre using kooththu as its core.It is indeed laudable that the Tamils have begun to shed their self-image as a beleaguered minority and begun to think of themselves as a nation sharing physical space on Sri Lankan soil with other nations. Further, it is also noteworthy that they are willing to assert multiple identities and see themselves as a Tamil nation within Sri Lanka.
The Tamils are a people who have lived under the heel of internal colonialism of for over 50 years � ever since the departure of the British. Like all numerically smaller national groups, the Tamils were destined to witness the cultural practices of the Sinhala people masquerading as national culture. Whether it was about the national flag, the national anthem, or what was depicted as �2500 years of civilisation,� the Tamils were either treated with scorn or completely ignored.
We have view the attempt to elevate any one school of kooththu as the national theatre of the Tamils, from the experience of having Sinhala hegemony shoving Sinhala culture down Tamil throats as national culture. Either the essence of kooththu has to be distilled through consensus among the exponents of the various schools of that art form, so that what emerges is a worthy compromise, or, Tamil national theatre should not be a single monolith, but a multiplicity of schools and genres that coexist without one dominating the other. But even as the Tamils asserting themselves as a nation within the confines of Sri Lanka against Sinhala hegemony becomes important, forthcoming battles on a wider arena appear more frightening.
Globalisation has seen the slow but sure westernisation, in particular Americanisation, of global culture. And in a world where culture is commodified, not only has the great western avalanche swept less-rooted cultures before its onslaught, but it has also led to the drain of wealth from poor third world countries to west. From Hollywood to Harry Potter, money pays for the consumption of these cultural commodities.
Even the Indian film industry � Bollywood and the Tamil film world of Chennai � display in their products the relentless battle they wage against western domination. It shows a retreat that is painful to watch but appears almost inevitable.
It is in this context that we have to view kooththu or whatever other art form that is born or at least evolved in northeastern Sri Lanka. If it is to reflect the experiences, beliefs, joys and sorrows of a people, keeping kooththu in the village, while western art forms from the literary to the plastic and performing arts frolic in the cities and towns, will be a pity.
This is not to say for a moment that art should steadfastly remain pure and incorrupt by external and alien influences. That is impractical and indeed stunting. But in a world where aesthetic traditions have to compete with the west for financial backing and popular support, folk art, regional cultures etc. fight a losing battle against the forces of globalisation.
It will be prudent indeed if the Tamils look upon themselves as a community that has to preserve what are unique to it against the giant forces with which it is grappling in an unequal battle. It would indeed be good to keep this in mind when addressing cultural issues in the future and against a struggle that is taking on new dimensions all the time.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ravanesan staged in Jaffna after 40 years
Ravanesan staged in Jaffna after 40 years -
A Feature
By: S. Somitharan
The Eelam Kooththu Festival was celebrated in Jaffna between 11 and 14 September this year, organised by the Jaffna Centre for the Performing Arts. The festival saw discussions and seminars held in the morning, lightened by a series of kooththu performances in the evenings, culminating in Ravanesan on the final night, which was revived in Jaffna after 40 years.
On the morning of the first day, a discussion was held on the kooththu tradition of the upcountry areas, where speakers drew attention to how the dramatic form had grown and transformed over time to communicate important ideas on contemporary political and economic questions that affected the people of the upcountry area, and the influence the dance form had on the public.
That evening Arichunanthabasu, a kooththu from the upcountry Tamil areas was performed.
The second day�s discussions were devoted to the kooththu traditions of Batticaloa in its various forms such as Vadamodi and Thenmodi. Present trends of the evolving dance form were explored and what it might be in store for the future. There was a separate session on the kooththus from the Vanni and on �Therukkooththu.
In the evening was an exhibition of kamankooththu that is native to the hill country, which is not a spectacle as such, but the performance similar to a religious ritual. This was followed by a Thenmodi kooththu, Ekalaivan.
The third day�s proceedings focused on the kooththus of Jaffna, including the Vaddukoddai kooththu. The discussion centred around the Vaddukoddai kooththu being a dying art form since there were very few performances of it in temples and so on. Participants contrasted this with the Thenmodi, which is the quintessential Catholic kooththu that remains a vibrant art form, due to its integral place at feasts of the Catholic Church and other Christian rituals.
On the final day discussions centred on the formation of a national theatre and on how country dancing could evolve towards national theatre. The evening saw the staging of Ravanesan.
To those associated with the arts, the revival of Ravanesan after 40 years was a moment of nostalgia. Ravanesan was among the kooththus that were modified and modernised by Professor Vithianandan in his bid to take the dance form to the proscenium arch theatre from its traditional mooring in the village vattakalari.
According to certain critics, it was this, which enabled the kooththu to hurdle the divide from that of a country-dance to becoming accepted as sophisticated theatre.
Ravanesan stands the traditional plot of Valminki�s Ramayana on its head by portraying Ravana as the hero, who will rather die in battle than yield to an enemy. The portrayal is interpreted as the celebration of Dravidianess over its traditional northern enemy.
A Feature
By: S. Somitharan
The Eelam Kooththu Festival was celebrated in Jaffna between 11 and 14 September this year, organised by the Jaffna Centre for the Performing Arts. The festival saw discussions and seminars held in the morning, lightened by a series of kooththu performances in the evenings, culminating in Ravanesan on the final night, which was revived in Jaffna after 40 years.
On the morning of the first day, a discussion was held on the kooththu tradition of the upcountry areas, where speakers drew attention to how the dramatic form had grown and transformed over time to communicate important ideas on contemporary political and economic questions that affected the people of the upcountry area, and the influence the dance form had on the public.
That evening Arichunanthabasu, a kooththu from the upcountry Tamil areas was performed.
The second day�s discussions were devoted to the kooththu traditions of Batticaloa in its various forms such as Vadamodi and Thenmodi. Present trends of the evolving dance form were explored and what it might be in store for the future. There was a separate session on the kooththus from the Vanni and on �Therukkooththu.
In the evening was an exhibition of kamankooththu that is native to the hill country, which is not a spectacle as such, but the performance similar to a religious ritual. This was followed by a Thenmodi kooththu, Ekalaivan.
The third day�s proceedings focused on the kooththus of Jaffna, including the Vaddukoddai kooththu. The discussion centred around the Vaddukoddai kooththu being a dying art form since there were very few performances of it in temples and so on. Participants contrasted this with the Thenmodi, which is the quintessential Catholic kooththu that remains a vibrant art form, due to its integral place at feasts of the Catholic Church and other Christian rituals.
On the final day discussions centred on the formation of a national theatre and on how country dancing could evolve towards national theatre. The evening saw the staging of Ravanesan.
To those associated with the arts, the revival of Ravanesan after 40 years was a moment of nostalgia. Ravanesan was among the kooththus that were modified and modernised by Professor Vithianandan in his bid to take the dance form to the proscenium arch theatre from its traditional mooring in the village vattakalari.
According to certain critics, it was this, which enabled the kooththu to hurdle the divide from that of a country-dance to becoming accepted as sophisticated theatre.
Ravanesan stands the traditional plot of Valminki�s Ramayana on its head by portraying Ravana as the hero, who will rather die in battle than yield to an enemy. The portrayal is interpreted as the celebration of Dravidianess over its traditional northern enemy.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
TAMIL PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY IN CHENNAI
Psychological drama
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
The Tamil Performing Arts Society originating in Sri Lanka, recently staged ‘Mazhai.'
From Yazhpanam to Colombo to Norway and then to London - that is the journey Balendra has made. “In my village near Yazhpanam, traditional Tamil plays would be performed. Once I joined the University of Colombo as a student of engineering, I took part in campus productions. Later, when a troupe was started, I became a member,” he says.
After obtaining his degree, Balendra went to Norway to study further. On his way back to Sri Lanka, he made a stopover at London to visit relatives. “I decided to stay there when riots broke out in Sri Lanka,” he tells you. When he met old friends from Colombo in London, they decided to resume their theatre activities. Anandarani with whom he had acted in plays in Colombo had also migrated to the U.K. by then. She performed the role of the daughter in ‘Mazhai' (as she did in the Chennai production) and it ended in their marriage.
“Surprisingly, the play has played Cupid for other actors too. Anandarani is now a civil servant in London, I work as an engineer. All those who are in our group are amateurs.” Despite hurdles such as meagre audiences initially, the scale of their theatre has grown substantially. The group stages plays by well known Indian playwrights as well as Western plays in translation.
And are the plays political? “Political comment yes, but not propaganda,” replies Balendra. “But we did a theatre presentation of poems on the theme of ‘War and Sri Lanka' and another play based on a short story by Kundavai, about how thousands had to move out from Jaffna in the matter of a few hours. We also presented a moving play about a mother who waits for the return of her son. It was written by S. Vasudevan,” he says pointing to the actor who performed the role of the doctor in the Chennai production. “And my wife is there of course with me all the way,” adds Balendra.
Anandarani has grown with the roles. “We wondered how people would react to my playing the daughter,” she says. “But they didn't seem to mind. As also the Sri Lankan accent,” they add.
For the past six years the group is involved in running a Tamil drama school for training children in theatre skills. “It is highly satisfying to prepare the children for the stage,” says Balendra while Anandarani nods in enthusiastic assent.
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
The Tamil Performing Arts Society originating in Sri Lanka, recently staged ‘Mazhai.'
Photo: M. Karunakaran Gripping: Pratyega Katshi
and (below) Mazhai.
T he taut psychological drama is set against the backdrop of relentless rain.
Four characters are caught in an emotional storm: a daughter who feels deeply resentful and fettered by emotional bondage; a father who has thwarted the attempt of his daughter to fly away and set up her own home; a son who leaves the nest returning only after the father's death, and the family doctor to whom the daughter makes overtures.
Indira Parthasarathy's ‘Mazhai' holds audiences in its grip each time it is played out. The work has been staged in other parts of the country; surprisingly it does not see enough performances in Chennai.
The Tamil Performing Arts Society originating in Sri Lanka and based in London recently staged ‘Mazhai” in the city. It was followed by ‘Pratyega Katshi' a translation of Czech writer Vaclav Havel's work. The plays, directed by K. Balendra, founder of the group, were presented under the auspices of the Koothu-p-pattarai and Moondram Arangu at the Spaces.
Balendra says, “The success of Mazhai gave me the courage to forge ahead with my activities in the theatre. Along with ‘The Glass Menagerie' it is my favourite work. We have staged it in various countries including in Switzerland where the playwright attended the shows.”
Tamil plays in Colombo
From Yazhpanam to Colombo to Norway and then to London - that is the journey Balendra has made. “In my village near Yazhpanam, traditional Tamil plays would be performed. Once I joined the University of Colombo as a student of engineering, I took part in campus productions. Later, when a troupe was started, I became a member,” he says.
After obtaining his degree, Balendra went to Norway to study further. On his way back to Sri Lanka, he made a stopover at London to visit relatives. “I decided to stay there when riots broke out in Sri Lanka,” he tells you. When he met old friends from Colombo in London, they decided to resume their theatre activities. Anandarani with whom he had acted in plays in Colombo had also migrated to the U.K. by then. She performed the role of the daughter in ‘Mazhai' (as she did in the Chennai production) and it ended in their marriage.
“Surprisingly, the play has played Cupid for other actors too. Anandarani is now a civil servant in London, I work as an engineer. All those who are in our group are amateurs.” Despite hurdles such as meagre audiences initially, the scale of their theatre has grown substantially. The group stages plays by well known Indian playwrights as well as Western plays in translation.
And are the plays political? “Political comment yes, but not propaganda,” replies Balendra. “But we did a theatre presentation of poems on the theme of ‘War and Sri Lanka' and another play based on a short story by Kundavai, about how thousands had to move out from Jaffna in the matter of a few hours. We also presented a moving play about a mother who waits for the return of her son. It was written by S. Vasudevan,” he says pointing to the actor who performed the role of the doctor in the Chennai production. “And my wife is there of course with me all the way,” adds Balendra.
Anandarani has grown with the roles. “We wondered how people would react to my playing the daughter,” she says. “But they didn't seem to mind. As also the Sri Lankan accent,” they add.
For the past six years the group is involved in running a Tamil drama school for training children in theatre skills. “It is highly satisfying to prepare the children for the stage,” says Balendra while Anandarani nods in enthusiastic assent.
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