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.