Focus

Theyyam – the ritual theatre of north Kerala

Kerala is the land of traditional performances that cover a wide spectrum of structures. Theyyam is one of the most vibrant forms that are true spectacles of music, rhythm, colour and form. It’s a unique combination of dance, music and also reflects the main features of a tribal culture. The performance takes place in an open area near the temple and may cover a large area with the performers moving around. The spectator is a not mere onlooker. But are participants in this ritual and will move constantly giving a flexible space for the enactment. Usually festivals have a variety of Theyyams dancing together at the same occasion and runs to many a full day activity.

Theyyam literally means God and it is believed that the performer performing a Theyyam gets literally transforms into the god, and that he invites and invokes that deity into his body and spirit. For this the performance uses drumming, singing of texts, wearing very heavy and colorful costumes, huge and heavy head gears, intricate face and body painting; There are around 400 different Theyyams in northern Kerala, with each one having a distinct myth and characteristic costume and performance system. The bizarre head dresses, costumes and body painting and trance like performances are very extraordinary. The ritual is set up in a sequence that facilities the visitation of the divine from the past into the present, a sequence that facilitates the transformation of the performer to the mythical character, and it shifts from a third person narrative into the first person uttering towards the end.

Musical accompaniments are Chenda, Elathalam, and Kuzhal (horn). The male members of the lower caste or tribal groups like Malayan, Vannan, Navilan, Pulayan, Koppalan, and Velan exclusively perform the Theyyams, traditionally. It is an act of the backward castes, who come from a very poor economic and social background; by the untouchables for the superior castes. But then at the time of performance, all their social degradation is completely eliminated.

Theyyam, the local deity, is believed to bless and arbitrate between the devotees. The Theyyam or Kolam (a form or shape) represents a mythological, divine, or heroic character. Each one has a distinguishing headgear and costume made out of natural materials like leaves and bark. Facial decorations are intricately designed and rich in symbolism, transforming the simple human into a deity. Theyyam is always performed by men, they also enact female deities are invoked wearing makeup and colorful costumes.

The Theyyam performance has an aura of divine splendor as its accompanied by rituals & other devotional hymns. The impact is tremendous when the performer feels that for those moments he is the supreme identifying himself with the supernatural entities.

The presence of Muslim characters like Alichamundi in this cult indicates the influence of the followers of Islam. Thus, its not only a synthesis of different religious practices but also a fusion of different customs, traditions, and beliefs

Dancing with a headgear (mudi) that is around 10 to 12 meters, the falling of the performer wearing tender coconut fronds, in a cool, nonchalant manner on the fire embers and the–Burning wicks of fire tied around the waist with the performer dancing in spite of the burning heat and exposure to flames are examples of the usual extraordinary deeds during the performances. Fire walking with this heavy dress is another dangerous act.

During the festival season between November and April, almost all villages have Theyyam performances. Northern districts of Kerala started to sound the drums proclaiming the glories of a lost nostalgic period where man can identify with super entities once again with this November days and last for another season of six months.

Productions

 Kerala has a lean month as a few innovative productions were on stage. There were many young directors coming up with their plays but they were either very fragile or followed the usual practices.

International Children’s Theatre Festival New Delhi

Delhi witnessed another international Children’s theatre festival organised by NIPA in association with IATA. This is the forth festival and it runs from 14th to 21st November every year. It turns out to be very hearty and refreshing experience that many regular groups are coming back with new productions every year to renew and exchange friendship, that is so much valid to theatre, and it takes place in such an unassuming manner. The festival is organised and planned to the last details by the tireless secretary of NIPA, Mr.B.M.D.Agarwal, and Devanand Misra, the president.

This years festival had the performances Aino and Vaino by theatre fiasco Finland, Tasher Desh by peoples little theatre Bangladesh, The Land Of Tomorrow by Youth Theatre Stick-er Germany, Cinderella by National School of learning Bangladesh, along with the Indian groups from Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Orissa, and Assam.

Review

Susanna. – A film in Malayalam

T V Chandran one of the most important film directors of India has come up with another film with a female character in lead, one of the favorite and recurring themes in his films. He has portrayed many unconventional female leads in strong, women-oriented films that smash accepted stereotypes, who fight the society and man to establish her identity in a male chauvinist society. Many a times they have decided to live without their men in the films like Aalicinte Anweshanam (the search of Alice) and Mankamma.

Susanna deals with an unconventional, even daring, character that was forced to extraordinary situations and incidents from the simple girl who loves the son of a wealthy planter and elopes with him, of course with the permission of her parents. The planter, Pleads with Susanna to let his son make a more politically -- and economically -- correct marriage. In very little time, the son is dead in an accident and Susanna succumbs to the lust of the aging planter. And later, to his friends.

Society brands her a prostitute.

Susanna grew into a true female, with the sensitive mind and a highly sexual body to attract, sooth, and protect the planter and his friends as a mother, lover a friend. In time, the relationship transforms itself more as their friend, nurse, teacher, and guide -- and does it so well that soon, they find that they cannot live without her.

But the morale notions of a society cannot accept her and they throw stones on her. A Christian priest who also seem to yearns for her, is sympathetic and paints on her, amused by her personality dreams the stones pelted on her.

 It would have been easy, stereotypical, for the director at this stage to have

This film tries to portray a power-packed woman as the central character; it does so without feminist ranting or the usual tears and pathos as Susanna stumbles from misery to misfortune. Susanna gets her relevance from her interaction with the men in her life. Starting out as victim, it is she who gains steadily in strength, and towers in stature, while the men in her world are soon reduced to pygmy-like stature.

K G Jayan has done the camera, which in fact, emerges as yet another character in the film, adding to its overall impact.

Chandran says on his preoccupation for woman oriented films. "I chose women as the theme for most of my films because I am disturbed by the unequal relations between men and women. It is not that this is happening only in India -- the subjugation of women exists, in some degree, in every society. I believe that there is more to a woman than the accepted roles of daughter, wife, and mother. The trouble is that society does not allow her to go beyond these roles, to be herself and, in the process, prove her true worth to society. This, is what I am trying to probe in this film. Susanna does not lose her inherent femininity, her softness and kindness, despite the adversities she suffers."

But the film appears to be having the old and worn out techniques of fantasy dream sequences and overt attempt to heighten the central female character stands up. Also, the male characters who are revolving around Susanna are also very weak and fragile “characters” with either mental aberrations or aged weaklings. It is also interesting that many of the youngsters are also attracted to the charisma of Susanna to which she shuts her door mercifully.

© 2000 Chandradasan ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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